4 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Mirror
Driving instructor's top tip to stop tailgaters without having to break
Irish drivers are being warned about the serious risks of tailgating - a dangerous practice that can lead to road collisions.
Whether you're a seasoned motorist or newly licensed, having another car drive too closely behind you isn't just annoying, it's a genuine safety hazard. Tailgating reduces the crucial stopping distance needed in an emergency, putting everyone on the road at risk.
With road safety a growing concern across Ireland, experts are urging drivers to take simple steps to avoid crashes caused by tailgaters - and reminding them that getting caught can result in fines, penalty points or worse.
Driving instructor Annie Winterburn, who runs Spot On Driving, says many motorists are unsure about how to respond when being tailgated, especially since slamming on the brakes can be dangerous.
She told Birmingham Live: "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 help reduce the danger, Annie advises: "Leave a bigger gap between your car and the car in front of you."
By increasing the space in front, you give yourself more time to slow down gently if needed, helping prevent a tailgater from crashing into the back of your vehicle.
Annie also points out that this advice regularly comes up in theory tests, highlighting how important it is for drivers to remember.
The motoring expert said: "You should leave at least a 2-second time gap, on dry roads, between your car and the vehicle in front of you. This is doubled to 4-seconds on wet roads and is ten times the gap on icy roads. Ten times the gap is 20-seconds."
Tailgating isn't just bad driving etiquette - under Irish road laws it can be classified as careless or dangerous driving, depending on the circumstances.
If you're caught driving too closely behind another vehicle, a Garda may determine that you are "driving without reasonable consideration". This can result in two penalty points and an €80 fine, rising to €120 if unpaid after 28 days. If the case goes to court, you could face a larger fine and receive four penalty points upon conviction.
When tailgating leads to a serious incident, the penalties become much harsher.
A conviction for careless driving can carry a fine of up to €5,000. In more severe cases - such as careless driving causing death or serious injury - the maximum penalty increases to a €10,000 fine and up to two years in jail.
For the most serious offences, a dangerous driving conviction could mean a fine of up to €5,000, a prison sentence of up to six months, or both. If dangerous driving causes death or serious harm, the fine can reach €20,000 and imprisonment can be as long as 10 years.
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