Is it required to maintain a minimum distance of at least 100 metres from the vehicle in front on a road marked in this manner?
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Correct answer
NO
Explanation
In the picture, the blue rectangular sign with a white outline of a car is D-7 "expressway". On a road marked in this way, a minimum distance of at least 100 m from the vehicle in front is not required. The answer is: no.
The Regulation on road signs and signals states that sign D-7 marks the beginning or continuation of an expressway. The Road Traffic Act requires a driver travelling on a motorway or an expressway to keep a minimum distance between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them in the same lane, which in metres must be no less than half the number showing the vehicle's speed in km/h; this rule does not apply when overtaking. So the distance is not a fixed number but depends on speed: at 100 km/h it is at least 50 m, at 120 km/h - 60 m, at 80 km/h - 40 m. A hundred metres would be required only at 200 km/h, a speed that is not allowed anywhere in Poland. The "half the speed" rule is the statutory minimum - in rain, fog or on a slippery surface, you increase the distance. A practical way to measure it: when the vehicle in front passes a post, you should pass it at least two seconds later.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 3a of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym); § 48 para. 1 of the Regulation on road signs and signals