What causes accidents: tailgating

Driving too close to a vehicle is dangerous for the very simple reason that you have too little time to react should something unexpected happen. And when you consider how many road journeys there are each day, everyday there are situations where something unexpected happens for someone, leading to an accident.

Many people think that they can safely follow a car and will be able to react to road conditions, but the basic laws of physics and motion can't be beaten - you can't stop a vehicle safely more quickly than its stopping distance whether you believe it or not!

Many drivers tailgate through impatience, or because they are trying to beat the traffic lights to save time, or even to put pressure on the driver infront to speed up.

If someone is tail gating you, it is actually often recommended that you slow down to force them to push back a little. In terms of your own behaviour, you should always be thinking about your stopping distance and road conditions as necessary. Therefore you should drop back in conditions where you feel you are too close to the car or vehicle in front, particularly if doing so would lead to you following another vehicle blindly.

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