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Confusion over what is a "safe following distance" has QUT [(Queensland University of Technology)] road safety researchers calling for a standardised definition to prevent tailgating.
- Tailgating conclusively linked to rear-end crashes
- Most drivers leave less than a 2 second gap between them and the vehicle in front
- Rear-enders account for one in five Queensland crashes
Dr Sebastien Demmel, from QUT's Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety -- Queensland (CARRS-Q), said the results of the study which found 50 per cent of drivers tailgate, was being presented at the 2017 Australasian Road Safety Conference in Perth today.
"This study, for the first time conclusively linked tailgating with rear-end crashes, but we also identified confusion among drivers over what is deemed to be a safe following distance," he said.
"Despite drivers perceiving they are following at a safe distance, our on-road data showed that in reality most don't leave the recommended two to three second gap," he said.
"At some locations 55 per cent of drivers were found to leave less than a two second gap between them and the vehicle in front, and 44 per cent less than a one second [gap]."
A safe following distance is 5 feet. While looking at a smartphone.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Thexalon on Thursday October 12 2017, @09:52PM (3 children)
Of course tailgating sucks, and of course people shouldn't do it. This might as well have been done by the Maximegalon Institute of Slowly and Painfully Working Out the Surprisingly Obvious.
The more interesting thing is why people tailgate. And that's a whole other issue. As far as I can tell, the main reasons are:
1. Inattention. As in, they really have no clue how close they are to other people.
2. Aggressiveness and intimidation. As in, why aren't those slowpokes who are preventing me from exercising my god-given right to go 85 mph getting out of my way?
Of the two, I see the second one far more often. I get out of their way: I'm going to get where I'm going soon enough, plus they helpfully find any cops that might be in front of me.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday October 13 2017, @02:09AM (2 children)
There are plenty of situations where tailgating is appropriate, such as in slow-moving urban situations or the other odd occasion where not tailgating just results in more and more dickheads cutting in front of you to try to beat the light. There are a lot of wide highway-like 4-laner and 6-laner roads around here that aren't actually highways, people drive a little more slowly on them, and they have traffic lights every mile or so -- The kind of roads that run from the cities into outskirts businessparks and whatnot.
Tailgaters at highway speeds are just fucking reckless assholes and even I don't do that, but people who want to be too wimpy at crawl speeds or big non-highway roads are asking to lose their place in line -- especially early in the morning when some people are not trying to be late to work, or in the afternoon where people want to beat traffic going home.
A lot of these wimpy people are tourists or retirees. Yeah, that's nice that you don't have to work for a living or worry about picking your kids up from school, but you also have to think about the people behind you while you're letting everybody and their mom cut in front of you.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 13 2017, @09:04AM
Tourists: people who probably aren't familiar with the area and thus are doing the right thing by leaving a bigger gap - slower reaction time since may be glancing at signs/navigation device.
Retirees: if they're old enough to look like stereotypical retirees then they likely have slower reflexes and thus are doing the right thing by leaving a bigger gap just in case.
So if you cut in front of them and they crash into you it's actually your fault even if legally it isn't. And thus the real problem is the people who keep cutting in front of them.
It's a public road not a racetrack. Until they require everyone to pass more stringent driving tests you have to be aware that the grandmas and grandpas with poor but legal driving vision have as much right to be on the road as you do.
Shoving yourself in front of them in a walkway is bad manners, so's doing similar stuff on the road. If they're in front of you, deal with your impatience till you can pass safely and politely.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Friday October 13 2017, @11:04AM
Tailgating at slow speeds doesn't make sense either, though not for safety. When you tailgate, you make it impossible for people to change lanes to get to the lane they need. They wind up having to elbow in, which brings your lane to a complete, abrupt halt. People far back in your lane get annoyed and horn into the one your lane changer was trying to get out of, and they lurch to a halt. Merging roads or lanes become impossible, too.
Keep it loose and everyone will win together.
Washington DC delenda est.