Almost 10,000 vehicles were caught tailgating in the
first two weeks of new cameras being tested to clamp down on the
offence.
Highways England and police have joined forces to tackle the
offence which is a factor in around one in eight casualties on
England’s motorways and major A roads.
Soon, motorists caught tailgating can expect to receive letters
advising them they were too close to another vehicle and
highlighting the dangers of not leaving safe braking distances.
The clear message – stay safe, stay back! - comes as new footage
shows the reality of tailgating.
Highways England’s Head of Road Safety Jeremy Philips said:
These new cameras have, sadly, highlighted just how many people
are driving too close on our roads.
We understand that most tailgating is unintentional by drivers
who are simply unaware they are dangerously invading someone
else’s space. But not leaving enough space between you and the
vehicle in front can be very frightening and intimidating – it
could also prove fatal.
We are trialling the new cameras to make drivers aware of their
behaviour and encourage better driving. We are also using the
Space Invader video game character as a quick reminder to
drivers of the risks of tailgating. Our message is simple –
Don’t be a Space Invader, Stay safe, stay back.
Today motorist Caroline Layton, a data and intelligence analyst
for Highways England, has told how she feared her small car was
going to be hit and ‘crushed’ as a lorry loomed up behind her in
the motorway roadworks.
She was travelling within the speed limit through roadworks on
the M27 when a lorry approached and was ‘getting closer and
closer’. Footage captured on her rear dash cam shows the lorry
just feet away from her car with the driver flashing his lights
and gesticulating at her before he eventually indicates and
overtakes her.
Caroline was driving through roadworks on the M27, near junction
4, after finishing work.
She said:
He came up really close, just a couple of metres behind. I
thought I had to slow down because if it hit me at 50mph I
would be crushed.
This was very intimidating behaviour and likely to cause a
crash and serious injury. If anyone had stopped in front of me
he would have gone into the back of my car and I would have
been sandwiched in the middle.
From the driver’s seat, all I could see in my rear-view mirror
was the lorry’s grill.
She added:
Although this was the worst incident I have encountered, I have
seen a lot of tailgating and it isn’t just lorries, all types
of vehicle.
More than 130 people killed or seriously injured in incidents
involving people driving too close in 2018.
A survey for Highways England found that while more than a
quarter of drivers admitted to tailgating, nearly nine in 10
people say they have either been tailgated or seen it.
Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:
When people think of the causes of road accidents, tailgating
probably isn’t one of them, but it’s one that can have
dangerous repercussions. Highways England’s innovative plans
are already showing how serious and reckless this behaviour is,
and through this campaign I hope we see tailgating drop, making
our roads, already some of the safest in the world, safer
still.
Pc Dave Lee of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team who are
supporting the trial, said:
Motorists who experience tailgating can often feel intimidated
and put under pressure to increase their speed in a bid to
create more space between them and the offending vehicle.
However, we have seen first-hand the devastating consequences
which tailgating can cause. People who carry out this extremely
dangerous behaviour are not just putting themselves at risk,
but the lives of other road users.
Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously
injured on our county’s road network remains a policing
priority for the Force, which is why it is important to work
with our partners on such campaigns in a bid to save lives by
making our roads safer.
Highways England has been working with infrastructure consultancy
AECOM on the cameras.
Highways England’s Stay Safe Stay Back
webpage has information about tailgating and what drivers can
do to stay safe.
