volgafstand

Volgafstand is a term used in road safety to describe the distance a vehicle should maintain behind the vehicle in front. It can be expressed as a physical distance or as a time-based rule, with the two-second rule being one of the most common guidelines. The required distance depends on speed, vehicle characteristics, and road conditions.

The two-second rule suggests that a driver should not be closer than the distance the vehicle travels in about two seconds after the lead vehicle passes a fixed point. In adverse conditions, this interval should be extended to four seconds, and for trailers, heavy loads, or poor visibility, even more distance may be prudent. The rule helps account for reaction time and braking ability.

Practically, the distance corresponds to roughly a few tens of meters at typical highway speeds: at 60 km/h it is about 33 meters; at 100 km/h it is about 55 meters. The stopping distance is the sum of the driver’s thinking distance (reaction time) and the braking distance, both of which grow with speed and depend on tire grip, road surface, weather, and vehicle performance.

Several factors influence volgafstand, including weather (rain, snow, ice), visibility, traffic density, vehicle type, and load. Modern assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control can help maintain a safe following distance, but the driver remains responsible for adjusting distance to current conditions.

Maintaining appropriate volgafstand reduces the risk of rear-end collisions and provides time to react to sudden changes, making it a fundamental aspect of safe driving.