News

Anyone who has spent time on a motorway will know of the annoying phenomenon of tailgating - you glance in your rear view mirror and filling it is some chump driving far too close.

But it's not only annoying. Research shows that it's also stressful and dangerous.

More than a quarter of motorists do it and are 'accidents waiting to happen'.

The Highway Code says drivers should allow at least a two second gap between themselves and the vehicle in front on roads carrying fast traffic. If the weather is poor, the ëtwo second rule' needs to be doubled. But the research suggests such a concept is alien to a large number of motorists.

According to Brian Gregory from the Association of British Drivers, there are two main categories of tailgaters. The first is the absent-minded motorist.

'These are drivers who have ëswitched out' and are blindly following the vehicle in front, often travelling too close without realising it,' Gregory says

'They tailgate without reason and are unlikely to notice what is happening around them. When something goes wrong they just plough into the back of the preceding vehicle.'

The second type of tailgater is the motorist who is trying to pass the car in front.