When someone starts tailgating you, it’s easy to assume that the person is driving aggressively on purpose. And this certainly may be true. Tailgating can be a component of road rage, for example, or the other driver may just be trying to get you to speed up.
But there are also many cases in which tailgaters are simply oblivious. They don’t know that they’re tailgating, often because they never maintain a safe following distance. They get used to driving too close to other vehicles all the time, and they begin to think that it’s normal and expected. In this sense, their dangerous behavior doesn’t even register for them—even though you may feel like they are intentionally putting you at risk.
How much space is needed?
To address this issue, it’s important for people to be aware of the amount of space they actually need to leave between cars. Typically, it’s advisable to have three or four seconds of extra space to stop in an emergency. The rear vehicle is always responsible for keeping a large enough following distance that they can stop without a crash, even if it’s unexpected.
It’s also important to know that it can take 1.5 seconds for someone to even begin slowing down. Depending on their speed, they could cover 100 yards in that short amount of time. This is why a short following distance, like just one or two seconds, isn’t enough. The delay in the driver’s reaction could lead to an accident.
Seeking compensation
Have you been injured in a crash caused by a negligent tailgater? If so, be sure you know what legal steps to take.