A TRUNK ORNAMENT

OFF THE WIRE
A TRUNK ORNAMENT

by John Del Santo

Do you know what they call a motorcyclist who tailgates cars ? A Trunk Ornament ! Following distance is like money…You can never have too much, but if you have a little less than you need, you can be in trouble !

A good two-to-three second cushion in front of you can keep you out of other peoples mistakes.
Keep an eye on the traffic flow well up the road to anticipate stops. If the car or truck in front of you passes over a big piece of debris, this space also gives you time to see it and avoid it. Are you following a tall vehicle that blocks forward view ? Change lanes or drop back a bit to build a little more smooth stopping distance. Are you following a vehicle that is towing a utility trailer ? They’re notorious for poor, or no brake lights….Compensate with more following distance. Coming into a curve that you can’t see through ? Build a little more stopping distance so that you don’t get any surprises…A hard brake combined with a little sand on the road can be deadly.

“Yeah, Yeah…..but if I keep building all of this space, I’ll be backed up all the way to Arizona”.
No Way ! You will be making a smooth, safe, uneventful trip without a lot of surprises. Got a tailgater on your back ? You know that dope is a poor driver…and he can put you in the hospital if you need to stop quickly. Build some more following distance in front of you so that your stop will be smooth so the tailgater doesn’t run you over if the traffic slows down suddenly….Or just slow down for three seconds and the dope will move to another lane. That works like a charm.

Those of us who have joined the “grey panther” brigade may have gained skill, experience and wisdom, but we all lose a little bit of our reaction time every year….You can’t fool Mother Nature ! Compensate by keeping more following distance. (That’s the ‘Wisdom’ part).

SPACE ! In front of you, behind you, and to the sides. It’s the best and cheapest health insurance you can have. It’s FREE ! And it’s yours for the taking !