Lateral interval: definition in traffic rules, distance between cars in meters

How much will you have to pay to the state?

The amount of the fine for failure to keep the distance in 2021 may be 1,500 rubles.

It is this amount that is indicated in Code of Administrative Offenses 12.15 part 1, namely:

Any violations in the form of traffic moving on the side of the road, failure to maintain distance between cars. Also, the location of vehicles on the roadway, crossing a transport or pedestrian column and driving on an oncoming crossing may be punishable by administrative liability in the form of a fine in the amount of 1,500 rubles.

Sometimes conflict situations arise when tinting rear brake lights. Which, by the way, has become widespread lately. The situation looks like this:

2 cars are moving. The second motorist crashes into the first one because the first one has rear brake lights hidden under tinting. Because of this, the driver of the car moving behind makes a collision. According to the Code of Administrative Offenses, the second driver will be at fault for the accident. Also, studded tires will not be able to exempt you from paying a fine.

However, if it can be proven that the driver in front did not take measures to change the tires, the fine for failure to keep the distance is often divided in half in court.

But this is only if the “STUDDED TIRES” sign was not displayed on the car. Otherwise, no relief will occur and the fine will have to be paid in any case and in full.

As for the “SPIKES” sign itself, its absence, oddly enough, is not a violation in principle, but as practice shows, its presence can help out the car owner and partially mitigate the punishment, or completely help evade liability.

The average braking distance of a passenger car driving on a dry, level surface at a speed of 60 km/h is 15 m. However, in urban conditions it is impossible to maintain this distance.

A dense flow of cars starts immediately after the green traffic light, and the distance is less than 2 meters. Every driver expects that the car in front of him will not brake. In order not to rely on chance, you need to know the safe distance to the next car.

Court practice

Let's consider several cases of decisions of courts of different regions under this article:

In the Novosibirsk region, the court upheld the complaint of a car owner that he was illegally fined for failure to comply with clause 9.10 of the Rules when the car was driving in reverse and collided with a stationary car. In this case, there are 2 conditions that do not comply with the law: the car was standing still, and it was behind, and not in front of, the car of the guilty person.
The Kaluga Region court has acquitted the driver who, according to the traffic police inspector, did not choose the correct distance and crashed into a walk-behind tractor. The paperwork has been discontinued, since the walk-behind tractor is not a vehicle, and the traffic rules precisely determine that the distance must be maintained only to the front vehicle.
In the Novgorod region, a car driver was convicted under a criminal article for causing the death of a bicycle driver for failure to maintain a distance.
The Berdsk City Court canceled the fine under clause 9.10, since the driver was driving in reverse and crashed into a standing car.

Be careful on the road and carefully check the materials compiled by the traffic police inspector. They may contain various inaccuracies and errors that will help you avoid punishment.

Responsibility for failure to comply with lateral spacing

Distance between cars
The Code of Administrative Offenses contains penalties applicable to a motorist who does not comply with the lateral interval.

In accordance with the requirements of this regulatory legal act, violation of the rules for placing a vehicle on the roadway, driving along the side of the road or crossing an organizational pedestrian or transport convoy entails holding the motorist accountable in the form of a fine of 1,500 rubles.

In this case, the driver of the vehicle must remember the need to comply with some additional rules:

The interval is considered safe until the actual collision occurs. Therefore, traffic police officers do not have the right to bring a motorist to administrative responsibility before the occurrence of a traffic accident.
Traffic police officers do not have the right to fine drivers if the damaged vehicle was parked.

In 2021, a bill was introduced proposing to increase the fine for such an offense to 5,000 rubles. At the moment it is still under consideration, but it is expected that changes to the legislation will be made in 2017.

If traffic inspectors bring a motorist to justice without the fact of a traffic accident, this is considered a violation of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Such a decision can be appealed within 10 days from the date of receipt.

The motorist can also appeal this document if it was received in addition to the accident certificate. An appeal is only allowed if the driver believes that the accident occurred for another reason.

Documents confirming the motorist’s opinion must be attached to the complaint. This may be written testimony from witnesses, video or photographs of the incident, which shows that the cause of the accident was another violation of traffic rules.

Lateral spacing

Here the rule is even simpler: the more, the better. In fact, you should always stay exactly in the middle of your lane (unless there are ruts, deeply recessed hatches and other obstacles).

The warning system for objects in the “dead” zone disciplines and discourages you from shying away in the lane.

They say that a safe lateral gap at high speed (when driving on a country road) should be approximately half the width of the car. In the city it may be smaller, but do not forget about motorcyclists riding between the rows, and not only on narrow enduros, but also on cruisers - wide and very expensive. In the event of an accident, you may well be blamed for failing to maintain the lateral interval. If you drive exactly in the middle of your lane, there will be no reason for this.

Since we're talking about two-wheelers, let me remind you that the braking distance of an average motorcycle at city speeds is longer than that of an average car - and this must be taken into account when choosing a distance.

Distance between cars in traffic rules

How to park in reverse between cars

Traffic regulations do not determine the required distance between cars in meters

Clause 9.10 states

9.10. The driver must maintain such a distance from the vehicle in front that would allow him to avoid a collision, as well as the necessary lateral interval to ensure traffic safety.

Two Second Rule

In practice, instructors advise keeping your distance according to the 2-second rule. To do this, you need to notice when the car driving ahead reaches something stationary. This could be a pole or a road marking. Count one thousand one, one thousand two, and your car should align with this landmark.

Why 2 seconds? The driver's reaction time to an unexpected situation just to understand what is happening is on average 1 second. And you still have a second to do something.

So that you can feel what 2 seconds is in real terms, below is a table showing the dependence of distance on speed. Dry numbers of meters can become clearer if you imagine the distance in standard cars. In the last column, the two-second distance is calculated in the most popular Hyundai Solaris cars, the length of these cars is 4.4 meters.

and a standard truck is 16 meters.

At a speed of 100 km/h, more than 12 Solaris or more than 4 buses or more than 3 trucks should fit between you and the vehicle in front. Then you will have a great chance of getting out of unexpected situations alive and unharmed.

Vehicle speed km/h

Travels meters in 1 second

Travels meters in 2 seconds

Length in Hyundai Solaris units

What affects driver reaction time?

Women, older people and tired drivers have longer than average reaction times. Also, reaction time increases for all drivers in bad weather and at night. This means that in such conditions the distance must be greater than usual.

The video below perfectly shows what can go wrong when the distance to the car ahead is not 13 Solaris, but 2 times less.

Braking distances

Only after the car has driven at a speed of 100 km/h for an average of 28 meters will the driver react to a sudden event and begin to take some action. If the driver decides to brake, the braking distance will begin. The braking distance can be 40 or 50 or even 200 meters if there is ice on the asphalt. Below are several tables and figures that will give you an idea of how far a car can travel after emergency braking.

How to control your distance

The distance ahead depends only on you. If you are overtaken and the distance is not comfortable, slow down and restore the distance again

The distance behind depends on you to a lesser extent, but is also 80 percent under your control. Firstly, you need to constantly monitor the distance behind you and if you see that someone is “on your tail,” apply the following actions.

1) Let the rusher pass - after changing into another row, if there is only one row, press to the side of the road

2) If the actions from the previous point are impossible - a very narrow road, a very dense flow, increase the distance in front. So that you always have room to maneuver

3) In very rare cases, you can speed up - suddenly you “fell asleep” in the left lane and are really slowing down. If a higher speed is allowed and is comfortable for you, add gas. Sometimes this can help restore the rear distance to normal.

However, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the rusher will not lag behind you and will stay just as close only at an even higher speed. In this case, do your best to give way to him, as this behavior indicates that the driver behind is unbalanced and does not think about his safety and the safety of others. Therefore, it is better to get rid of such a neighborhood.

Lateral distance control

Avoid being in the blind spots of other vehicles and make sure that there is no one in your blind spots either. The only exceptions can be when driving in a traffic jam, where it is almost impossible to comply with this rule. In other cases, in order to avoid getting into blind spots, speed up, slow down or change lanes. The more free space you have, the more time you have to maneuver in an emergency and the correspondingly higher your safety. The car in the video violated this rule and drove itself into a space where no maneuvers other than braking are possible, and since the front distance also did not correspond to the speed, the double mistake led to a sad but natural result for such driving.

The article was written based on materials from the sites: www.zr.ru, ru-act.com, avtotonkosti.ru.

Road accident as a result of failure to maintain a safe distance and lateral interval

According to registration and statistical data from the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, one of the main causes of road accidents in the Russian Federation is failure to maintain a safe distance in traffic.

How to determine what distance can be considered safe?

Some drivers calculate safety in seconds, others in meters, and others in the overall dimensions of vehicles.

In fact, when choosing a safe distance, drivers must be guided by a combination of its constituent factors, such as the speed of the traffic flow, the intensity of its movement, road and meteorological conditions, and visibility from the driver’s workplace.

Of course, one should not “discount” the personal qualities inherent in each individual - driving experience (experience), age, time spent behind the wheel of a car, psychophysiological characteristics.

In many cases, the safety of the distance is determined by the driver’s ability to choose the optimal speed.

In the exam papers for Russian traffic rules, driver candidates are asked the question: “When driving in traffic, what speed will be the safest?”

Of the answer options, the correct answer is that the more intense the traffic, the closer the speed of each driver should be to the average speed of the flow.

The absurdity and harmfulness of this approach to determining the optimal speed in traffic leads to drivers forgetting to maintain the required distance from the vehicle moving ahead.

The implementation of this kind of dogma in practice leads to a traffic accident with a large number of vehicles, like a “train”.

The actions of all drivers, except the driver of the first car, in such a composition will invariably be qualified as a violation of clause 9.10 of the Traffic Regulations of the Russian Federation, which states: The driver must maintain such a distance to the vehicle moving in front that would allow avoiding a collision, as well as the necessary lateral interval to ensure traffic safety .

To avoid becoming the culprit of such accidents, keep a safe distance!

It is clear from the recording that car No. 1, on which the DVR is installed, moves in a straight line, without changing the direction of movement.

At the moment before the collision, the car slows down and moves to the right towards the edge of the roadway.

Further, car No. 1 changes direction, making a maneuver of either a U-turn or a turn to the left, after which vehicle No. 2, moving in the same direction with it, crashes into it.

Since the video recording does not contain information about the actions of the driver of vehicle No. 2, for a full analysis of the accident presented on the video recorder, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the diagram of the scene of the incident, the driver’s explanations, and vehicle inspection reports.

It is clear from the recording that car No. 1, on which the DVR is installed, moves in a straight line, without changing the direction of movement. In front of car No. 1, car No. 2 of the Nissan brand, state registration plate B 374 TA/21, is moving in the same direction as it.

At the moment preceding the collision, car No. 2, performing a lane change maneuver, moves with a right turn indicator along the second lane of the roadway, in the direction of the extreme right lane.

The specified vehicle slows down and stops.

The vehicle on which the video recorder is installed is moving in the same direction as car No. 1 in the same lane.

At the moment of danger, the driver of vehicle No. 1 does not have time to brake and allows a collision with an already stationary vehicle No. 2.

The actions of the driver of car No. 1 do not comply with the requirements of paragraph 9.10 of the Russian Federation Traffic Regulations.

Responsibility for this violation is provided for in Part 1 of Art. 12.15 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offences.

Hello, help me figure it out, both were acquitted, they drove into my car, the insurance company is refusing to pay the insurance compensation. Best regards, A.K.

First of all, the situation reproduced in your question contains both the cause and the effect of what happened to you.

The consequence of the refusal to pay insurance compensation is that the traffic police did not establish the guilt of the participants in the accident.

In the language of the author of the question, “the acquittal of both” drivers created the preconditions for the refusal to pay insurance compensation.

Of course, such a situation cannot suit the injured party.

Despite the fact that the insurance company’s refusal, oddly enough, is based on the provisions of the law “On Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance” and the Insurance Rules, insurance payment can be achieved both in court and out of court.

Extrajudicial procedure

The algorithm of actions that you have to perform when implementing an out-of-court procedure boils down to appealing the decision to terminate the proceedings in the case of an administrative offense made against each of the drivers.

Read the article about how to properly appeal an illegal decision of a traffic police officer in a case of an administrative offense.

The ultimate goal of the appeal is to force the administrative body to establish the guilt of the harm-doer in violating the traffic rules of the Russian Federation. After receiving a decision on fault, contact the insurance company in the manner prescribed by Article 14.1 of the Federal Law of April 25, 2002 N 40-FZ “On compulsory insurance of civil liability of vehicle owners” and receive the insurance compensation due to you.

Judicial order

The algorithm of actions that you have to perform when implementing the judicial procedure comes down to establishing the guilt of the harm-doer during the consideration of a claim for compensation for damage from an accident.

To do this, you must draw up a pre-trial claim and send it to the insurer.

The claim should ask the insurance company to determine the circumstances and cause-and-effect relationship indicating the fault of the driver who hit the victim’s car behind the intersection.

We must remember that the claim procedure for resolving disputes arising from legal relations under MTPL is provided for in Article 16.1 of the Law “On MTPL” and is mandatory for the parties. This article will help you file a claim with the Investigative Committee.

If the insurer does not comply with the requirements set out in the claim, then go to court. In court, you will have to petition for the appointment of a forensic auto-technical examination, which will determine who violated what. Read more here.

In conclusion of the answer, let us express our opinion on the causes and culprit of the traffic accident in question.

In our opinion, the cause of the accident is the actions of the driver of the car who collided with a stationary vehicle.

If the driver complied with the following traffic rules of the Russian Federation, a traffic accident was completely excluded.

1.5. Road users must act in such a way as not to create a traffic hazard or cause harm.

9.10. The driver must maintain such a distance from the vehicle in front that would allow him to avoid a collision, as well as the necessary lateral interval to ensure traffic safety.

10.1. The driver must drive the vehicle at a speed not exceeding the established limit, taking into account the intensity of traffic, the characteristics and condition of the vehicle and cargo, road and meteorological conditions, in particular visibility in the direction of travel.

The speed must provide the driver with the ability to constantly control the movement of the vehicle to comply with the requirements of the Rules.

Comments on clause 9.10

money-trans.ru The difference between subrogation and recourse. What is the difference between recourse and subrogation under compulsory motor insurance. Cases of recourse in insurance

The driver must comply with:

the distance to the vehicle moving ahead, allowing to avoid a collision; the required lateral interval, ensuring traffic safety. The rules do not indicate the exact value of the safe distance, since it depends on:

technical condition of the vehicle; condition of the road surface; weather conditions; other factors. When driving in heavy traffic, it is necessary to predict possible emergency braking of the vehicle moving ahead and pay attention to the vehicle moving behind. Failure to maintain distance is the most common cause of collisions between vehicles moving in the same direction.

The distance is measured by the distance between vehicles following one another, and the higher the speed, the greater the distance. With a homogeneous traffic flow moving at a constant speed and with the same characteristics of the braking systems, the minimum safe distance can theoretically be the distance that the car will cover during the driver's reaction time and the brake actuator response time. If we take this time to be 2 s, then at a speed of 60 km/h the safe distance will be 33 m. In the dark, in fog, ice and rain, it is recommended to increase the safe distance

Failure to maintain distance is the most common cause of collisions between vehicles moving in the same direction. The distance is measured by the distance between vehicles following one another, and the higher the speed, the greater the distance. With a homogeneous traffic flow moving at a constant speed and with the same characteristics of the braking systems, the minimum safe distance can theoretically be the distance that the car will cover during the driver's reaction time and the brake actuator response time. If we take this time to be 2 s, then at a speed of 60 km/h the safe distance will be 33 m. In the dark, in fog, ice and rain, it is recommended to increase the safe distance.

In practice, it is impossible to talk about a specific distance without taking into account tire pressure, wind speed and direction, the degree of wear of the brake pads, as well as many other factors. We must strive to develop a sense of distance not in meters, but in the amount of space required for each specific case. A good driver also knows how to sense speed and time, and again not in kilometers per hour or in seconds or minutes, but in their quantity as such.

At the beginning of independent travel, a novice driver should periodically ask himself the question: “Will I be able to stop in time if the car I’m driving suddenly brakes?” At the same time, you should not provoke other drivers into unnecessary lane changes in front of you due to an unreasonably long distance. In other words, for each specific case the distance must be adequate!

As for the safe lateral interval, it is needed in order not to scratch cars moving parallel in the same and in the opposite direction.

Punishments and fines under clause 9.10

Without ensuring a safe lateral interval, drivers risk being fined 500 rubles under Part 1 of Article 12.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Comments on traffic rules regarding clause 9.10

In general, this point is not difficult to understand, but some points need to be clarified. For example, the most important factors can be identified:

Distance is a relative concept, and the exact value is not indicated.
The lateral interval is also described - until a traffic accident occurs, it means that the normal distance was chosen and traffic rules were observed.
When reversing, this point is not violated, since the condition is the car driving in front.
In addition, clause 9.10 cannot be used if the front vehicle is not moving, but is standing still.

If distance is not maintained

There is no specific data on the distance in clause 9.10 of the traffic rules. It only says that the distance should be such that there is no accident . This clause can only be violated in the event of a road accident; if it does not happen, then the distance was correct.

Does this mean that if there is a collision with the front car, then the culprit will always be the rear car, and there is always a violation of clause 9.10 of the Rules? Yes, this happens in most cases. There are some exceptions, which will be discussed below. One of these cases is related to clause 10.1 of the traffic rules, when the driver is obliged to choose such a speed in order to quickly stop in the event of a sudden danger on the roadway.

For example, according to court practice, if a car moving in front crashed into an oncoming car, which flew into the oncoming lane. As a result, the vehicle in front suddenly stops quickly or is thrown back. As a result, the driver behind him could not have foreseen this situation in any way.

Therefore, we are talking about violating the distance in cases where the front car brakes sharply, and does not collide with another car.

If the front car is not moving

At the same time, clause 9.10 of the Rules is not violated in any way due to the fact that it contains a clear condition about the car driving in front. If it is in place, then in this case another point is violated. Usually, if the driver did not have time to stop in front of a standing vehicle in time, or did not see it in time, then in the event of an accident, the traffic police inspector will draw up a resolution regarding the violation of clause 10.1. It will contain the motivation that you were driving at such a speed that it was impossible to prevent an accident.

What's with the side spacing?

If exact data on the lateral interval is indicated somewhere, then this is just fiction or figments of the imagination. There is no exact value in these Rules, and the lateral interval is not specified.

Typically on the Internet, some sites indicate the following data:

2 meters from the side car;
1 meter from the pedestrian;
1.5 meters from the bike.

But paragraph 9.10 clearly states that the lateral distance should ensure safe driving on the road. In this case, the issue directly concerns clause 9.1 of the Rules, which prescribes that the number of lanes on the roadway should be determined by drivers independently, taking into account the size of the vehicle.

Therefore, clause 9.10 is not observed if you collide with a side car. But there will be no violation in the following cases:

The door of the next car was opened, and as a result you hit it.
The neighboring car made an incorrect maneuver, and its driver violated clause 9.10.

How to calculate side spacing

However, there is some accurate data on this problem. A special reference book on examinations will help us here. It is used for settlements after an accident. For example, a lateral interval is defined there to prevent collisions with the sides of cars.

The reference book proposes such a concept - “disturbing influence”, which can cause the vehicle to maneuver.

Such extraordinary factors may be:

The car pulls away when slowing down. This is an acceptable value, but not a skid.
Sideways drift due to defects in the road surface.
Vehicle instability on the road due to a faulty steering rack and play on it.
Sudden strong wind.

Therefore, the safe interval is determined taking into account these factors.

The formula for calculating this distance for oncoming traffic is as follows:

X built = 1.0 + 0.005*(V1 + V3)

The formula that is used when ahead or overtaking is:

D overtaking = 0.7 + 0.005*(V1 + V2)

If the driver goes around an obstacle, then the formula is as follows:

D bypass = 0.35 + 0.005*V1

In the above formulas, V1 is the speed of the car before overtaking in km per hour, V2 is the speed of the overtaken car in km per hour, V3 is the speed of the car that is moving towards.

Keep distance

The correct distance is one of the main aspects of safe movement, but not everyone follows it. Driving instructors will tell you how to measure the safe distance to the car in front without being distracted from driving.

Few rules

Rules require drivers to maintain a safe distance, but what is it? According to traffic rules, such a distance to the vehicle moving ahead can be considered safe, which will allow you to avoid a collision.

According to the same rules, if you “kiss” someone on the rear bumper, then in most cases it will be your fault, since you were not at a safe distance.

Classic technique

Let’s immediately make a reservation that now we are not talking about the distance between cars standing waiting for a green traffic light at an intersection, but about the case when you and the car driving ahead are moving.

However, the fact that in both cases there must be a distance between cars is beyond doubt. But how can it be adequately measured? In many driving schools they teach to measure this distance in meters.

However, recent studies conducted using video cameras show the inconsistency of this method. Everyone knows about it, but no one puts it into practice - don’t run in front of a car with a tape measure.

Counting the seconds

Driving instructors advise measuring the distance between cars in seconds. Despite some absurdity, this is a fairly effective method invented in America.

Its essence lies in the fact that the driver needs to measure the time during which he travels the distance separating him from the car moving in front.

In order to understand the method, imagine the following picture - your car and the car in front are motionless, and the road is moving underneath you. And then a hole appears from under the rear wheel of someone else’s car and, slowly, moves towards you.

The time it takes for it to cover the distance between the rear wheels of the front car and the front wheels of your car is the distance.

That is, every time you need to measure a distance, just notice some stationary object on the road and count the seconds.

For more accurate results, you can count not: “one, two...”, but: “one hundred twenty-one, one hundred twenty-two...”. The fact is that the mental pronunciation of a three-digit number corresponds in duration to one second.

Try this method and see for yourself that it makes it possible to measure the distance at any time without being distracted from driving.

Let's watch the video:

Distance and road conditions

The distance should vary depending on the condition and type of road surface and weather conditions. So on dry and clean asphalt it should be at least two seconds.

On dirty and/or wet asphalt - at least three. On a winter road - at least four seconds, and if it is icy - five or more.

The distance should be increased if the car is wearing tires that are out of season, if there is a possible failure in the brake system, if you are blinded by the high beams of an oncoming car. Remember the main rule: the greater the distance, the more opportunity you have to avoid a collision.

Good luck and be careful on the roads!

The article uses an image from the site www.vneuroka.ru

When can a fine be imposed for failure to maintain distance?

It should immediately be pointed out that a fine for failure to maintain distance can be imposed only in quite rare cases . This is due to the fact that it is not so easy to track in fast traffic. At the same time, video recording cameras have too low a frame rate, which does not allow one to clearly see and estimate the distance between vehicles.

A motorist should know that, in principle, no one can fine him directly for failure to keep the distance. This is due to the fact that tracking the commission of such an offense seems almost impossible. Therefore, a fine for failure to maintain a distance can only be imposed in the event of a traffic accident. By the way, most accidents that occur due to non-compliance with distance occur near pedestrian crossings, at traffic lights, and in traffic jams.

An offense related to failure to maintain distance on the road is recorded on two counts:

Clause 9.10 - direct failure to maintain the distance between vehicles;
Clause 10.1 - incorrect selection of speed when moving.

Clause 9.10 of the traffic rules

According to the existing traffic rules, a fine under paragraph 9.1 is provided for failure to comply with the following provision: the driver is required to maintain such a distance between his and other vehicles so that, if something happens, he can quickly avoid an emergency situation and a collision. It is also necessary to take into account the lateral interval to be able to continue driving safely.

Clause 10.1 stated in the traffic rules

This paragraph of the traffic rules provides for the fulfillment of the following requirement by any driver: the motorist driving the vehicle must drive the car at a speed that will not exceed the established limit . At the same time, we must not forget about such factors as the condition of the vehicle being driven, the intensity of traffic on the road, as well as various features, which include the presence of cargo, meteorological features, and visibility. In short, all those factors that can affect the full control of the car.

The speed at which the car moves should allow the driver to react without any consequences in the event of a dangerous situation. Emergency braking requires the vehicle to travel a certain distance—the braking distance—so that overspeeding can result in a longer braking distance than necessary. This may result in a collision. In the event of a dangerous situation on the road, the speed of the vehicle should allow the driver to avoid a collision by continuing to drive or stopping the car.

Safe distance when driving on dry roads

These, and not surprisingly, wide highways are designed for driving at maximum speeds.

When the road is wet and there are holes, leaves or fallen branches - 3 s (daylight hours).

Snowy track, day - 4 s.

Road covered with snow, night - 5 sec. Icy track, dense snow cover - 5 s. Ice - 6 sec. As you can see, the safe distance changes under different weather conditions.

For beginners, it is recommended to add one second to the time indicated above. If you suspect the slightest malfunction, you need to limit your speed.

It is not recommended to cross the 60 km/h line. Also, when moving, the hazard warning lights must be turned on.

You need to be most careful at night

Minimum distance limit sign

On small sections of the route, for example, during sharp turns, descents, or at high speeds of traffic flow, you may encounter a sign 3.16 of the traffic rules, warning that the distance between vehicles is not allowed here, less than that indicated on the sign.
This is the only fixed value in meters that determines the distance between cars. The coverage area in this case is the distance directly from the point where the sign is installed and to the following points:

the nearest intersection located in the direction of travel of the car;
before the beginning of any settlement;
to the end of the city, village.

The sign also extends to the location of sign 3.31, indicating the end of the boundary zone.

Safe distance in meters

In dense city traffic, especially in traffic jams, the distance is estimated “by eye”. The traffic rules do not regulate the exact distance, with the exception of sign 3.16 (minimum distance limitation). These signs indicate the exact distance in meters that must be maintained.

Otherwise, everything depends on the factors mentioned above. Owners of large vehicles (SUVs, trucks, buses) should take the assessment of the gap between vehicles especially seriously.

The fact is that their braking distance significantly exceeds the braking distance of a passenger car. Jeeps and trucks on the highway, whose drivers do not pay attention to the traffic interval, create an emergency situation.

Amount of fines for non-compliance with distance

A fine of 1,500 rubles for failure to maintain the distance is issued by law only after an accident occurs. Often such incidents occur in large cities where there is a lot of congestion. Non-compliance is noted on two points - incorrect speed and distance.

Remember that rules do not provide a clear picture of what to do. The driver should always rely on himself, drive carefully, and not take traffic rules literally. For example, it is simply impossible to distance yourself by five meters in city traffic, otherwise a traffic jam will form. And the traffic rules themselves indicate that you must move at the speed of traffic flow.

Responsibility for failure to comply with traffic regulations

The short lateral distance between vehicles does not allow maneuvering or braking safely. Reducing the distance between cars leads to a violation of safety and the creation of an emergency situation.

A traffic police officer has the right to issue a fine only after an accident. Otherwise, you will be able to appeal the decision through the court.

The current version of the traffic rules does not have specific numbers, so the interval is considered dangerous only after an accident. If, as a result of the proceedings, it turns out that the driver reduced the lateral distance between the cars, which is why the accident occurred, he must compensate for material damage to the injured party and pay a fine of 1,500 rubles. A bill is currently being considered, according to which the amount of the fine could be increased to 5,000 rubles.

What distance should be between cars according to traffic rules in meters

When a driver is driving closely behind another vehicle, he is deprived of some freedom of action, for example:

It is impossible to drive around a car that has suddenly stopped. Reversing is not always possible because there are other cars behind you;
insufficient view of the road;
it is impossible to brake urgently because there is no room for a stopping distance;
fail to accelerate and fail to perform most maneuvers.

When driving behind a car, it is recommended to keep a distance that allows you to stop the car, make a maneuver and avoid a collision. Let’s assume that the distance between cars is equal to the speed of the vehicle.

Minimum

On dry asphalt or a good road after rain, the safe distance between moving cars is 2 seconds or 3 meters. If the road surface is of poor quality or there is a lot of clay on the track, then the distance increases to 3 seconds.

If snow has fallen, but it is compacted, then experienced drivers keep a distance of 3 seconds, and beginners - 4 seconds.

If it snows, it rains at night or there is ice on the road, a safe distance is considered to be 5-6 seconds. For those who have recently mastered driving, it is recommended to keep a distance of 7 seconds.

In the city, novice drivers try to keep a distance of 5 meters or more, making a big mistake.

In the city, such a distance will be used by a more experienced driver, who will occupy this space, make the beginner nervous and reduce the distance. A distance of 10 meters creates emergency situations, especially if an inexperienced driver suddenly brakes.

The recommended distance in the city is 2/3 of the length of the car body, an average of 3 meters. Experienced drivers are allowed to reduce the distance to 2 meters, but no less.

On the tracks

The distance on the routes depends on the condition of the road surface. On average, the distance to the next car should be:

2 seconds if the asphalt road does not contain any obstacles, repair works or contaminated areas;
3 seconds if the driver is driving on a high-quality road surface at night;
3 seconds, if there are small obstacles on the road, it has recently rained or snowed, there are fallen branches and holes that are easy to go around;
4 seconds if the road is covered with frost or snow and the driver is driving during daylight hours;
5 seconds if the driver is driving on a snowy road in the dark;
5 seconds if the road comes across densely packed snow or is covered with ice;
6 seconds, if there is ice on the road, it is heavily snowed, there has been wet snow, there is a thin film of water on the road surface.

At the traffic light

The traffic rules state that drivers are required to maintain a distance that will prevent an accident from happening. At a traffic light, you should not press too closely against the next car to avoid an accident and prevent the engine from boiling.

When choosing a safe distance, it is enough to leave the opportunity to go around the car without using reverse gear if the other car suddenly stops or stalls.

When stopping in front of a busy intersection with many cars, the distance should be 2-3 meters so that in the event of an impact the car does not hit other cars. Leaving a few meters before the next car, there is a chance to avoid an accident by changing lanes.

In a traffic jam

A normal distance is equal to half a car. For beginners, a safe distance is considered to be 2/3 of the length of the car. On average it is 2 meters.

This distance is enough to easily change lanes if the car in front stalls. It will prevent others from getting in front of the car and reduce the risk of sudden maneuvers.

In bad weather or on difficult sections of the road, the distance should be such that the stopping distance of the car is less than the visibility distance. This rule applies to driving on narrow streets, in closed corners and at intersections with poor visibility.

When stopping

When stopping, movement depends on the quality of the road surface:

on wet and dirty asphalt the distance is 3 seconds;
on a winter road or through mud the distance is 4 seconds;
on an icy road or road with obstacles, the distance is 5 seconds.

The driver must increase the distance if there is a malfunction of any component in the car, the tires are worn out of season, or the oncoming car has turned on its high beams.

In the parking lot

In a parking lot, the distance depends on the specific situation; the traffic rules do not define a clear distance.

The distance must be no less than the distance that allows you to easily get out of the car. If the driver has stopped behind a parked vehicle, he must leave room to get out if another car gets close behind him.

The concept of distance between cars

The traffic rules state that the driver is required to maintain a distance from cars moving in front and to the side.
The driver must be able not only to determine the required distance, but also be able to predict such contingencies as an emergency stop for the vehicle in front.

What factors influence the size of the distance?

Various factors influence the determination of the required distance:

Condition of the road surface (presence of holes and cracks, gravel or asphalt surface);
Speed limit on the highway;
Driving experience (experienced drivers can identify a newcomer on the road);
The quality of the car, its characteristics;
Weather;
Illumination.

As you can see, the driver needs to take into account many subtleties during the trip. At first glance, this seems difficult, but in fact, with experience comes the ability to assess and predict the situation on the road.

What distance between cars is acceptable?

It all depends on the experience and observation of the driver; in general, the distance should be optimal. Experienced drivers, when driving in conditions of limited visibility, often use the “follow the leader” technique. This method helps in the dark or in unfamiliar terrain, when, by choosing a safe distance from the front, leading car, you can promptly recognize the features of the road situation (turns in the road, obstacles) from the actions of the car in front. When driving in heavy traffic, always look several cars ahead. If, for example, the driver of the third car in front of you starts braking, then be prepared for such a maneuver and brake in time. Some drivers also take into account what kind of transport is moving behind their car and at what distance.

An example of choosing a summer distance option

Let's consider a different opinion and recommendations for an alternative choice of distance from Avto-blogger.

I propose to talk about the summer version, with dry asphalt. Personally, I distinguish between two types: the first - when driving at low speeds, the second - from 40 km/h and above.

First, let's talk about low speeds. This type can be used, for example, in traffic jams, or on sections of the road with a limit of up to “20” or “40” - where traffic is very slow.

Many novice drivers drive at a very long distance in a traffic jam, afraid that they will lose control and brake sharply if the front car has stopped. This is not correct, by keeping a large gap to the car in front, you provoke other more experienced drivers to change lanes into your lane, and this can happen very abruptly. That is, you are driving, there are 8 - 10 meters between your car and the car in front, during this interval you must someone will intervene. Therefore, I advise beginners to learn to keep their distance correctly. Normal - approximately equal to half the length of your car, well, for those who want to be safe at 2/3 of the length. If we convert this into meters, then it is 2 - 3 meters. This distance will allow you to change lanes if the car in front breaks down. Also, this will not give you a reason to get into your lane, and will practically eliminate sudden maneuvers. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS!

When driving at night, due to insufficient visibility, the distance between vehicles can be significantly distorted.

Who can be found guilty and in what cases?

Let's consider which clause of the traffic rules and who is to blame for an accident in the event of a rear impact. The obligation to maintain a safe distance is established in paragraph 9.10 of the traffic rules. It was described in more detail earlier.

IMPORTANT !!! Today in Russia there is a practice of presumption of guilt of the car behind. In almost all cases, the person behind you will be at fault in an accident. Of course, in exceptional cases it is possible to prove your innocence, but it is better to maintain a minimum safe distance.

Extremely close traffic is dangerous for 2 reasons:

the risk of direct vehicle collision increases;
If the driver behind you needs to resort to emergency braking to avoid an accident with the one in front, other road users may not have time to react and then a massive accident will occur.

To avoid long-term proceedings, unnecessary expenses for fines and car restoration costs, it is always necessary to comply with the requirements of traffic rules.