You may think leaving one car length between you and the car in front of you is safe. But, that's not always the case. Safe following distances vary according to traffic speed and weather conditions and according to the type of vehicle you're driving. In good conditions, you should allow 2 seconds between your car and the vehicle in front of you. Here's an easy way to work that out. Pick a mark on the road or an object close to the left hand side of the road, such as a power pole. When the rear of the vehicle in front of you passes that object, count 'one thousand one, one thousand two'. If the front of your car passes the object before you've finished counting, drop back, you're following too closely. Now if you're towing a trailer or caravan, you'll need to allow 2 seconds, plus an extra second for every 3 metres of trailer. If you're driving a heavy vehicle, double the distance and allow at least 4 seconds following distance. If conditions are poor, also allow 4 seconds between you and the car in front, more if you are driving a heavy vehicle. Rear-end collisions are the most common types of crashes, so play safe and keep your distance.
Being followed too closely by another vehicle is intimidating, dangerous and against the law. Whether or not it’s intentional, coping requires a cool head and some practical strategies to get out of the situation. If you’re a competent driver you’ll be familiar with the three-second rule that ensures a safe following distance. You can test it by while you’re driving by picking a stationary object such as a road sign and counting two seconds as the car in front passes it. If you reach that point before you’ve finished counting, you’re probably too close (in wet conditions four seconds is more appropriate because it takes longer to stop). If a driver doesn’t have enough time to brake, the risk of a rear-end crash is significant. But it’s a risk that seems to be increasing on the roads and tailgating is one of the most common and complained-about frustrations in city driving. It’s behaviour that seems to be on the rise as drivers become increasingly impatient with heavy traffic and constant interruptions to the flow of traffic. While a driver who rear-ends another vehicle is usually always at fault legally, if someone crashes into the back of you, you still face the risk of injury, inconvenience and cost. Sometimes tailgating can be unintentional, with a distracted driver accidently creeping closer and closer as their mind wanders, at other times it’s a deliberate act of intimidation. Either way it’s dangerous and it can be tempting to meet impatience with impatience, but that never, ever works on the road. Slowing down or flashing your brake lights to prove you’re on to them is likely to aggravate the situation and increase the chances of a crash. That’s allowing driving to become about ego and emotions, rather than staying safe. A deliberate tailgater is unlikely to get bored and give up. Instead, it’s up to you to diffuse the situation. If you’re on a motorway, change lanes and let them pass, avoiding eye contact as they go by. If you’re not the motorway and know the area you are travelling in, turn off and alter your route slightly. If you have a passenger with you, you can ask them to take down their number plate and report the incident to the police. Takeaway tips
THEY’RE RIGHT BEHIND YOU, up close and very, very personal. Way too close for it to be a mistake. The intent is to intimidate, perhaps for fun, perhaps as revenge for some real or perceived slight from you. It doesn’t really matter, they’re there. This is dangerous, because if another vehicle is following you really close then if you brake, they won’t be able to react in time. That could cause an accident, and push you where you don’t want to be. What do you do? The answer depends on whether you want to teach them a lesson, or prevent an accident. If the former, then stop reading now because I’ve got no advice for you because you wouldn’t listen anyway. If you want to avoid an accident, then read on. Tailgaters don’t generally get out of the way or lose interest. You need to let them by. This starts with the number one act in any road safety situation, and that is putting your ego aside, even if it means “letting them win”. First off, continue driving. Don’t spend all the time looking in the rear view mirror. That’s irrelevant. Your scared eyes may be visible in the mirror, and that’s just going to show the tailgater they’ve been successful. And you need to be looking ahead more than ever, as you’ve now got two cars to slow down, not just one. You cannot control how far behind the tailgater is, so staring at your mirrors won’t help. If you need to slow down then do so early and slowly, and don’t use the engine to slow down, ensure you’re on the brakes. Your brakelights are what the tailgater is looking for, and if you slow down any other way they may not be able to react. If you’re on a freeway, then move left and let them through. Don’t make eye contact as they pass. If you’re not on a freeway, then turn off as soon as you can… but only if you know the road or are sure it’s not a dead-end. It is tempting not to give in – to play games such as stamping on the brakes, letting them by and then tailgating them, hand gestures. That may be satifysing in the short term, but it’s a very bad idea. You are now dramatically increasing the chances of a crash because you’re both distracted, emotions are running high, and you’re intentioanlly cutting safety margins. And from the other driver’s perspective you may have wronged them (even if you never noticed), they have tried to let you know and now you’re overreacting. So they up the ante too… do you see where this ends? Tailgating is never, ever right but there is no safe nor legal way to “win” you’re tailgated or teach the other driver a lesson. You simply need to put your ego aside get out of the way, but do so smoothly, camly and without undue haste. This article was originally published in 2015.
Tailgating another driver is defined as following a vehicle without keeping a safe distance between the two vehicles. There are some obvious dangers in tailgating a vehicle. Any sharp reduction in speed of the vehicle in front could lead to a collision as there is insufficient time to brake. Further, tailgating can cause the driver in front to be intimidated and fearful. This in turn can lead to mistakes in their driving behaviour. A recent study found that between 2014 and 2018, almost 25% of accidents on the road were due to a rear-end collision. Clearly, keeping a safe distance could have prevented a large number of these accidents. Indeed, over 10,000 rear-end crashes are reported each year in New South Wales. This does not account for the rear end collisions that are unreported due to there being no damage to the vehicles. However, is the act of tailgating another vehicle illegal? Is it illegal to tailgate someone?Most states in Australia have made tailgating illegal. In NSW for example, Rule 126 of the Road Rules 2014 (NSW), makes it illegal to tailgate another vehicle. The rule requires drivers to keep a safe distance behind other vehicles. While there is no specific distance prescribed by the rules, generally a ‘3 second gap’ is acceptable. The legislation sets out that each driver must travel a sufficient distance behind another vehicle so that the driver can, if necessary, stop safely to avoid a collision. At present, the penalty for tailgating in NSW is a fine of $448 and 3 demerit points. However, if you appeal the matter to court, you can be subject to a maximum fine of $2,200. Despite the small penalties, the dangers of disobeying the rule are evident. Any collision that causes injury to another person could lead to far more serious charges, such as negligent driving causing grievous bodily harm. If you were convicted of this offence, you could receive a jail term. The maximum penalties for negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm are 9 months imprisonment for a first offence and 12 months imprisonment for a second or subsequent offence. There are also lengthy licence disqualifications for negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm that the Court may impose. For a first offence, there is a minimum disqualification of 12 months and an automatic disqualification of 3 years. If you were convicted of a previous major offence in the last 5 years, then the penalties increase to an automatic disqualification of 5 years and a minimum disqualification of 2 years. What is Tailgating?The definition of tailgating another vehicle is following them without keeping a sufficient distance. There are a number of reasons why people tailgate. Often the tailgater will not believe that there is any risk in their actions. They may also be of the view that they are a good enough driver not to obey the ‘three second rule’. At the other end of the scale are drivers who tailgate as a way to intimidate other road users. This may be to have other drivers move out of their lane and allow them to drive at excessive speeds or as a way to vent their ‘road rage’. A less common reason for tailgating is a concept known as slipstreaming. This is used by both cyclists and race car drivers. It is sometimes called a draft-assisted forced auto stop. The benefits of slipstreaming are that less fuel is used as the car in front bears the brunt of the wind resistance. As such, the tailgater uses very little fuel to drive at the same speed as the vehicle in front. However, the obvious benefits of greater fuel economy must be assessed against the increased chance of a collision as there will be virtually no time to react if the vehicle in front sharply brakes. Indeed, with older cars, this pressure can also cause power steering to stop functioning as well. How to deal with tailgatingAccording to organisations such as the NRMA, there are some proven ways to deal with being tailgated. Firstly, you shouldn’t feel pressured to increase your speed. It is a very common occurrence for people to increase their speed when they are being tailgated. This can of course lead to incurring a speeding fine and the associated demerit points. Rather, you would be better served by waiting until it is safe to move out of their way by changing lanes and allowing the tailgater to pass. If you have concerns about the driving behaviour of the driver behind you, you can report them to Police or to the business the vehicle belongs to. It is important not to slow down, flash your brake lights, or do anything else that may further anger an aggressive driver. If a collision occurs, the tailgater will almost always be held as the responsible party for causing the accident. This is in large part due to the requirement to keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. To ensure that you do not risk tailgating another vehicle, you should allow at least 2 seconds between yourself and the vehicle in front of you during the day. At night, this should be increased to 3 seconds at night and 4 seconds during bad weather conditions such as during snow, ice, or rain. When approaching intersections, stop lights, and when you changing lanes are particularly important times to keep a safe distance. It is also suggested that drivers anticipate hazards that may cause the driver in front of them to brake suddenly. If you are charged with a traffic offence, it is important to obtain advice from a senior lawyer. We have Sydney CBD, Parramatta and Liverpool Traffic Lawyers who can advise you on the best way to keep your licence. |