Final answer:
Drivers should sit at least 10 inches from the steering wheel to minimize injury risk. Safe following and stopping distances are based on reaction times and braking distances. Calculating force experienced during collisions or resolving points at a distance involves understanding dynamics and optical principles, respectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ideal distance a driver/operator should sit from the steering wheel is commonly recommended to be at least 10 inches. This distance helps reduce the risk of injury from airbag deployment in the event of a collision. It is crucial for a driver to be properly seated with sufficient distance from the steering wheel, ensuring they have clear visibility, can reach all controls comfortably, and have a proper posture to react in an emergency.
To determine the safe following distance and stopping distance for a vehicle, such as how far away a car must be before it's safe to cross, involves understanding braking distance and the time it takes for a truck to stop after hitting the brakes. The total stopping distance is the sum of the distance covered before the driver reacts (perception-reaction distance) and the distance covered after the brakes are applied (braking distance).
In scenarios of a collision, the force experienced by the driver can be calculated based on the change in momentum over the collision time. If the driver were not wearing a seatbelt, the collision time with the steering wheel would be shorter, resulting in the driver experiencing a greater force.
For visibility questions such as resolving two headlights at a distance, one can use the Rayleigh criterion to determine the greatest possible distance at which a car can be from you for its headlights to be resolvable. Similarly, for points at arm's length, the same optical principles apply to determine the distance between just-resolvable points.