Why Tailgating is One of the Most Dangerous Driving Behaviors (2024)

FAQs

Why Tailgating is One of the Most Dangerous Driving Behaviors? ›

Tailgating increases the risk of an accident occurring because it leaves less time to react to the car in front of you, which increases the chance of a collision occurring. Many chain reaction collisions also occur due to tailgating.

The dangers of tailgating

Tailgating often contributes to the domino effect of accidents. A single collision caused by following too closely can trigger a chain reaction involving multiple vehicles. This often results in more severe accidents, increased injuries and a higher likelihood of fatalities.

Tailgating when driving occurs when you're too close to the car in front of you. It's a dangerous driving habit that increases your risk of being involved in an accident. Maintaining a safe driving distance gives you enough time to react if the car you're following stops suddenly.

Tailgating decreases the driver's vision compared to when they keep a safe distance. When a driver is closer to the leading vehicle, their range of vision may not take in all the hazards around them and coming up on the road. Following another vehicle too closely means the driver can not see the road ahead.

Some of the most common reasons drivers tailgate include: Impatience. A driver may be running late or in a rush to reach their destination quicker causing them to tailgate the driver in front of them to pressure them to move out of the way or speed up. Aggressive driver.

Tailgaters, by following too closely, do not leave enough room to stop themselves in the event of the car in front stopping. In these situations, the risk of a rear-end collision becomes very high.

A tailgating attack is a breach of security where an unauthorized actor gains access to a controlled area by closely following someone with legitimate access credentials. This type of attack targets an organization's physical security measures and exploits human behavior rather than digital vulnerabilities.

Common Injuries from Tailgating Rear-End Vehicle Accidents Include: Whiplash (neck injury) and low back injury: this is when the head is thrust backward then forward rapidly, pulling on the muscles, tendons, discs, and joints of the neck. Significant damage can occur to the fragile neck area even at lower speeds.

Tailgating another vehicle is unsafe because: all rear end collisions are caused by drivers following too close to the vehicle in front. it may not allow sufficient time and space to stop and avoid a collision.

Tailgating often leads to accidents because a driver following too closely does not have enough distance to safely stop if traffic ahead suddenly comes to a halt. Furthermore, some drivers do not realize that stopping distance is proportional to the size and weight of a vehicle.

Why do people tailgate driving? ›

Typically, someone is tailgating you because they want you to drive faster. In this case, remember that it's not your responsibility to follow their desired speed limit, just the posted one. In more severe cases, tailgating may be an expression of road rage.

Avoid yelling, gesturing in the direction of the tailgater, and doing anything else that could upset them even more. Let the tailgater pass. If you're on a multi-lane road, move over to the right when it's safe, giving the driver a chance to pass you on the left.

Reasons for Tailgating

The car in front is unnecessarily slow, holding up traffic in the fast lane. The driver does not understand the dangers of tailgating. The driver is distracted—talking on a cell phone, texting, chatting with a passenger, eating, or fiddling with the radio and not paying attention to his driving.

When this is the case, you should slow down. While slowing down may seem like the last thing you should do—as tailgating is often a signal that the other driver wants you to move faster—slowing down is usually the safest thing.

Collisions can occur in several ways, but the most common type of crash resulting from tailgating is a rear-end accident. Rear-end collisions occur when the driver in the back crashes into the rear part of the vehicle in front of them. These wrecks can cause extensive damage and significant injury to both parties.

Tailgating is often used as an example of aggressive driving. And it certainly is true that many tailgaters are attempting to act aggressively. They may want to pass, or they may want the other driver to speed up. They may be experiencing road rage, feeling angry over something that happened on the road.