Speed Limits and Safe Following Distance
Speed limits set the maximum lawful speed, not a target. In built-up areas in The Bahamas the default limit is commonly 25 mph unless signs say otherwise, and on highways limits are posted, often 45 mph or as signed. Always drive to conditions: rain, poor visibility, night driving, roadworks and heavy traffic all require speeds well below the limit. School zones and areas near hospitals and markets demand extra caution.
Following distance is the single most useful safety habit. Use the two-second rule in good, dry conditions: pick a fixed object ahead, such as a sign or lamp post, and when the vehicle in front passes it, count 'one thousand and one, one thousand and two'. If you reach the object before finishing, you are too close. In rain, at night, or when following a large vehicle that blocks your view, double it to four seconds or more.
Stopping distance has two parts: thinking distance, which grows with speed and is longer when tired or distracted, and braking distance, which grows much faster than speed because it increases with the square of speed. Doubling speed roughly quadruples braking distance. Wet roads lengthen braking distance further.
Question traps include treating the posted limit as safe in rain, or confusing following distance with stopping distance. Another trap is the idea that a limit applies only where a sign is visible; the default for the road type applies throughout. Do not assume a slower driver ahead is breaking the law, and never tailgate to pressure them.
Rule of thumb: two seconds dry, four seconds wet, and always leave room to stop even if the car ahead stops suddenly.