A video clip has been released by Highways England to demonstrate the dangers of driving too close.
The footage, captured by a dashcam in a highway patrol vehicle, shows several cars braking sharply and one being struck by a HGV as an unrelated incident unfolds up ahead of travelling traffic.
“This footage is a startling reminder about the dangers of driving too closely to the vehicle in front,” said Highways England’s Head of Road Safety Richard Leonard. “It clearly shows that if you get too close to the car in front, you won’t be able to react and stop in time if they suddenly brake.
“We also know that tailgating makes the driver in front feel targeted and victimised, distracting their attention from the road ahead and making them more likely to make a mistake. It is intimidating and frightening if you’re on the receiving end. If that leads to a collision, then people in both vehicles could end up seriously injured or killed. We want everyone to get home safe and well.”
A survey by Highways England reveals that tailgating is the biggest single bugbear that drivers have about other road users. And in-car research – using dashcams, facial recognition, emotion tracking and heart monitors – reveals that a driver’s typical reaction to someone who tailgates them is surprise, anger and contempt, with a spike in heart rate.
Nearly 9 out of 10 people say they have either been tailgated or seen it. And more than a quarter of drivers admitted to tailgating.
View the Highways England video below:
