12. Don’t Tailgate, And Keep A Safe Distance Between You And Them
This is very important tip for truck driving in winter. Though you should never tailgate, this can be additionally hazardous in winter weather when the roads are slick.
A little something to consider, a regular car moving at 65 miles per hour (mph) needs 316 feet to stop.
While a loaded tractor trailer going 65 mph will require 525 feet to stop. Keep in mind this is in ideal conditions, when it’ wet or icy you need more stopping time.
So how can you judge is your maintain a safe distance? Well that takes a little good judgment and practice. But if you pick a stationary object (a sign post or telephone pole) a wait until the car passes it, then count how long it takes to reach the same spot, you can get a rough estimate of how many seconds it takes.
So with that in mind The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, and the Department of Highway Safety suggests a regular car keep 4 seconds between them and the vehicle in front of them.
