A good driving record for you and the drivers of your food truck will help you maintain the best auto insurance rates. So to say that it’s important to have a good driving record is an understatement when it comes to keeping your monthly expenditures down.

Today’s Tip of the Day centers around driving and how to keep a clean driving record. No matter what the reason, should you rear-end a vehicle you are driving behind…it is your fault, and in all likelihood will result in a ticket for following the car in front of you too closely. To prevent this from happening, use the “three-second rule” to help prevent rear-end accidents.

The “3 second rule” accounts for your reaction time to the movements of the vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s stopping distance.

NOTE: You should add more time if the road is slippery or if you’re being crowded by a tailgater. Since full sized food trucks or trailers weigh so much and take a lot of time to brake, it couldn’t hurt to add a second or two.

The 3 second rule:

  • When the vehicle ahead of you passes a stationary object, start counting:  1,001 … 1,002 …
  • The first second is your reaction time; the next two seconds account for your braking distance
  • You should not reach the object before you count to … 1,003. If you do, you are following too closely.

At a vehicle speed of 55 mph, the 3 second rule creates a gap of 243 feet between vehicles.

Use the 3 second rule in traffic

Even in traffic you should leave space between you and the vehicle in front of you. You never know if that vehicle will break down and you will need room to get around. If you get bumped from behind, that extra space could save you from also hitting the vehicle in front of you.

No matter who drives your food truck, you need to make sure all of your drivers follow the 3 second rule. Have any additional driving tips, we’d love to hear them. Facebook | Twitter