What distance should you keep from the car travelling in front of you?

In the photo we are driving behind a lorry with an orange container; on the right there is sign B-36 "no stopping" with the plate "Nie dotyczy zatoki" (does not apply to the lay-by). When driving behind another vehicle, you keep the distance needed to avoid a collision if the vehicle in front brakes or stops - answer B.

This is exactly how the duty in the Road Traffic Act is worded. The following distance is not a fixed number: the faster you drive, the worse the road surface and visibility, and the heavier your vehicle, the greater it must be. A convenient measure is the rule of at least two seconds - you choose a point by the road and count how much time passes before you pass it after the vehicle in front; on a wet surface you count longer. Skills and experience (answer A) will not shorten your reaction time below human limits or shorten the braking distance. Two vehicle lengths regardless of conditions (answer C) is far too little at higher speeds. Leave more space behind a lorry also because it blocks your view of the road ahead.

Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 2 point 3 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)