Sometimes you may glance in your rearview mirror and see a driver very close behind you. When you glance again a few seconds later, they are still there, right on your tail. This can feel unnerving and with good reason. Tailgating – when drivers sit very close to the vehicle in front – makes collisions more likely.
Leaving yourself sufficient time to react is one of the keys to safe driving. A driver who tailgates does not leave themself enough. By the time they notice they need to brake and move their foot from the gas to the brake, a few seconds will already have passed. How long it then takes the car to slow down depends on several things such as its speed and the condition of its brakes and tires.
Driving too close can also make the driver in front hesitant to brake when they need to. They see something ahead that means they need to slow down but know if they hit the brakes too hard, the driver behind might run into them. This would not be a worry if the rear driver left sufficient space.
So why do people do it?
People tailgate for a variety of reasons. Many are unaware they are doing it. They are distracted by something inside or outside their car, or lost in a daydream. Others do it because they do not know what the safe gap is. They think they are far back enough when they are not.
Some drivers tailgate out of impatience, annoyance or the wish to intimidate. Whatever the reason, if things result in them running into the back of your vehicle, there is a strong chance you will be able to seek compensation for the resultant costs.