The two second rule is about the following distance behind the vehicle in front.

The following distance is the space or gap between you and the vehicle in front.

You must keep your vehicle a safe distance from any vehicle in front of you. A safe distance should be enough to allow time to slow down and avoid trouble.

You should be at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front. You can check this by a simple test:

>> Focus on a marker in the distance such as a signpost or tree and note when the vehicle in front passes the marker, then count the number of seconds before your vehicle passes the same marker. Ask your supervising driver to also do this and compare your results.

If your count is not at least two seconds then you are to close.

At least two seconds of time and the distance this represents under ideal driving conditions are necessary to give you time to react to any changes which may happen.

Often, you may need more than two seconds,

This includes:

>> when visibility is poor

>> if conditions are dark

>> if conditions are wet or slippery

>> when you have a heavy load

>> when the road is unmade

You need to develop your judgement skills about what distance at different speeds represents two seconds. This skill will only come with lots of supervised driving experience.

But remember , under any conditions that are less than ideal, a longer gap is recommrnded.

Souce:  The Road to Solo Driving

In Victoria, there are several hundred thousand crashes every year.

These crashes are not accidents - they are due to drivers making mistakes.

Not all driving mistakes result in a crash. Think about the mistakes you’ve seen drivers make without causing a crash:

-cutting off other cars

-not giving way

-misjudging gaps

-trying to overtake when it’s not safe

-just not seeing other road users

If driving is so easy, why do so many drivers regularly make mistakes, sometimes resulting in crashes?

All young drivers face the same challenges because driving is complicated. It requires a lot of time and effort to become a good driver.

Research has shown that a minimum of 120 hours of supervised practice as a learner and restrictions on new solo drivers for the first few years, can help reduce the risk of a crash. This is why Victoria has introduced the Graduated Licensing System, including the mandatory 120 hours to be completed in the Learner Log Book  by those aged under 21 years of age when applying for a Probationary Licence.

Source VicRoads Road to Solo Driving

Facing the real challanges of driving.

New solo drivers have often done very little driving.

This can result in them having almost no experience of the real challenges of driving.           

These challenges include

Variety of traffic conditions from light traffic in local streets to heavy peak hour traffic.

Extremes in weather rain,fog,or icy conditions

Different driving manoeuvres - driving in roundabouts,making U-turns or turning at different types of intersections.

Effects of the time of day on visability - night driving or sun glare when driving at dawn or dusk.

Unexpected actions of other drivers and riders-stopping quickly, merging or turning without warning.

Types of roads - freeways, roads with trams or undivided main roads.

Imperfect road surfaces - potholes,gravel or slippery surfaces.

Handling any of these challenges when faced with distractions inside the car - radio,noisy passengers or mobile phones.

The worst time to gain this experience is when you are driving solo, on your own - with no supervising driver to give you advice or help. So make the most of your time as a learner driver and don’t think that you can master the challenges of driving overnight - you’ll never really stop learning. Remember, being over confident, especially as a new solo driver can lead to making poor decisions when it counts.