With a recent study finding that half of all drivers admit to that they’ve tailgated other road users, a new National Highways campaign is highlighting the issue.
Figures show that more than 140 people are either seriously injured or killed in tailgating incidents on England’s main routes (motorways and A-roads) every single year.
With it being a road safety concern, National Highways have now launched a new campaigned called ‘Too Close for Comfort? Stay Safe, Stay Back’ in a bid to bring attention to the issue.
Driving too close to the vehicle in front is something that can happen without drivers really noticing but the general rule of thumb is to leave a two-second gap in normal road conditions and up to 4 seconds in wet or adverse conditions.
Tailgating is illegal and usually carries a penalty of a £100 fine and three penalty points, but in more severe cases it can result in a driving ban or even a prison sentence if a serious collision that results in serious injury or death.
Some road safety campaigners are calling for stricter punishments for standard incidents of tailgating to act as a deterrent, with it coming under the ‘careless driving’ subset of offences.
The campaign aims to highlight just how dangerous tailgating can be and why it’s important for all road users to leave the appropriate gap.
