Distance and lateral spacing - what should they be?

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.

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.

Possible fines

As you remember, there is no penalty for failure to comply with the lateral interval. Only if the driver pressed against another car, provoked an accident or emergency, he can be punished.

With traffic lanes, everything is somewhat simpler. The Code of Administrative Offenses provides for the following fines:

Leaving and driving along the dividing markings is punishable by a fine. Its size is 500 rubles;
If you change lanes into the adjacent lane without giving a warning signal, thereby creating an emergency situation, the driver will be fined 500 rubles;
If you drive into oncoming traffic to avoid obstacles, you may be fined from 1,000 to 1,500 rubles. We are talking about continuous or double continuous markings;
If you make the same trip, but for the purpose of overtaking, the fine will be 5,000 rubles. Or possible punishment in the form of deprivation of rights for up to 6 months;
If you perform a similar maneuver again, then your rights will be taken away for 1 year.

So be careful. Should not be violated.

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.

What is lateral spacing between cars?

In traffic rules, distance and lateral interval are different concepts. The first determines the distance between cars in front and behind the current vehicle. The second is between the cars located on either side of yours.

The space makes it possible to change lanes if necessary due to:

maneuver of other road users.
threat of an accident;
skidding

The side step allows drivers to pass each other and assess the situation on the road through the rear-view mirrors.

Determining the lateral interval according to traffic rules in meters is complicated by the wording of the law. It says that the driver must independently monitor the situation on the road and determine the BI that allows them to ensure safety.

There are several recommendations for calculating the optimal distance between cars.

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

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.

In what cases should the lateral interval be increased?

1.	When driving around with a long vehicle.
2.	When driving on wet, slippery or uneven surfaces.
3.	When passing oncoming traffic at high speed.
4.	In all of the above cases.

Answer.

The higher the speed when oncoming vehicles pass, the greater the lateral interval between them must be to avoid a possible collision in the event of an unexpected deviation from the trajectory.
When driving around with a long vehicle, it is necessary to have a margin of lateral clearance to avoid a collision with a trailer (semi-trailer), which moves to the center of the turn when performing various maneuvers.
When driving on wet, slippery or uneven surfaces, increasing the lateral clearance is required to avoid a collision that occurs when the vehicle loses stability in adverse road conditions.

The correct answer is in all of the above cases.

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

Indicate the distance by which the Rules mean distance:

1.	Only A.
2.	Only B.
3.	Only in.
4.	A and B.

By distance, the Rules mean the distance (B) to the vehicle moving ahead. The distance between passing (B) and passing and oncoming cars (A) is called the lateral interval.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Now about high speeds

You need to understand that the higher the speed, the more you need to maintain this important parameter. For the city, the main speed is 40 - 60 km/h, for the highway 90 km/h or more.

When moving “60 - 90”, the distance should be much increased. Because the car in front can brake sharply, and if the distance between your cars is small, then you will simply cause an accident. Therefore, at such speeds, the recommended value is 36 meters. But I think this is a lot, it’s about 7 bodies of your car. Personally, I hold approximately 12 - 15 meters, that is, two - three bodies. However, if you have been driving recently and do not have a normal reaction, then you need to stick to a larger setting. And I don’t advise you to drive fast on the highway, the reaction is not the same! For me this is enough, but for you, if you are scared, you can keep three or four buildings (15 - 20 meters), this will also be enough.

Materials from the source “Avto-blogger” were used in writing this article.

P/S. There is no need to take the distance lightly; the safety of the car owner and other road users depends on it. This is also evidenced by the fact that for some inexperienced, novice drivers, the stress caused by an accident can serve as an obstacle to further driving.

Road accidents where the distance and side intervals are not observed, in which cases a fine is issued

Failure to comply with traffic regulations is a common occurrence on Russian roads.

This is due to the fact that a significant part of drivers are sincerely mistaken in the fact that they control the situation while driving, or are overly arrogant while driving, and sometimes simply do not want to comply with the legal norms of traffic rules.

All these actions in almost 100% of cases lead to disastrous results - an accident.

The type of collision in question can only occur while driving. The citizen driving the car either does not maintain a safe distance (clause 9.10) or drives at a speed exceeding the permissible speed on this section of the highway (clause 10.1).

Conditions for imposing an administrative penalty arise on the basis of non-compliance with these two points. A fine can only be issued after an accident has occurred; it cannot be recorded while the car is moving.

Let us highlight the main causes of the collision:

The vehicle ahead suddenly and unexpectedly brakes.
Late reaction to a sudden situation.
An accident occurs.

To impose an administrative penalty, it is necessary to consider each of these cases separately. Study all the subjective and objective factors that caused the incident. After all, the vehicle driving behind is not always to blame for a collision.

Emergency braking

Braking on the road is allowed only to prevent a collision (clause 10.5). Therefore, if the car brakes sharply, the driver moving behind is obliged to react quickly.

It must be taken into account that even with sharp braking, the vehicle will not stop instantly; it will roll for several meters on the asphalt. Therefore, the distance behind the moving car will not instantly decrease to zero. If the gap between cars is five meters or more, then the chances of an accident occurring are minimal.

If such an incident occurs and one of the traffic participants hits the second due to the sharp braking of the first, then a fine will be imposed on the one who drove in from behind. If all the requirements of the Rules had been fully observed, such a development of events would not have occurred.

Didn't have time to react

This is a very common case that happens to both experienced and novice drivers on the track.

Let's give an example. A passenger car drives from a secondary road onto the main highway, wedges itself into a moving row of vehicles, slows down, slowing down the movement of the entire column. After this action, another participant in the movement crashes into him.

The owner of the second car will be found guilty, as he did not calculate the safe distance. He had to analyze, in accordance with clause 10.1 of the traffic rules, the appearance of a new subject in the flow and reduce the speed of movement, thereby increasing the safe interval.

Problems also periodically arise with a person’s reaction when he changes lanes into an adjacent lane, where the speed may be higher and a car traveling in the adjacent lane is hit sideways because the driver driving it did not react in time.

When changing lanes, it is advisable to take into account the safe interval and speed of movement. If you have a video recorder and witnesses, it will not be difficult to prove the guilt of the driver who performed the maneuver.

Emergency situation

Collisions often occur on the road for this reason.

If a vehicle moving ahead crashes into an obstacle or another car, then it stops abruptly and creates an obstacle. The car behind you does not always have time, brakes and crashes into the participants in the accident.

Why does this happen even when maintaining a safe distance? The vehicle suddenly standing in front no longer moves and, accordingly, the car braking from behind, even at a distance of 15-20 meters, will not be able to stop instantly, even taking into account the speed of 60 km/h.

In connection with this, another accident occurs. The guilt of the second driver here is highly debatable and, more often than not, he complied with all traffic regulations, so most likely he will not be held accountable.