Madam, - The best driving instructors frequently repeat, to their pupils the following injunctions: "always be able to stop within the distance you can see to be clear"; "expect the unexpected"; and, in relation to following another vehicle, "Only a fool breaks the three-second rule".
Nobody, as far as I know, has been able to cast doubt on the wisdom of this teaching.
Further, some studies show that if drivers gave themselves one second more reaction time by leaving more space between themselves and other vehicles, such as when right turning or overtaking, about 80 per cent of accidents could be averted.
Curiously, the National Safety Council seems to have very little to say in support of this undoubtedly sound teaching. This is a pity since many drivers forget about it once they have thrown away their L-plates. - Yours, etc,
IAN DOWNEY, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford.