If you’ve spent any time of the road, you’ve probably faced a time when you had to decide whether to go or not. In that moment, you needed to judge the speed and distance of the other vehicle before making a move. This process, called gap selection, can be hard to judge because it happens so quickly. Making the wrong decision to go can lead to a serious accident. However, it’s something all of us must do before pulling out, changing lanes, or making turns. The good news about this gap selection process is there are ways to improve your judgement.
Gap Selection: Navigate Lanes Safely
What is an unsafe gap?
Before looking at ways to improve your gap selection, it’s important to understand what an unsafe gap is. In short, an unsafe gap occurs when you do not allow enough space between you and the other vehicle. Perhaps your move does not give them enough time to anticipate you coming. Even if you give them enough time to stop or manuever around you, the fact that they need to do that indicates that it was an unsafe gap.
When do we use poor gap selection?
Several factors can make gap selection extra hard. For instance, larger vehicles like tractor trailers make it hard to judge their speed and distance. In short, because of their size, they appear to be traveling slower. Therefore, you may believe you have a safe gap. When really, that truck is traveling much faster than it seems and you don’t have enough distance.
Another time that we may use poor gap selection is when we are changing lanes. If you change lanes without checking your blind spots, you may be cutting a car off without realizing it.
How can we improve gap selection?
There are several ways to improve your gap selection. First, always use your turn signals. By doing this, you can allow other drivers to anticipate your moves and slow down if needed. Next, you want to be sure to use your eyes, not your mirrors. While your mirrors can help assist you in seeing things, they can’t do all the work. In many cases, if you only rely on mirrors you’ll have no idea what’s lurking in your blind spots. Also, be sure to try to match the speed of traffic rather quickly. Once you decide to go, get up to speed in order to allow those behind you to continue.
Lastly, when making your gap selection, don’t hesitate to wait. If you aren’t sure whether it’s totally safe to go, then don’t. Judging the speed and distance of a vehicle takes time to be accurate. So, take your time and know that it’s safe instead of rushing it and being wrong.