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What is according the law, legal distance when following the car on motorway driving at 100km or less speed? I am not thinking about the 2 seconds rule but distance in meters if it is stated anywhere.
What is for the city driving as well?

Many thanks

Vesna

It is not about how many metres, it is all about following at a safe distance. The 2 second rule is the best guide if you are travelling in fine conditions, 4 seconds in the wet. As you can appreciate, a car travelling at 100km/h will travel a greater distance in 2 seconds than one travelling at 80km/h, or 50km/h. Therefore, the road code suggests using the 2 second rule to assess a safe following distance.
See this link to the NZ Road Code ;
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-driving/following-distance.html

Thank you for your reply.
I am completely aware of what you are talking about but few months ago I got the fine for not keeping distance of 32m (36m) with car in front of me while driving 100km/h on motorway, hence my question.

At 32 metres following distance at 100km/h, you are following at about half the distance you would be if you had applied the 2 second rule, as a vehicle would travel 55.55 metres in 2 seconds at 100km/h.
In transport law a vehicle travelling at 90km/h or more must not follow closer than 36 metres, however, we feel that is too close for safety and prefer to quote the Road Code (2 seconds).
See 5.9(4)(f) in the following link;
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2004/0427/latest/DLM302188.html

That means that there is transport law stating 36m distance that no one is aware of. 2 seconds rule everyone knows about but no one is practically keeping that distance either or we are all counting too fast.
It seems that I am going to be scape goat and first one to be fined for not keeping that distance.
Thank you anyway for your help

You won't be the first and I'm sure you won't be the last. If you had have applied the 2 second rule which is stated in the road code and which is widely promoted, you would have been following at 55 metres, not 32, so you're not being made a scapegoat.

Hi. It's been law for years. It was in the old Traffic Regulations, and was continued in the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004. Take some responsibility, educate yourself. The reason you got a ticket is because you broke the law. The easy way to avoid that is to know the law, and apply it. Lots of people can quote the 2 zecond rule, very few ever apply it. For example, the Road User Rule requires 20 metres following distance at 50 kmh. The 2 second rule leads to a 27.6 metre gap. And yet people are normally half of what the law requires.

This link no longer works. Could you please provide an updated link to the law and the road code about following distances? I cannot seem to find either.