
Quoting
HonkingAntelope
By your logic, everyone would have to keep the distance with the assumption that the vehicle in front of them can slam on the brakes and come to a complete stop in the middle of the freeway without any warning or any reason whatsoever at any time. Surely even you realize how absurd that would be.
CA state law requires it.
21703. The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the roadway.
Failure to adhere to that rule kinda puts you at fault in a rolling collision, or for violating 22350 if the vehicle in front comes to a complete stop prior to impact.
I'm not talking about people zipping around with 6" of distance between cars. My point is that one can follow a vehicle well under the 2-second rule and that distance is perfectly safe, assuming the guy in front of you doesn't randomly slam on the brakes.
The guy in front of you ain't gonna be able to stop on a dime, either. If you travel at a safe distance and speed, you should be able to react to the car in front of you's sudden braking. If following too close,y, no.
It's one thing to be blamed for a collision when you strike a stopped vehicle or if the other driver brakes hard to avoid a collision. On the other hand, it's patently unjust to be cited for unsafe speed or following too closely when the guy in front of you decides he wants a new rear bumper or just slams on the brakes to "teach that guy a lesson."
If the guy cuts in front of you and then slams on the brakes intentionally causing a collision, that's a crime. But, if you follow too close to the guy in front to be able to stop if he should slam on the brakes, you may be following too closely.
One popular insurance scam in the 90s took advantage of this by piling 5-9 people (aka crash dummies) into one car and then cruising around looking for new cars driving around.
It's still out there. There are details and task forces throughout the state (well, there were ... until the budget cuts ...) that address this even still. Many of the smaller claims still get through because insurance companies cannot contest every claim, and claims at lower coverage levels are often cheaper to pay than fight.