Today, 10 September, at the Ministry of Transport the so-called two-second self-control test was presented which can already be used while driving on Slovenian highways to check whether an adequate safety distance is kept.

The press conference was held by the representative of the Ministry of Transport Zvonko Zavasnik, the representative of the Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Kovše and the representative of the Slovenian Police Ivan Kapun, Head of the Traffic Police Division at the General Police Directorate.

The speakers stressed the importance of a safety distance to which drivers all too often fail to pay enough attention. Thus an inadequate safety distance is among the most frequent reasons for road traffic accidents. It is often accompanied by speeding.

The photo features: an inadequate safety distance between vehicles (11.3 m instead of 46 m)

For this reason the Ministry of Transport, the Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of the Interior agreed to introduce five safety distance highway markings on Slovenian motorways so that drivers can control the safety distance by themselves.

Where and how can I check whether my safety distance is adequate?

The 'counting-of-seconds' method or the two-second rule is applied by selecting a fixed point or a reference point along the roadway (e.g. a road sign or a direction indicator).

When the vehicle driving in front of us crosses this point with its rear end, we start counting in the rhythm of seconds: 'Twenty-one, twenty-two'. If we cross the same spot with the front end of the car after we have counted two seconds, the safety distance is adequate. If we cross it earlier, the safety distance is too short.

The self-control highway markings for checking safety distance are available at the following locations (drivers are also warned about them alongside the roads):

• A 1, section 0656 Razdrto/ Postojna, position 6+700;
• A 1, section 0642 Vransko/Šentrupert, position 3+400;
• A 2, section 0628 Čatež/Drnovo, position 6+100;
• A 2, section 006 Podtabor/Kranj West, position 4+400, and
• A 1, section 0671, Maribor East junction/Dragučova split, position 0+400.

To get a better picture on how drivers can control their safety distance, the Motorway Company of the Republic of Slovenia also published a computer animation at its website www.dars.si.

The two-second rule

Safety distance as an obligation of drivers is defined in the Road Traffic Safety Act:

• The driver who is driving behind another vehicle on the same lane must maintain safety distance. The latter may not be shorter than the distance driven with the same speed in two seconds.

Thus the safety distance when driving 100 km/h is at least 54 m and at the speed of 130 km/h at least 72 m.

• When in good road traffic conditions a slower tailback is formed, the safety distance may be shortened, but may be no shorter than the distance driven by the vehicle with the same speed in one second.

Article 29 of the Road Traffic Safety Act imposes a fine of EUR 120 for failing to respect safety distance.