Driving instructor shares simple way to stop tailgaters with no braking
Most drivers will have experienced the frustration of another car following you far too closely behind. Apart from the annoyance, it's also a serious safety hazard as if you need to brake suddenly, it's likely the vehicle will crash into you.
It's a dangerous habit which is often used to encourage drivers in front to move out of their way but it puts both parties in significant danger. A safe distance between vehicles is crucial and varies depending on speed, visibility and other road conditions.
It is understandable that many motorists won't know what to do when confronted by someone tailgating them. Braking could cause a collision and moving over to let them past might not be an option.
But a driving instructor has detailed an easy way to cope with this situation, reports Birmingham Live.
Annie Winterburn, who runs Spot On Driving, said: "If the car behind is too close to you and you have to brake suddenly, that car behind you will crash into the back of you. So you have to make sure you don't have to brake suddenly."
To manage tailgaters safely, Annie says you should "leave a bigger gap between your car and the car in front of you".
This approach enables you to reduce speed gradually should the car ahead halt suddenly, allowing the tailgating driver to slow down safely as well.
She said that this guidance frequently appears in theory examinations and is a good way to deal with tailgating.
Annie explained: "You should leave at least a two-second time gap, on dry roads, between your car and the vehicle in front of you. This is doubled to four seconds on wet roads - and is ten times the gap on icy roads. Ten times the gap is 20 seconds."
The DVLA has also reinforced the legal implications of 'driving without due care and attention', such as tailgating.
Motorists caught too close to the car in front could face a fine starting at £100 and three penalty points on their licence. In more serious instances, offenders face a ban or even a prison sentence if a serious collision occurs as a result.
The Highway Code's recommendation is for drivers to keep a minimum two-second gap from the vehicle ahead, a distance that should be increased in high-speed zones and tunnels where visibility can be reduced.
Further details on the government's website clarify the recommended distances: "The gap should be wider as speeds increase. It rises to 2.4 seconds - about 53 metres - when driving at 50mph and 3.1 seconds - or 96 metres - at 70mph."
Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, the road safety charity, emphasised the importance of this advice.
He added: "It's vital that drivers leave enough distance between the vehicle in front in order to react in time to any sudden dangers. We'd urge everyone to respect the two-second rule to keep them, and others on the road, safe."
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