A pair of road-users in Australia were left baffled and in need of answers after they came across a yellow car with what looked to be a handmade sign taped to the back window.
I'm all in favour of a good bumper sticker, but I definitely enjoy them more when they make a funny joke than when they warn of a potential car accident or legal issue.
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A picture of this particular makeshift sign was shared to the Reddit thread r/melbourne earlier this week, after a road-user and their husband spotted it taped to the back window of a yellow Honda Jazz while driving by Highpoint Shopping Centre.
The sign looked to have been created on a computer before being printed off and stuck in the back window, and read: "Slow vehicle. Please keep 6 [second] safe distance to save lives."
Now, I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a driving expert, but I think I know enough to suggest that if other drivers are required to keep specifically six seconds away from a car at all times in order to 'save lives', that vehicle might not be safe to drive on the roads.
The person who spotted the sign took to Reddit to ask whether the sign was legit, writing: "Is a 'slow vehicle' a thing?"
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They continued: "Hubby says it's illegal to have those signs up and I genuinely want to know."
The Reddit user said there were no passengers in the car, and nothing to immediately indicate why the car would have to go slowly.
Other users were left just as baffled after coming across the picture, with one responding: "I'd suggest it's a slow driver, not vehicle. Mid 200's [sic] Honda Jazz should be able to do any speed limit in Victoria, assuming it is in fact roadworthy.
"Now, why they're a slow driver, that's a different question, but I'd suggest they shouldn't be on the roads though, if they're that skittish."
Other people pointed out that there are some vehicles out there which make use of 'slow vehicle' signs, but these are usually larger trucks or vehicles carrying heavy loads - and the signs usually aren't made of paper.
A spokesperson for National Roads and Motorists' Association Limited shared their thoughts on the sign in a statement to Yahoo News, saying: "We know one of the biggest pet peeves drivers have on Australian roads is tailgating, however drivers shouldn't be taking policing road rules into their own hands.
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"Keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you is not only the law but, it’s common sense."
In the UK, the Highway Code tells drivers to allow at least a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front, though the gap increases with the speed limit.
Drivers should leave 2.4 seconds, or roughly 53 metres, when driving at 50mph, and 3.1 seconds, or 96 metres, at 70mph.
Emily Brown