Final answer:
The 'Three-seconds-plus' rule can be used to judge safe following distances as it accounts for vehicle speed and reaction times. Safety in crossing a road depends on understanding the time it takes for a car to cover a distance and your walking speed. Observing actual distances and times, like Bridget's method, can aid in making safer decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rule that might be easier to use in determining safe distance due to people's trouble judging distances is the Three-seconds-plus rule. This rule suggests that when following another vehicle, there should be at least a three-second gap between your vehicle and the one ahead. This gap can be measured by choosing a fixed point that the vehicle ahead passes and counting three seconds (e.g., one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi) until you pass the same point. It's important to ensure this distance or greater as various factors such as vehicle speed and reaction times play a role in determining if it's safe to cross a road or maintain a safe following distance.
For instance, if you see a car traveling towards you and it is 28 m away, the safety of crossing the road depends on the speed of the car and your walking speed—a scenario where applying the time-based rule would be beneficial. A general practice is to wait until you're certain the car is far enough away to provide adequate time to cross safely. Bridget's observation, for example, can help to estimate a car's speed and make a decision based on the time it would take for the car to cover a certain distance.