1. Pick a fixed object on the side of the road ahead of the vehicle in front of you, such as a sign or tree.
2. When the rear of the vehicle in front of you passes the object, start counting seconds.
3. You should reach the same object three to four seconds later.
In adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow, increase the following distance to four to five seconds. On roads with multiple lanes in each direction, increase the following distance to five to six seconds. This increased following distance will give you more time to react and stop if the vehicle in front of you slows down or stops suddenly.
