Whether you’re an experienced driver or just starting out, having a vehicle tailgating you can be extremely frustrating. However, it’s not just bothersome; it poses a genuine safety risk by removing the vital stopping distance required should you need to brake unexpectedly.
Tailgating ranks among the leading causes of road collisions and can result in serious injuries or even deaths in extreme cases.
So what’s the best approach when you discover someone following too closely behind you? Annie Winterburn, who owns Spot On Driving, highlights that many motorists remain uncertain about tackling this predicament, since sudden braking might trigger a crash.
The motoring specialist recommends: “If the car behind is too close to you and you have to brake suddenly, that car behind you will crash into the back of you. So you have to make sure you don’t have to brake suddenly.”
To deal with tailgaters safely, Annie says you should “leave a bigger gap between your car and the car in front of you”.
This approach enables you to reduce speed gradually should the vehicle ahead stop suddenly, allowing the tailgater to likewise slow down safely.
Annie, a driving instructor, revealed that this specific guidance frequently appears in theory exams, suggesting its significance for British motorists.
She went on to explain: “You should leave at least a 2-second time gap, on dry roads, between your car and the vehicle in front of you. This is doubled to 4-seconds on wet roads and is ten times the gap on icy roads. Ten times the gap is 20-seconds.”
The DVLA has also issued a stern warning, reinforcing the legal implications of ‘driving without due care and attention’, such as tailgating.
Offenders caught trailing too closely behind another vehicle could face a minimum fine of £100 and three penalty points. In more serious instances, harsher penalties may be enforced, including a possible court summons.
National Highways has taken action against tailgating, which is a factor in one out of every eight collisions on England’s motorways and major A roads, by initiating a campaign in 2022.
The Highway Code recommends that drivers should keep at least a two-second gap from the car in front, particularly when travelling at higher speeds or in tunnels where visibility can be reduced.
Further advice on the government’s website clarifies: “The gap should be wider as speeds increase. It rises to 2.4 seconds – about 53 metres – when driving at 50mph and 3.1 seconds – or 96 metres – at 70mph.”
Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, the road safety charity, emphasised: “It’s vital that drivers leave enough distance between the vehicle in front in order to react in time to any sudden dangers. We’d urge everyone to respect the two-second rule to keep them, and others on the road, safe.”