How do you know if you are tailgating?

AlCapone

I hate tailgaters. The first time you cause an accident by running into the back of someone, and you get a ticket for "following too closely", you'll know you've been tailgating. Back off, you won't get there any later.

A.J.

You were very much too close. Not only is it a safety issue in case a short stop is required, it is also creating tension in the person ahead of you. Two rules- The first is the car length rule. For every 10 mph of speed the following distance should be one car length. At 20 mph, following distance would be two car lengths, and at 60 mph six car lengths. That is one rough number. The newer guidance is the two second rule. You could see the car in front pass a marker, and you should be two seconds behind. The 2-second rule is not something to be counted out frequently as you drive but rather a way to have a sense of what two seconds looks like at different speeds. When possible it is better is to have a passenger check the following time and tell the driver. 1/1800 of the speed. in mph is 176 feet @ 60mph. 100kph > 56 metres Most people do not realize reaction time and then braking distance.

StephenWeinstein

He is right. You should not be that close. As a general rule, your front bumper should not pass any point on the road until at least two seconds after the back bumper of the car in front of you, when it is day and perfect weather, and much longer at night or in bad weather.

Percyqted

Can you see the road surface between your vehicle and the one in front? That's a start. If there are dotted lines on the road how many of those can you see? 2? 3? 5 even? You should be at least 2 seconds, better still 3 seconds behind the vehicle in front regardless of the speed you are travelling.

Bubba Gubbins

Safe following distance was covered in your driving course and examination. If you can't remember, then you probably shouldn't have a licence.

paul

then you are a fool , you are an accident waiting to happen

Mercury

Common sense for most people, but not you it seems

KayleenR

when followimg someone you should have a 2 second gap.In other words if the car in front passes an object on the side of the road, say a road marker, it should be 2 seconds before you pass it. On wet or slippery roads or if you are towing something increase thay distance to 4 seconds

Murzy

you should be at least one car length for every 10 miles of speed behind the car in front of you

KY-Clay

No matter the speed do not follow any closer than 3 seconds behind the car in front of you. This rule applies to dry pavement. If it is wet then be no closer than 5 seconds. If it is a snow covered road stay back 10 seconds. Simply watch the vehicle that is ahead of you and as it passes a fixed object (never a moving one) start to count: “One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three…” etc. Only a fool breaks the 3-second, 5-second, 10-second rule!

x-Wulfgar-x

You've been driving like a moron since 2014 then. You need to be 1 car length for every 10 mph you travel. So, at 40 mph, you should be 4 car lengths back.

Stygian

If you are too close to the car in front of you. Keep your distance.

Bill

well he had good reason to be angry because are just another tail gating idiot to be so close as you say you normally drive , you are not allowing yourself stopping distance in the event of the lead car braking at 30mph you travell 2cars lengths just to react to the brake lights coming on at 30mph you travel 3 car lengths to stop the car safely so that means that if you are not 5 car lengths back, the next person who will be angry will probably punch your lights out and the police will ticket you for driving too close to the car in front It si time you learnt how to drive a car and what it entails

james

When you hear the screams of people on the back of trikes in Asia. See them shaking there fist & hitting the hood of your vehicle. With there fist. Stay out of fist range is the rule. They put dents in your hood.

Scott

If you can't determine if you are following too close, go to the nearest DMV office and surrender your license. You have no business driving. Didn't you learn the "3 second rule" in driver's ed?

y

If you that close that he couldn't even see your headlights, then you were, tailgating. If you were behind me when I drove a standard, i would have suddenly downshifted. Stopped that 20 plus years ago when i had kids but now i slow down to a mile or two below the speed limit. If the car in front of you suddenly hits a wall and comes to a dead stop, you should have enough time to stop in a controlled fashion. If you don't have the space to do that, you are too close.

Anonymous

If you can read the license plate easily.

Anonymous

he was so right and if a policeman had seen you they would have stopped you and taken you to court for dangerous driving. if you do that all the time then someone hopefully will report you soon

Ron

do not feed the troll

Dimo

See something on the ground where the car your are following. Say "How do you know if you are tailgating? " If you cannot say that before you pass that point, you are tailgating.