Safe Following Distance

Check the gap in seconds

Traffic can stop suddenly, and a distraction can delay your response. A gap that looks comfortable may leave very little time to react. Queensland’s safe following distance guidance recommends at least two seconds in ideal conditions and doubling your following distance in poor conditions.

1. Choose a fixed marker. Use something beside the road, such as a light pole.
2. Start counting as the vehicle ahead passes it. Begin when the rear of that vehicle reaches the marker. Count “one thousand and one, one thousand and two”, continuing for the longer gap you need.
3. Check when you reach the same point. If the front of your car reaches it before your chosen count finishes, ease back safely and check again.

Speed still matters. A faster-moving car travels further before you react and needs more distance to stop. Queensland’s stopping-distance guidance explains how speed, road conditions and the vehicle affect the room you need.

Look beyond the car in front

During lessons, we often see learners concentrating so hard on the vehicle ahead that they miss what is happening elsewhere. That is understandable when steering, speed and positioning still take conscious effort. Observation is a skill you can practise with support.

Keep checking the road ahead, to the sides and behind. Look for a queue forming, brake lights further along the road, a pedestrian approaching a crossing or traffic waiting in a side street. Spotting a change early gives you more time to respond smoothly instead of braking or changing direction at the last moment.

• At intersections and roundabouts: assess traffic and available space before proceeding. Avoid assuming another driver has seen you or will give way.
• Before changing lanes or merging: check mirrors and the relevant blind spot with a head check. Keep looking for changed conditions as you prepare to move.
• Around other road users: look carefully for people walking, cycling or riding motorcycles, including those who may be harder to see.
• When you notice a hazard: consider how to respond safely rather than fixing your attention on that one object.

The Queensland Government describes hazard perception as learning to scan, recognise and respond. Looking ahead helps you notice changing traffic lights and slowing vehicles sooner, while continuing to check what is happening close to your car.

Notice the habits you bring to a lesson

Learners can pick up driving habits from parents, relatives and other supervising drivers before they begin formal lessons. Following closely, checking an intersection too quickly, skipping a head check or rushing into a gap can start to feel normal when you have seen it often.

Professional instruction provides a chance to notice those habits and practise a different response. Tell your instructor if advice differs from what you have been shown before. A clear explanation and time to try the skill again are more useful than feeling you should already know it.

Following distance is part of that process. A larger gap gives you room to recognise a developing problem and plan your response. It also helps you avoid relying on sudden braking when traffic slows.

The evidence in context

What the 2026 AAMI Crash Index shows

AAMI’s 2026 national release reports on more than 394,000 motor insurance claims from AAI Limited’s portfolio of brands, lodged across Australia from 1 January to 31 December 2025. Its three most common reported crash types were:

Source: 2026 AAMI Crash Index national release, page 3 (PDF).

These percentages describe that insurance-claims dataset. They are not a count of every Australian crash, and a crash type does not establish a single cause. The results give useful context for practising following distance and observation; they do not make speed or vehicle control unimportant.

Put it into practice on busy roads

Urban driving around South East Queensland can involve closely spaced traffic lights, shopping precincts, turning vehicles, lane changes and stop-start queues. Several things can change at once. Plan early, keep a useful gap and leave yourself time to decide.

In its 2026 release, AAMI identifies Mains Road in Sunnybank as the highest-ranked Brisbane hotspot within its claims analysis. Its report on the findings describes busy intersections, multiple lanes and heavy traffic as common features of the listed roads. That is a reason to pay attention to the driving situation, rather than treating an unlisted road as risk-free.

• Recheck your following gap as traffic speed and conditions change.
• Scan intersections carefully and check mirrors and blind spots before moving across traffic.
• Look far enough ahead to notice slowing queues and other developing hazards.
• Keep distractions out of the driving task.
• Allow extra travel time during busy periods so you feel less pressure to rush.
• Stay patient in congestion and plan your next move while there is still time to make it safely.