Thankfully, the majority of road users across North Carolina engage in safe driving practices, which means that they stay out of accidents. Unfortunately, not all drivers stick to this and some can be reckless in their actions.
Essentially, tailgating means that a vehicle is following too closely behind you, leaving little margin for error or room to stop. So, why do drivers do this and what impact does tailgating have on your safety?
What causes people to tailgate?
There is no single cause of tailgating. Occasionally, through inexperience or incompetence, drivers will simply misjudge the situation and follow too closely behind another vehicle. More often than not, tailgating stems from aggressive driving tendencies. Someone may believe that they have more right to be on the road than you, and you are nothing more than an obstacle.
When driver aggression overcomes a person, they tend to become complacent about safety. They take on a false sense of invulnerability, which is what makes tailgating so dangerous. The risk of rear-end collisions is serious with this type of behavior, and the injuries sustained in these crashes can be catastrophic.
What can you do?
Dealing with a tailgating driver is not easy, but there are a number of ways to tackle it. Firstly, you should think about what not to do. Aggressive drivers often act out in the hope that they achieve an equivalent reaction. Don’t rise to this. If it is safe to do so, simply let them pass and then you can forget about them. The key to addressing tailgating drivers is de-escalation.
Driving is a useful form of transportation and it can be fun. However, accidents do occur and it is vital to keep your safety in mind. If you have been involved in a road traffic collision, take a closer look at the legal rights available to you.
