Tailgating the wrong way is when a driver follows the vehicle in front too closely for safety. The closer you follow the vehicle in front of you, the less time you have react. Research indicates that tailgating is a contributing factor in more than one third of all car accidents.
Even if you are in a hurry, stressed out, and believe that tailgating the car in front of you will speed up your trip, don’t do it! If the person in front of you is force to stop suddenly, you will absolutely be in the wrong when you “accidentally” hit them from behind. In addition to causing accidents, tailgating is one of the leading causes of road rage. Many times, when someone is being tailgated, that car driver gets angry at the person behind them and sometimes will “tap” their brakes in an attempt to get the tailgater to back off and use a safer following distance. This is very dangerous move and may cause a needless accident regardless of the intent.
Here are some guidelines to help you maintain:
It can be difficult for drivers to determine a safe following distance between them and the car in front of them. Try these three simple rules to count out the seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you:
1. Two-Second Rule
If you are on a dry and clear road, count two seconds to safely gauge the distance between you and the car in front of you. When the car in front of you drives past a sign or pole, you should reach the count of two before you pass the same sign or pole.
2. Four-Second Rule
This is for when the roadways are wet and rainy. In these conditions, you should employ a four second gap between you and the car in front of you.
3. 10-Second Rule
This rule applies to icy and snowy conditions when the roadways are at their worst. This may seem like a large distance, but every winter there are an enormous number of weather related accidents. Better to be safe than sorry after an accident.
By keeping a safe following distance you can avoid a needless accident. Road rage and impatient driving should never get in the way of you getting home safely to your family.
Thanks to Brandi Hodge for contributing.
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