Tailgating refers to driving too closely to the vehicle in front of you. This driving behavior is not only annoying, but it can also be incredibly dangerous. Tailgating reduces your reaction time and increases your risk of being involved in a collision. Tailgating can cause accidents and clashes on the road, which is why it is essential to avoid it.
After all, the most common types of car crashes and truck accident cases involve rear-end collisions. When following too closely is combined with inattentive driving, the consequences can cause serious crashes.
Let’s discuss the dangers of tailgating and how to prevent it.
The Dangers of Tailgating:
As our experienced personal injury lawyers at MartinWren, P.C. have seen many times, tailgating increases the risk of a rear-end collision. If the car or truck in front of you stops suddenly and you are following too closely, you may not have enough time to brake and avoid hitting their vehicle. Rear-end collisions can cause significant damage to your car and result in injuries or fatalities.
Tailgating also reduces your reaction time. If the driver in front of you swerves or brakes suddenly, you may not be able to quickly take any action to avoid it. It can be particularly dangerous if you are driving at high speeds.
In addition, tailgating can also lead to road rage incidents. If the driver in front of you feels threatened by your behavior, they may become angry and retaliate. It can lead to aggressive driving, which can be incredibly dangerous for everyone on the road. There are a lot of risks involved, which is why it is suggested to drive at a safe distance between cars.
Following too closely is especially dangerous for tractor trailers and other heavy commercial motor vehicles. The uniform Commercial Driver’s Manual requires that commercial drivers of heavy commercial trucks pay attention while driving. In addition, those truck drivers must constantly scan the roadway ahead of them and look for other vehicles, pedestrians, or other obstacles that are on the roadway ahead of them. Because of the terrible consequences of rear-end collisions caused by a fully loaded tractor-trailer, it is critically important that commercial drivers be trained abotu these dangers.
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How Drivers Should Avoid Tailgating:
The best way to avoid tailgating is to maintain a safe following distance. The following distance refers to the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. The recommended distance depends on speed and can generally be one second of following distance for every ten miles per hour of speed. To determine the following distance, choose a fixed object on the road (such as a sign or a tree) and count the number of seconds it takes for the vehicle in front of you to pass it before you then pass it. If it takes less than several seconds, you are following too closely.
It’s important to remember that the following distance should be increased in adverse weather conditions or when driving at higher speeds. In these situations, it may take longer to stop your vehicle, so you should increase your following distance accordingly.
Another way to avoid tailgating is to stay calm and patient while driving. If you are frustrated with the driver in front of you, take a deep breath and remind yourself that tailgating is not worth the risk. You can switch lanes or pull over to let the other driver pass if necessary.
In addition, you should avoid distractions while driving. Texting, talking on the phone, watching something, or eating while driving can all increase your risk of tailgating. Instead, focus on the road and maintain a safe following distance.
Commercial truck drivers are trained to avoid tailgating and following too closely by following what is known in the trucking industry as the 12-15 second rule. This rule of thumb requires truck drivers to scan the road 12-15 seconds ahead of them. This rule, when followed, gives drivers enough time to spot problems or obstacles on the road ahead. Once spotted, the truck driver should have enough time to figure out a plan, even if it means slowing the truck to a complete stop before the obstacle or other vehicle is encountered.
Commercial tractor trailer drivers who follow the 12-15 second rule should put themselves in a position where they have enough space around them to avoid any vehicles that need to stop or slow suddenly due to an emergency. Because of that, reasonably careful truck drivers can be safe and avoid tailgating just be following some very simple rules.
Tailgating Causes Rear-end Collisions
The simple truth is that rear end collisions are easy to avoid. They can be avoided by drivers maintaining a reasonable speed for the weather and traffic conditions. They can be avoided by drivers paying attention to drivers and other obstacles around them. Perhaps most importantly, they can be avoided by drivers keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of them and not tailgating.
But even though rear-end collisions are easily avoidable and should not happen, the reality is that they continue to happen at an unacceptable rate. And when they happen, the consequences can be catastrophic. Drivers who are the victims of crashes caused by tailgating can have devastating injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, herniated discs, orthopedic injuries, nerve-related injuries, or worse.
Tailgating is a dangerous driving behavior that should be avoided at all costs. Maintaining a safe following distance, staying calm and patient while driving, and avoiding distractions can reduce your risk of tailgating and keep yourself and others safe on the road.
When others do not follow those rules and a crash occurs as a result, we can help. We have extensive experience resolving claims against inattentive or tailgating drivers who cause crashes that injure our clients. We can handle claims whether the driver who caused the crash was driving a fully loaded tractor trailer or just a regular passenger vehicle.
Call us today for a free consultation to see how we can help you if you have been the victim of an accident caused by tailgating.
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