Drivers who stick to the speed limit are nearly twice as likely to be followed too closely as those who flout the Highway Code.
Tailgating, driving closer to the vehicle in front than the two second gap advised in the Highway Code, was responsible for 10,000 road crashes in Britain in 2006. If I were Prime Minster I would ban this selfish act and then ban drivers for life if they dared disobey my new law.
However, research by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) in partnership with insurer Direct Line, has found that drivers’ impatience is still putting lives at risk. OK I will ban them as well.
The study found that 90% of motorists were followed too closely when they observed the Highway Code, compared with fewer than 50%, when they drove the same route in their usual style.
Maggie Game, head of car insurance at Direct Line, said: "The increased stress caused as a result of tailgating can lead to volatile situations on the road, and tailgating is responsible for approximately 7% of road traffic accidents in the UK. By driving less erratically, with fewer gear changes rapid accelerations and decelerations, the average journey time is 8% faster overall. So improving driving habits could actually save time and money as well as lives."
Proof of the pudding so back off tailgaters
Jackie Violet - Female First