Any time you have felt the anxiety of another vehicle following too closely behind you, you have experienced tailgating firsthand.
Tailgating is a form of aggressive driving whereby a driver follows another vehicle without allowing a safe following distance. Although this may appear to be only a minor annoyance, tailgating can have harrowing consequences for both the aggressor and the victim.
Understanding tailgating and its aftermath means much more than learning what is morally appropriate and what is not. It also means knowing the risks of your actions when you follow too closely and knowing your rights when someone tailgates you. Let's talk a little more about this dangerous driving behavior and its aftermath.
You may have a rough idea about what constituted tailgating officially. To traffic safety professionals, under normal conditions, one should leave three seconds of a gap between one vehicle and the next in front of it. In this context, it means that if the car in front has crossed a fixed point—a tree or sign, for instance—it must take at least three seconds for your vehicle to cross the exact point.
Tailgating is following closer than these recommended distances. Most truck accidents are caused by tailgating, but it is important to understand that the degree of tailgating can range from slightly too close to dangerous, aggressive following in which there is barely a car length between vehicles.
When you tailgate, you are driving aggressively and breaking the law, too. Most states have laws against following a car too closely, and violations can result in substantial fines, points on your license, and a spike in insurance rates.
In some jurisdictions, particularly egregious cases of tailgating may also result in charges of reckless driving, which are much more serious.
Thus, fines for tailgating range from upwards of $100 to several hundred dollars, depending on your location and the severity of the offense committed. Repeated violations could lead to suspended licenses, mandatory driving courses, or even jail time in serious cases involving accidents or habitual aggressive behavior in general.
Tailgating, especially when an accident occurs, is considered a serious offense by your insurance company. In most situations where you are tailgating and rear-end another vehicle, it's looked upon as being completely your fault since you have failed to keep a safe following distance. That can translate to sharp increases in your insurance rates, possibly for many years.
Tailgating can be very tempting when one happens to be in a very great rush or is feeling irritated at the pace at which another driver is going, but the risks associated with this poor driving habit exceed whatever perceived benefits one has. Other than the immediate accident it may lead to, you are taking a risk in terms of legal consequences, insurance implications, and civil liability.
The next time you are tempted to follow too closely, remember those few extra seconds of following distance in an emergency may save you years of financial and legal headaches. Instead, use your patience and stick to safe following distances.
