Final answer:
To maintain a safe driving distance, use the three-second rule, adjusting for weather and traffic. Pedestrian safety dictates walking 4 meters further than a car's width before it reaches you. The safety of crossing a road depends on the car's distance, its speed, and your walking speed.
Step-by-step explanation:
To maintain a safe driving distance between your car and the car in front of you, one of the methods you can use is the three-second rule.
This means that when the car ahead of you passes a certain point, such as a sign or a tree, you should be able to count to three before your car passes the same point.
However, this is just a basic guideline, and the following distance should increase if conditions are less than ideal, such as in bad weather or heavy traffic conditions.
Considering an example for pedestrian safety, if a car is traveling at a speed limit of 60 km/hr in an urban area, and you need to cross the road, you should ensure that you can walk 4 meters (further than the width of a car) before the car reaches you.
As the length of the average car is 3.5 meters, to cross safely, there should be no cars close enough that they cannot stop within the distance that you can walk plus the length of the car.
If you see a car driving towards you, and it is 28 meters away (which is equivalent to about 8 car lengths), whether it is safe to walk across the road depends on the car's speed and your walking speed.
Generally, as a pedestrian, you want to ensure there's enough distance for a car to stop or for you to complete crossing safely before the car gets too close.