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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 13 2017, @08:45AM
Yes people shouldn't be hogging the passing lane if there's a perfectly empty lane beside, nor should they be going slower than other traffic beside if they're in the passing lane.
BUT a bigger (and as common if not more common) problem are the asshole tailgaters who do dangerous stuff because they don't want to wait for me to pass the other traffic even though:
1) I am actually in the process of passing slower traffic
2) I am at or even a bit over the speed limit.
3) I will move aside once I'm safely past the slower traffic ( cutting right in front is not safe even if the other vehicle is slower)
Those assholes smugly insist that just because I'm in the passing lane and traveling slower than they want to it means I must move aside.
But that's BULLSHIT. It is FAR WORSE for traffic flow if everyone traveling at the speed limit in the fast lane has to slow down to move into the already packed slower lane (slowing it down further or worse- causing "traffic jam waves") just because a few tailgaters behind want to go way faster than the speed limit.