The dangers of tailgating
Tailgating is making almost half of people who drive on the South Eastern Freeway anxious, according to a recent sa move poll.
In the past five years, more than 13,500 motorists on South Australian roads were caught tailgating with about half fined and the others warned about their driving behaviour.
Drivers face a $402 fine, plus a $102 Victims of Crime Levy if caught tailgating. While sitting too close to the car in front can impact your wallet, it can also be dangerous.
The dangers of tailgating
Drivers who are tailgating are putting both themselves and other road users at risk. The motorist tailgating has less time to react if the person in front stops suddenly. This could lead to a rear-end crash.
This is particularly a problem when travelling at higher speeds where the distance covered increases while the following driver reacts and brakes.
The Queensland Government’s transport department provides data showing braking distance when the brake is applied with full force for the average family car at a range of speeds. The total stopping distance is often much longer when accounting for the time it takes a person to react. On average, an attentive driver will take about 1.5 seconds to react to a possible hazard, including deciding whether to brake, and then moving the foot to the brake pedal.
| Speed | Distance travelled during 1.5 second reaction time | Braking distances (dry roads) | Total stopping distance |
| 40km/h | 17m | 9m | 26m |
| 50km/h | 21m | 14m | 35m |
| 60km/h | 25m | 20m | 45m |
| 70km/h | 29m | 27m | 56 |
| 80km/h | 33m | 36m | 69m |
| 90km/h | 38m | 45m | 83m |
| 100km/h | 42m | 56m | 98m |
| 110km/h | 46m | 67m | 113m |
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says some drivers may not be aware they’re tailgating.
“There are drivers that intentionally tailgate aggressively,” Charles says.
“Others don’t realise how much of gap they have between their vehicle and the one in front.”
Legally, you must keep enough distance between you and the vehicle in front so you can stop safely and avoid a crash.
Charles recommends using the three-second rule when driving behind another vehicle.
“Pick a fixed object, such as a road sign, and count the time between when you and the car in front pass this object,” Charles says.
“It should be at least three full seconds (one, one thousand; two, one thousand; three, one thousand). When you first try this, you’ll probably be quite surprised at how much distance you should be leaving.”
What to do if you’re being tailgated
Have you ever been tailgated and feeling anxious and slightly irritated, you punish them by slowing down even more or hitting the brake suddenly? This is how not to deal with a tailgating driver.
Charles says this only puts you in harm’s way and can make the following driver more aggressive.
“The tailgater might be responsible if they cause a crash, but that won’t stop you from being injured,” he says.
“It may be frustrating, but it’s best to stay calm and let them pass. You may need to pull over to the side of the road, when and where it’s safe, and let them go around you.
“If you intend to pull over, make sure to indicate your intentions early and to only stop in a location where it is safe to do so.
“Otherwise, some roads have slow vehicle turnouts which allow you to slow and stop if necessary to let other vehicles pass.
While there is never an excuse for tailgating, if the speed limit is greater than 80km/h or there are ‘keep left unless overtaking’ signs present, stay out of the far right lane, which allows other vehicles to pass if required.