Tailgating
Keep safe distance and handle close followers
TrafficHigh Risk
Tailgating - following too closely - is both a dangerous behavior to engage in and a stressful situation to experience. Understanding safe following distances and how to handle tailgaters protects everyone.
Why This Matters
Rear-end collisions are among the most common accident types. Proper following distance gives you time to react to sudden stops. When tailgated, you need extra caution.
Key Actions to Take
- Maintain 2-3 second following gap in good conditions
- Increase to 4+ seconds in poor conditions
- If tailgated, do not brake check or slow down abruptly
- Gradually reduce speed and let tailgater pass
- Pull over if necessary to let aggressive driver pass
Do
- Stay calm when being tailgated
- Increase YOUR following distance for safety buffer
- Move over when safe to let them pass
- Focus on your own driving
Don't
- Brake suddenly to "teach them a lesson"
- Speed up to create distance
- Make eye contact or gestures
- Let them pressure you into unsafe speed
Important Warning
Never brake check a tailgater. If they hit you, you may be found partially at fault. Your safest response is always to let them pass.
Pro Tips
- Count seconds using fixed points: one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two
- Slow with the accelerator rather than the brake so the driver behind is not startled
- Report aggressive tailgating to authorities if safe to do so
Test your judgement
Reading about it is not the same as reacting to it. Try ten real questions.
Question 1 of 10
What does this red sign with a single white horizontal bar mean?
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Practice Your Hazard Perception
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