One of the most dangerous things that people can do when driving is to tailgate the car ahead of them. This means they are not maintaining a proper following distance. In the event of an unexpected change – a driver hitting the brakes, for instance – they may not be able to stop their car in time. In some cases, they could even cause a massive chain reaction crash.
But if this is so dangerous, why do people still do it? Here are a few potential reasons:
They are intentionally driving aggressively
In some cases, people take the risk and tailgate because they want to drive aggressively. Maybe they feel that the car ahead of them is going too slowly, for instance, or maybe that driver cut them off and they’re angry about it. Tailgating can be the first step before road rage.
They just want to pass
Other times, people will use tailgating as a way to show the driver ahead of them they would like to pass. This is especially common on the interstate, where a slow driver may be driving in the left lane. The tailgating driver just wants them to move over to the right.
They are oblivious
There is always the chance the person just does not understand the three-second rule and believes that they are not tailgating the other car. They think they are driving safely. A lot of accidents happen when people suddenly find out that they did not have an appropriate following distance – but it is too late.
If you have been injured by an accident caused by another driver, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.