What effect does driving whilst keeping proper distance from the vehicle in front has on the vehicle’s fuel consumption and wear?
- It is required to keep a proper distance to prevent accidents only, and it has no effect on the vehicle’s wear or fuel consumption.
- The shorter is the distance kept from the vehicle in front, the lower are both brake wear and fuel consumption.
- In order to keep proper distance from the vehicle in front you are required to constantly use the brakes, and therefore it causes quick brake wear.
- Correct answer: When proper distance is kept – brake wear and engine fuel consumption are reduced,
Why this is the answer
The correct answer in the official bank: When proper distance is kept – brake wear and engine fuel consumption are reduced,
With a proper gap to the vehicle in front, you see slowdowns early and can react smoothly, often just by easing off the accelerator. This avoids sharp braking followed by hard acceleration, so brake wear and fuel consumption are reduced. Tailgating does the opposite: constant braking and re-accelerating wears the brakes faster and burns more fuel.