Driving too close to the vehicle in front is unfortunately commonplace. Apart from the fact that it can be dangerous, it can also be very expensive.
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Underrated offenseFailure to respect the safety distance can cost you dearly!
It is not only one of the most widespread offenses in road traffic, but also one of the most costly: failure to respect the safety distance is very dangerous and punished accordingly. Explanations on the correct distance to respect.
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- Viva’s team of mobility experts
Question from a “20 minute” reader
As a driver was blocking the passing lane at 110 km/h on the A1 near Zurich, I deliberately pulled closer to regarding a car length. A colleague told me that I had taken risks, particularly financial ones. I wonder now how much it might have cost me.
Response from Viva’s team of mobility experts*
Failure to observe the safety distance is not a minor offence! A remote judgment remains approximate, in court, each case being treated on a case-by-case basis. We will nevertheless give you an idea of the cost of such an offence. “One car length” means less than five meters. In the canton of Zurich, for a distance of less than 5% of the speed in meters – i.e. 5.5 meters at 110 km/h – the directive is 45 day-fines. If you earn 4000 francs net per month, a daily fine is approximately 100 francs. That’s 4,500 francs plus expenses. Either way, this is a serious offense resulting in the suspension of the driver’s license for a minimum of three months.
Below 1.2 seconds of difference, it will be necessary to expect a license withdrawal of one month.
As you can see, it’s best to keep your distance. Distance offenses are underestimated – both in their dangerousness and in their punishment. Granted, we’ve all learned the two-second-distance and half-meter rule. But in everyday life, too little distance out of bad habit often seems acceptable. Until there is an accident. Added to this is the fact that other motorists fall back while the safety distance was respected. Even so, it is then necessary to restore the distance.
Below 1.8 seconds (55 meters for a speed of 110 km/h), it can cost hundreds of francs plus taxes, but it is generally not sanctioned by a license withdrawal. Below 1.2 seconds difference (i.e. 37 meters at 110 km / h), it will nevertheless be necessary to expect a license withdrawal of one month. Below 0.6 seconds (at 110 km/h, regarding 18 meters), things get even tougher, with a license withdrawal of at least three months and ten to 45 day-fines, in the canton of Zurich, even up to 60 day fines in Aargau. The court always decides on a case-by-case basis: a very short safety distance, heavy traffic, bad reputation and many other factors represent aggravating circumstances.
No obstacle justifies putting you in danger by not respecting the safety distance.
The fact that the motorist in front of you has “blocked” the traffic plays no role, since no obstacle justifies endangering you by not respecting the safety distance. You get used to respecting the correct distance by counting. Note the point where the car passes in front of you and say “twenty-one, twenty-two” – that’s a good two seconds. You can also find your way using the markers, spaced 50 meters apart. If we apply the half-meter rule, the ideal distance to respect is 55 meters at 110 km/h. Nowadays, some cars are also equipped with a distance alert function. And it is especially on board an SUV that you should keep an eye on the distance, because the better the visibility, the more you risk driving too close to the vehicle in front of you.
Send your questions by e-mail to autoratgeber@20minuten.ch. The most interesting current questions, as well as their answers, will be published each week in the Lifestyle section of “20 minutes”.
Viva* mobility experts
The newsdesk of the Zurich communication agency Viva, made up of two long-time mobility experts, Timothy Pfannkuchen and Jürg A. Stettler, produces articles such as guides for the Professional Union of the Swiss Automobile (UPSA ), the Road Safety Council and other customers in the mobility sector, and thus ensure that there is clarity, even in difficult subjects.
