What to Do When a Car Is Tailgating You

How to Act When the Car Behind You is Tailgating

Car accidents are a sad everyday reality, and often, obeying the Highway Code is not enough, as it is not possible to predict the behavior of other drivers or anticipate any unforeseen events.
For this reason, whoever gets behind the wheel must still try to adopt all possible precautions to limit the consequences, without giving in to fear.

Among the most dangerous behaviors, as well as a cause for concern for drivers, there is the tendency not to respect safe distances.
If the car behind is tailgating, it creates a dangerous condition because it probably would not have a way to stop in case the vehicle in front stops suddenly.
The situation is unpleasant, but a driving instructor has shared some useful advice.
Here’s what to do.

Respecting Safe Distances on the Road

When driving, it is important to maintain distances from other vehicles in order to allow all drivers to react in time in case of unexpected events.
In case of a sudden brake, an adequate space allows the car behind to slow down or stop without colliding with the one in front.
However, it is not possible to control or predict the behavior of other drivers, which can cause some problems.

If the car behind you is tailgating, you might fear a rear-end collision, not being able to anticipate the behavior of the driver in front or any unforeseen obstacles.
A driving instructor, Annie Winterburn, has addressed this unpleasant situation on her social networks, advising users on how to behave.

In fact, there are not many precautions to take, except for increasing the safe distance from the car in front, so as to further soften the braking and ensure that the driver behind has enough time to notice the action and slow down.

The Importance of Safe Distances while Driving

For the safety of all road users, it is important to also act preventively, minimizing the risks of possible accidents due to distractions or other causes.
This is why it is necessary to respect a certain safety distance between vehicles when driving, suitable for stopping the vehicle or changing its course without colliding with the one in front.

For example, adopting adequate safe distances helps to avoid rear-end collisions, especially “chain reactions.” This is essential to overcome the limits of braking space and reaction times, as well as all possible traffic variables, such as the type of asphalt and visibility.

According to the road traffic regulations, the safe distance must be at least equal to the distance traveled between the perception of a danger and the start of braking.
This is precisely the reaction time, on average corresponding to one second, so the safe distance must correspond to the meters traveled in one second.

A useful formula has been devised to calculate, at least in a general sense, the safe distance: multiply the tens of the speed expressed in kilometers per hour by 3.
For example, at a speed of 60 km/h, the safety space is approximately 18 meters.
The length of vehicles is normally:

• 4 meters for cars;
• 12 meters for trucks, buses, and coaches;
• 17 meters for articulated vehicles;
• 19 meters for road trains.

However, there are situations that require the adoption of a minimum distance, as provided by the Highway Code:

• At least 20 meters from snow plows;
• A minimum of 100 meters when overtaking is prohibited for heavy vehicles;
• In the presence of mandatory distancing signal or road owner’s imposition.

This formula should not be applied in an absolute sense; instead, all possible variables must be taken into account, from the vehicle speed to the load’s size, including weather and road conditions, without overestimating one’s reflex readiness.