Whether you are rushing to your holiday destination during
the summer months, navigating the airport run or dealing with black ice in the
winter, the country’s roads can pose a range of challenging hazards that we all
have to negotiate on a regular basis. One of the main causes of traffic accidents
in England (and globally) are tailgaters, causing headaches and problems beyond
the initial 10 minutes of annoyance and a warning tap on the brakes! The
Highways Agency have recently revealed the leading black-spots on England’s
roads that constantly cause tailgating issues for drivers, a habit considered
one of the most dangerous and catalyst of avoidable accidents.
Painstakingly analysing over 6000 motorway stretches across
England, data indicated that those who are younger behind the wheel have a
greater likelihood of causing an accident through tailgating, with over a third
of collisions caused by those under the age of 30. Tailgating is primarily
caused when drivers fail to leave a safe two second gap between their vehicle
and the one in front, with too little time provided for reactive braking. Nearly
50% of vehicles monitored during the month long study were found to be driving
too close to those in front, leaving less than 65 yards between vehicles. Staggeringly,
nearly 20% of vehicles were failing to leave at least a second between
vehicles.
Topping the table as the most hazardous stretch of road for
prolific tailgaters was a stretch of M1 near Leeds, more accurately the south-bound
carriageway between the A1M and junction 47. The most popular road for
tailgating was the M42, featuring 4 times within the top ten. Often the outcome
of rushing, frustration or anxiety relating to keeping up with the traffic
flow, tailgating causes up to 1700 annual injuries and around 5 fatalities.
To avoid or deal with tailgating the best approaches
include:
·
Leave plenty of time for your journey, don’t
rush to save minutes or seconds.
·
Change lanes to allow a tailgater to pass, remember
to keep a healthy speed on motorways as to not break the law but avoid hold up
traffic behind.
·
In bad weather it’s best to leave double
distance between yourself and the vehicle in front. Poor weather can increase
stopping distances through decreasing tire traction.