Final answer:
The minimum following distance under good conditions should be a 3-second gap from the car in front, translating to several car lengths at lower speeds, and greater distances as speed increases.
Step-by-step explanation:
When driving under good weather and clear visibility, the recommended minimum following distance between your car and the car in front of you should typically be a 3-second gap. This means that when the car ahead of you passes a certain point on the road, such as a sign or a tree, you should be able to count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three" before your car reaches the same point. However, this is a general guideline and the actual distance should be adjusted based on your speed, road conditions, and your vehicle's braking capability.
To apply this in practice, considering the average car length is 3.5 meters, at lower speeds such as 60 km/h in towns and cities, this 3-second rule would translate to maintaining a distance of several car lengths. For instance, at 60 km/h, 3 seconds would roughly equal about 50 meters, which is much more than the 28 meters (or the length of 8 cars) mentioned for safe road crossing. Hence, always remember that the higher the speed, the more following distance is needed to stop your car safely, and additional space should be allowed in poor weather conditions.