"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
"Marc Adler" wrote in message
ups.com...

Had you been following at the proper and safe distance, the event would
not
have been *nearly* so frightening. At a safe following distance, you
would
have easily been able to come to a complete stop before running into a
mattress, or could have selected other evasive actions instead with plenty
of time for execution rather than requiring a split-second response.

I agree with your post, but it leaves me wondering......

The normal three second rule assumes the vehicle in front of you will
require a 'normal' stopping distance, so you've got three seconds to react,
and stop your own vehicle.

If a mattress lifts off the bed and goes vertical, it may 'stop' much faster
than the vehicle is capable of.

I think the lesson here should be to give unsafe loads MUCH MORE DISTANCE
than 'normal'.