Tailgaters Targeted
Too many off us drive too close to the car in front
More than 40 per cent of motorists are ‘an accident waiting to happen’ as they drive too close to the car in front on motorways, according to a group of leading motoring bodies launching National Motorway Month today.
The figures come from a nationwide survey of 15,000 vehicles. The results also show that more than 70 per cent of drivers were traveling too close to the vehicle in front when clusters of vehicles were measured.
Recent research by the Highways Agency suggests that close following is a contributory factor in more than one third of all personal injury accidents on the motorway network. Tailgating is also a major cause of road rage on motorways.
National Motorway Month is a joint initiative by RAC Foundation and Auto Express Magazine, with support from BSM, Institute of Advanced Motorists and the Highways Agency, to encourage safer driving on our Motorways. The campaign will run through the busy holiday month of August.
The survey results have prompted the group to call for drivers to obey the ‘2- second rule’ when driving, and also for further research to be carried out into an innovative system of roadmarkings that appear to be contributing to lessening tailgating in some areas.
The tailgating survey was also carried out at a location where chevrons, were painted white on the motorway at regular intervals. The chevron markings are designed to encourage drivers to keep their distance from one another.
The results show that at a stretch of motorway before the chevrons, tailgating was at around 60 per cent. Encouragingly right in the middle of the chevron patch, tailgating appeared to drop off significantly. Tailgating did pick up again after the chevron stretch, however not to the extent that it was at beforehand, suggesting chevrons could have a role to play in changing driver behaviour.
A previous study by the influential Transport Research Laboratory has shown accident reduction of 56 per cent at chevrons sites, compared to the same stretch of road before the chevrons were installed
At present there are only 6 sites on UK motorways with chevrons. The group are calling for further research to be undertaken into their effectiveness at preventing tailgating, and to consider whether they should be used more widely.
The survey results also picked up on other poor driver behaviour whilst tailgating, including people driving whilst chatting on mobile phones, children in the back seats of cars with no seatbelts or appropriate restraints, and numerous other examples of poor driver behaviour, all contributing to increasing the risk of accidents.
The National Motorway Month campaign will cover the issues of tailgating, driver fatigue, driver safety through roadworks, nervous drivers, and poor lane discipline.
Highways Agency Variable Message Signs will also be used to reinforce the messages of the campaign. ‘Keep Your Distance’ will be displayed on several sites across the country to highlight the theme of tailgating this week.
MOTORWAY FACTFILE:
- 1507 people were killed or seriously injured on motorways in 2002.
- The M6 Preston Bypass was the first stretch of motorway built. It was opened in December 1958.
- There are now 3,500 kilometres of motorway throughout the UK.
- The M1 carries one million vehicles a week.
- Motorways account for 20 per cent of road traffic but make up only one per cent of the road network.
- The M1 was officially opened on 2nd November 1959. In the early days there was no speed limit, no central reservation, no crash barriers and no motorway lighting.
In the same way that a HELL of a lot of drivers speed, yet there are not more accidents, a HELL of a lot of drivers tailgate, yet there are proportionally not as many accidents as there "should" be.
This still boils down to driver skill. Also points toward the need for retesting. Some people are just unable to pilot a vehicle very well at all and these people should learn to BACK RIGHT OFF or take further testing.
The fact the idiots linger in the outside lane on motorways/dual carridgeways makes them a moron. Don't give them an excuse to stay in the lane. I tend to just dropping into the inside lane makes a point. Then when they pull in, nail the bastards (Screw the speed limits, where conditions allow).
DON'T Drive angry
IMHO people tailgate either because the want to
1. Intimidate the driver in front (who may or may notneed a kick up the backside but not with a car, or worse lorry). Normally this is because the front driver is holding tailgater up, sometimes at the limit or sometimes just by being a numptie.
2. Not paying enough attention to driving and drift to a "natural" distance, which is often far too close.
I can't see any justification for 1 or 2. Though maybe taking "driving without consideration for other road users" could stop some of the numpties out there.
I got tailgated at less than six feet by an articulated lorry the other day at 40mph in an appropriate 40 zone. I lifted off the throttle and watched him brake as his 6 feet became 3 before he realised. If I had to brake (in an area with lots of deer, rabbits, foxes, badgers etc) he wouldn't have been able to avoid me.
Any thoughts welcome as I'm interested what people think.
cheers
WH
However, this need for multiplpe cameras would put the expense up, so could the scamera partnerships justify it versus income?
There are just too many people trying to get somewhere in too much of a hurry.
From driving over 600 miles a week over the last six months, and half of that being on motorway (m62), and dual carriageway (a1), I can safely say that over my full hour journey, giving it a boot full upto 90 odd mph where possible on the mway/dual-carriagewaygot me to work a whole 5 mins earlier on average.
Driving at 65mph with the trucks in the inside lane usually was much less stressful, more economical, safer, and I only lost about 5 mins over the hour journey.
People just need to realise that there isn't really that much of a rush. Even going 65mph is quite fast, since most of the time on the motorway (when it's busy anyway) you never sustain much above 75mph really.
Now, how to make everyone realise that the time they make up is negligible next to the extra risk...
Just an idea...
Hmmmm
Dave
Bad lane discipline is the root cause of many of the problems on the motorway.
The chevrons do work on the M1 around Watford Gap Services.
The Suffolk section of A140 has recently had new low speed limits introduced. Max 50mph in some stretches, 40mph in others and 30mph in yet others.
Norfolk C.C. are seriously concerned that bunching (tailgates) will occur and that as soon as traffic is 'released' into the Norfolk section of the A140 drivers will be keen to overtake in the section which is still 60 - 70mph. A likely source of future accidents as drivers vie for a gap to speed up.
The T junctions onto the Suffolk side of the A140 are now a worse nightmare to come out of.The traffic is now almost a constant stream (at 'rush hours)of slow moving traffic, previously it would be sparodic as drivers decided appropriate speeds and so long Q's of traffic were split into sections, you could exit out of your T junction in one of these Q gaps with some safety.
So now its a case of dash and hope or sit there forever causing great long Q's of cars behind you. Accidents in waiting.
Roundabouts would certainly aid safety by slowing down traffic on the A140 and giving traffic a fair and safe entrance from the side roads. This is allowing drivers to use road skills rather than follow dictat to the letter.
Will Suffolk build roundabouts?
No of course not thats far to simple a solution so the cretins will continue to cause serious difficulties by ill concieved efforts to improve road safety on the A140 by reducing speed limits and increasing road anger among motorists.
Rant over for now.
Equally, I can be in lane 1 or 2 and still be tailgated (when lane 3 is clear). Many people don't realise they are tailgating and their "safe" following distance is well under 2 seconds.
When I drive, I scan right the way to the horizon. Forward planning means I can often be decelerating for a hazard a dozen or more cars ahead. However, many people only look a few cars ahead, leading to them wanting me to go faster. I think some tailergater become 'target fixated' on just the car ahead, missing the hazards well ahead that I'm managing.
shoestring7 said:
I actually wonder if there would be room for all the cars if the 2 second rule was strictly applied. At least when the traffic was moving..
SS7
Of course there is.
I spent years using the M25 before and after the use of speed limits (between J10 and J16) and I reckon the traffic moved faster after the limits were brought in. Although the limits don't cover bunching as you suggest, it should mathematically have the same effect - lower speed, more traffic. But it doesn't work like that.
The faster vehicles drive and the closer they drive to each other, the more chance that the traffic will "overslow" when tailgating drivers have to tread on the brakes for even the slightest change in speed in front of them. These guys produce a ripple effct behind them sometimes even stopping traffic minutes after they've long gone.
Try driving on the motorway without using your brakes - it makes you a far better driver, and keeps the traffic moving smoothly behind you. And if you are being tailgated, drop back a little more - you'll have to stop more slowly for the dick at your back.
Hywel
(No accidents for 30 years)
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