2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) (12/26/84)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh > BTW, slowing down as a driver approaches from the rear will *increase* the > severity of a collision since you are increasing the delta V between your > two cars. The national highway safety campaign warns that it is unsafe to follow less than one car-length for each 10 mph or more simply, one should stay 2 seconds behind the car in front. Using the first rule, one should slow down so that they are going only 10 mph for each car-length that the car behind is tailgating. Now believe me, if a guy is following 2 feet from your bumper, the delta V is pretty damn small. Now if he is following at 2 feet, and you are driving at the recommended 1 mph for such small following distance, you can't get back into the right lane since traffic in that lane is probably going about 55 mph. Therefore until that space opens up to over 100 feet you have to stay in the left lane and wait. :-)