During what weather conditions is it particularly important to monitor your following distance?

Monitoring your following distance is particularly crucial during heavy rain and floods due to the increased risk of reduced visibility and longer stopping distances. Wet surfaces can lead to hydroplaning, where your vehicle’s tires lose traction with the road, and it takes significantly longer to stop compared to driving on dry roads. Therefore, maintaining a greater following distance helps ensure that you can safely react to any unexpected stops or hazards.

While it's also important to be cautious in snowy conditions, heavy rain and floods present unique challenges, such as reduced traction and unpredictable road conditions. Other weather conditions like sunny days and clear nights typically allow for safer driving, hence do not necessitate as significant a change in following distance as severe wet conditions do.