Tailgating is dangerous: survey
Most think so but do they encourage it?
Tailgating in the outside lane
More than half of all drivers regard each of these two activities as "highly dangerous", according to a BMRB survey of almost 700 motorists carried out for the IAM, the UK’s leading organisation for improving driving standards.
Drivers who overtake on single carriageway A-roads when there is oncoming traffic, and those who cut others up, forcing them to brake, are regarded as the next most dangerous threats.
The survey shows that more women (60 per cent) than men (47 per cent) regard tailgating as highly dangerous. Likewise, more women than men see "phoning and driving" as highly dangerous (61 per cent of women versus 44 per cent of men).
In contrast, young drivers (aged 17 to 29) are significantly less likely to regard other motorists’ activities as dangerous. Only 30 per cent of young drivers regard "phoning and driving" as highly dangerous, compared with more than 50 per cent for all other age groups. Similarly, 40 per cent of young drivers consider tailgating highly dangerous, compared with 55 per cent of other age groups.
Steve Norris, a member of the IAM Council and former transport and road safety minister said, "Many of Britain’s motorists regard other drivers as lacking basic road safety skills. Too many road users slip into bad habits, either through ignorance, impatience or, even worse, aggression.
"Tailgating and phoning while driving are activities which are a clear threat to the safety of others. No one has the right to drive badly but the results of bad driving fill our hospitals every day. Motorists should leave at least a two second gap behind the vehicle in front, and more in bad weather. And using handheld mobile phones at the wheel has the potential to kill."
The IAM is calling on the Highways Agency and other local highway authorities to paint more chevrons on motorways and other fast roads to remind drivers of the "Two Second Rule" – the safe gap between vehicles.
The IAM also wants the Government to impose stronger enforcement of the regulation banning use of a handheld phone at the wheel, which was introduced 18 months ago.
Figures from a Department for Transport survey reveal that a total of 26,400 fixed penalty notices were issued by 27 of the 51 police forces in Great Britain during the first ten months of the regulation between 1 December 2003 and 30 September 2004.
This compares with the Department for Transport’s estimate* that the new offence would result in 50,000 to 100,000 fixed penalty notices a year and 2,000 to 5,000 prosecutions in court.
Steve Norris said, "More effective police action would help the Government achieve the aim of making ‘phoning-and-driving’ as socially unacceptable as drinking-and-driving."
"We are particularly alarmed by the evidence that many younger, less experienced drivers fail to appreciate the risks of poor driving skills. Taking an advanced driving test will make them better equipped to identify and avoid dangers on the road, and be less of a risk to themselves and others. The cost is a small price to pay for making you a better, safer driver, with skills which could save lives – their own and others."
All very well, but it's just as important to encourage motorists to avoid behaviour likely to lead to tailgating, such as occupying the middle lane on motorways when the inside lane is empty.
Handheld or carkit . . .
I think both should be banned. Whatever device they use speed is going up and down and use of mirrors is forgotten.
Just move over or keep it brief and say you'll call back in a moment . . . ffs!
It works for me so it should work for the majority
I can't help but brake - severe - when a tailgaiter won't let go of my brakelights . . . that's not a good thing to do
(almost let a biker fall that way, forgive me but I think he was unscrewing my petrolcap). But it makes me furious. Same thing with drivers that all of a sudden close a gap at joining roadss to avoid getting your car in the stream. it's so useless and it'll get them 6 metres further . . . I'll stop now and have lunch. Where are my Strepsils . . .
Hate those chevrons - they mesmerise you...
Wonder if they affect epileptics?
If the 'mid lane morons' get out of the way then there is no reason for tailgating - remove the cause rather than try to prevent the effect i say.
stowc - you would have thought by now that someone would have invented paint with a similar coefficient of friction to tarmac...can't be THAT difficult, can it?!?
Difficult decision, though - do you paint the road on the straight parts, or do you increase the amount of road furniture for people to possibly hit?!?
topbrake -
- come on, they're a pain, and I'm probably more impatient than you. But use the frustration-relieving properties of flashing your lights and using your horn instead!!! 
If all else fails, undertake them where practical AND safe, and swear at them on the way past for being such inconsiderate numpties!!! 
article said:
Drivers who overtake on single carriageway A-roads when there is oncoming traffic
Ah yes, never a days motoring goes by for me now without some speck in the distance flashing main beam as I perform an overtaking manouver with a mere hundreds of yards to spare.
As for tailgating, there was a lot of what would be better called 'bunching' on the M4 yesterday as nobody wanted to exceed the 40mph limit through the old abandoned roadworks and all the cars ended up almost bumper to bumper.
the picture above is a perfect example of the problem...
to many cars in the outside lane and not enough people using the inside and middle lanes.
the main reason people tailgate is cause the person infront is in the wrong lane.
i think they should do more motorway training for new drivers as no one seems to know what they doing lol
mph_csoc said:
the picture above is a perfect example of the problem...
to many cars in the outside lane and not enough people using the inside and middle lanes.
the main reason people tailgate is cause the person infront is in the wrong lane.
i think they should do more motorway training for new drivers as no one seems to know what they doing lol
Not with you on this one, a car is overtaking the truck so pulls into the middle lane, a faster car pulls into the outside lane to overtake the car overtaking the truck. Regardless of whether the cars will pull in after the manoever as you don’t know, why are there cars tailgating, They should maintain their distance until the vehicles have finished their overtaking.
I think the main reason people tailgate is that they think the person in front is going too slow or that they are in their way.
mph_csoc said:
I think they should do more motorway training for new drivers as no one seems to know what they doing lol
Oh, everyone knows what they're doing...it's just that very few realise that it's not the right thing to do!!!
There DOES need to be m-way training, as people learn how to act on a M-way from their parents and from observation, and unfortunately for most of us that means intuiting that the inside lane is for trucks and OAPs only, the middle lane is for cruising, and the outside lane is for, ahem, making progress!!!
Consequently everyone in a hurry (read most people today) sticks to the outside lane until there's nothing for 100s of yards in the middle lane, as they're afraid they'll get held up and lose a few seconds.
It's classic game theory - if everyone drove considerately, they'd all get there quicker (as the people ahead would make way and instead of a stream in lane 3 doing 70-75-70-80-65-75-70..., you'd have consistent 80-85), but if some drive considerately and some inconsiderately, then the inconsiderate ones benefit from all this and the considerate ones lose out. So this leads to the worst-case situation of everyone being inconsiderate and everyone losing out.
Welcome to human nature in the UK in the 21st century: "Stuff you, I'm in it for myself!!!"
>> Edited by havoc on Tuesday 31st May 13:56
I once had someone tailgate me (not motorway) so I gradually slowed to a stop, waited for a little bit then continued on my way. If he was tailgating me in an effort for me to go faster I hope that I delayed him even more.
Tailgaters should be shot
But when you have an outside lane waster in front of you with one or two clear lanes on the inside and a queue of bunching traffic behind you and flashing headlights/indicators have failed to make any impression then you are left with either:
1) Overtaking on the inside - illegal and dangerous
2) Intimidating them into moving over (tailgating) - illegal and dangerous (or worse)
3) Slowing down, moving over and letting someone else take the blame - doesn't necessarily solve the problem
In 25 years of driving I have never yet seen the police pull someone over for sitting on the outside lane at 70mph with clear lanes on their inside and yet these people can be just as dangerous as the ones behind them.
By all means crack down on the tailgaters who have no respect for road and traffic conditions but please apply similiar penalties on those drivers whos inconsiderate driving causes a problem in the first place.
I agree Tailgating is wrong the same way i agree Lane Hogging is wrong..
Both tend to relate to the other..
At the end of the day it all revolves around the obvious:
Propper policing of the Motorways with emphasis on tackling Bad driving and not just easy convictions! (speeding!!!)
In France, love em or hate em ive seen video's of people being pulled over for lane hogging!
If people are educated properly and also believe and know they will be pulled up for tailgating and lane hogging then i would see a big change!!
mph_csoc said:
the picture above is a perfect example of the problem...
to many cars in the outside lane and not enough people using the inside and middle lanes.
You can always pass on the wrong side and squeeze yourself in an opening: now that's exciting! And dangerous, but hey: is there an alternative?
Be patient The problem is one of policing by target revenue/ convictions... leading ultimately to lazy policing. Oh and a gradual breakdown of cooperation/goodwill between the motoring public and the police force IMHO.
havoc said:
topbrake -
exactly what i do mate, overtook about 30 cars like this once, all of them in lane three, i moved to lane one and progressively, safely did the lot - was i wrong anyone??
If you go faster (after checking it's not a Police car) they're still just behind.
Plenty of oppertunity to overtake but the just won't do it, even when you slow down and pull to the side to let 'em past.
Sometimes, when there's plenty of space for them to pass I keep on slowing to see just how slow you have to go before they pass - it can be below 10mph.
Unfortunately when they get past 40-45mph seems to be their front of queue speed.
All this is especially true at night. I am wondering if these people need an eye-test and are driving in their own "fog"......
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