TrafficHigh risk
Tailgating
Keep safe distance and handle close followers
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