Is there a general rule of thumb for multiple <br /> tags?

Question

I have a webpage run on php with a few tables, input boxes, and a form. The design is pretty basic but, I use various <br /> tags when needed. Sometimes I may have two or three in a row so the spacing looks better.

Is there a rule of thumb on what to do when one uses multiple <br /> tags? Do most people just append them on the same line of code, or have each <br /> tag on its own line?

Answer 1

Instead of adding extra HTML, it is widely accepted that the better approach be to separate content from presentation by using CSS to add space (for example padding or margin) between elements instead of <br/> tags.