Drivers who stick to the speed limit are nearly twice as likely to be followed
too closely as those who flout the Highway Code, according to a study seen
by The Times.
Tailgating – driving closer than the two-second gap advised in the Highway
Code – was responsible for 10,000 road accidents in Britain in 2006, but
research by the Transport Research Laboratory, in partnership with the
insurance company Direct Line, has found that drivers’ impatience is still
putting lives at risk.
The study found that more than 90 per cent of motorists were followed too
closely when they observed the Highway Code, compared with fewer than 50 per
cent when they drove the same route in their usual style.
Maggie Game, head of car insurance at Direct Line, said: “The increased stress
caused as result of tailgating can lead to volatile situations on the road,
and tailgating is responsible for approximately 7 per cent of road traffic
accidents in the UK. By driving less erratically, with fewer gear changes,
rapid accelerations and decelerations, the average journey time is 8 per
cent faster overall. So improving driving habits could actually save time
and money as well as lives.”
Of most concern was the conclusion that motorists who stick to the speed
limits, such as novice drivers and parents with small children, were most
vulnerable to bullying that often forced them into speeding themselves.
Researchers found that drivers’ heart rates went up when they were tailgated,
suggesting that many drivers become stressed, which in turn can lead to an
increased risk of accidents.
Bob Smalley, chief driving examiner at the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents, said: “Our advice to people who feel threatened by a driver
behaving in an aggressive way is to pull over and let them pass.”
When asked to rank the most annoying habits of other road users, drivers
taking part in the study said that tailgating was the worst.
If we measure what is permissible by the effort put in by the police to prosecute it, then speeding is VERY illegal, but tailgating and lane hogging are perfectly legal. But it is not about road safety - it's about making money and speed can be easily measured with cameras while the others can't.
Martin, Newmarket, Suffolk
It horrifies me what Peter (W-S-M) says: nothing is likely to inflame certain people more, further risking a situatuion.
However, I have recently been driving my brothers rare car on the roads and, because it's not especially fast, I don't go fast. I have been tailgated, it's scary and off-putting.
Tim, Naples, Italy
Personally, I don't give a damn about people tailgating me. I drive a large estate car with 6 foot of metal between me and those behind. You ain't going to hurt me - just yourself, your insurance, pride, and a possibly a fine. I stay in the left hand lane, overtake when safe to do so.
Tony, Watford, UK
The assertion that drivers who stick to the limit are dangerous because of their involvement in more accidents is plain wrong -- the tailgaters are at fault.
The point is to make a safe space around you. Sometimes I've had to pull over (into a layby) to let tailgaters pass. Better than being hit.
Chris, Sunshine Coast, Australia
If people tail gate me when I'm doing 30, I simply wave out every car, bus, learner-driver, tractor, etc trying to join the road I'm driving on; thus putting more & more cars in front of the tail gater! The result is, many people think I'm polite & considerate &: 1 driver blowing a fuse behind me.
Peter, W-S-M, UK
rules of the road are simple. Keep left, obey the speed limit, don't break the two second rule - create space around your car. Since getting 3 points I got over the anger and now stick to the limit. Result tailgaiting, but stick to limit and leave a bigger gap between yourself and the car in front
C, Derby, uk
The outside lane is an OVERTAKING lane. You should move out of the inner lane(s) into the overtaking lane, where you travel faster than the car you are overtaking. Having moved past, you return to the inner lane.
Half a dozen cars in the outside lane with nothing inside them happens all the time.
Graeme, Midlands,
Speed limits are there for a reason, particularly in built up areas where children could run out between parked cars on busy streets. I always think about this, and if it saves just one small life then its worth it.
Michele, Oakham, England
I was 'caught' in Reading at 36 mph whilst being tail-gated by a white Ford van Reg V781 KOA.
My current car has a speed limiter which I set to the limit and then, no matter how much I am tailed, I can't accidentally go any faster. Problem solved.
Yes, I have checked the speedo against the GPS
D Park, Ealing, London
Where are these so called motorways with two lanes of free traffic ?
Every motorway I go on has trucks in the 'slow' lane, the cars that would normally be in the slow lane, in the middle lane and everyone else in the outside lane ! Take more trucks off the road freeing up the inside lane.
Daniel, margate, UK
Most speedos are optimistic which means people who think they are at the limit are in fact below the limit, aggravating those behind them into driving badly.
Dave H, Newbury,
Barry P's smugness based on one anecdotal story is intensely irritating. I bet he was in fact driving below the limit, not at it, causing much grief for those behind him.
Dave H, Newbury,
To Pat Harris - In that most trucks on the road these have a 56MPH speed limiter and those that don't are unlikely to be able to reach the limit of 70MPH, I would suggest that you must have been driving extremely slowly on M4 to be tailgated by such a vehicle and such were creating a hazard yourself
C Wood, London,
In Australia many freeways are 2-lane. If you are doing the speed limit in the right lane when the left lane is congested with slower cars the only answer is to ignore the tailgater until you can pull over while maintaining speed. I like the idea of someone in the back with a video camera though.
Archie, Sydney, Australia
There are different driving techniques all across the country, if you are a stranger you drive differently and get up peoples noses ! In a zippy area a driver obeying the law is considered a pest. In a law obeying area a driver who persists on trying to overtake when he KNOWS he can't , is a pest
Phil de Buquet, Newport,
On a hundred mile journey one afternoon my employer drove at a constant 80 mph, whenever he could. I followed in another car sticking rigidly to the speed limits. On arrival at the destination he was just getting out of his car as I pulled up behind him. HIs time saving was nil.
Barry P, Havant, England
On the M4 a truck tailgated me but I had a camera crew in my car so they filmed the driver and handed this over to the police. The driver was so close we could see his face and see his name plate in the windscreen; he was called Mickey. No excuse for a professional driver to behave in this way.
Pat Harris, Newport, UK
The M6 between Stoke and Liverpool, two of three lanes is lorries, its mostly uphill, as usual the road is packed if you are in the 2 outside lanes for about 50 miles, everyone is tailgating, if you dont you will be overtaken on the inside, and forced to tailgate by the undrtaking car or van.
Hugo Chav, Nottingham,
I find many drivers are highly impatient, and I'm tailgated most in 30mph zones. Having worked hard enough to get my licence, I am not prepared to lose it for speeding, and will definitely not be bullied! The closer someone gets behind me, the more strictly I stick to the limit and not 1mph more >:(
Lucy, Essex,
William Peel - No, it is not the law but it does make for safer driving. In the US there are many roads that have a minimum as well as maximum limit in an acceptable range of say 45-60mph. Supposedly 'safe' drivers travelling below the minimum are just as dangerous as those travelling too fast.
JB, Charlotte, NC, US (Ex-UK)
The first 4 messages that I read on this post all appear to suggest that it is actually safer to break the speed limit than stick to it! 30mph for example is designed to allow YOUR brain to react to dangers ahead and stop safely. Travelling at just 35mph could result in an impact speed of 18mph!
Craig, Hereford, UK
Justin, Liverpool is absolutely right. If you travel in the correct lane for your speed you will likely not be tailgated. It's pretty simple, but unfortunately so are most drivers.
JB, Charlotte, NC, US (Ex-UK)
WHOW!!!Most of you just seem to be missing the point.=Is the speed limit a target?=In a (60)zone how fast/slow should you go on approach to a bend/brow of a hill?=Is a20 or 30mph for the drivers benefit or the pedestrian?=next time you approach a bend at speed(ANY SPEED) ask yourself WHAT IF...
PATRICK GAFFNEY, BRIXHAM, GB
Andy, Essex said: "I have seen many people doing 45 on a 60 road. This is not correct". He implies that we should drive at exactly the speed limit - no more and no less. Would he or anyone like to say why they think this is correct? Is it, for example, the law?
William Peel, edinburgh,
I usually try to drive exactly at the speed limit. I drive in the leftmost lane that permits this. Is it reasonable that I should be expected to reduce speed by 10-20 mph by changing to another lane, so that a tailgaiter can gain 10-20mph? I give way, if in the outside lane, but at my own pace.
Chris, London,
Bobby - you're spot on: if "safe" drivers are at greater risk of accidents, then they are by definition not "safe" drivers!
Everybody knows instinctively that making good progress by moving with the speed of the traffic is far safer than rigidly sticking to the speed limit.
Adam, London,
People are so worried about speed cameras that they drive 5 mph below the limit and constantly check their speedo. This leads to congestion as cars bunch up and their look out becomes poor. Result = more accidents
Wardy, Lisbon, Portugal
Al: You're not quite right. How much you save depends upon how many mpg you get in the first place, e.g. if you already get 60 mpg the saving of an extra 5 mpg is only 15 gallons over 12K miles but if you only get 20 mpg then a 5mpg saving is more like 120 gallons or £600 = £12 per week.
Jeff, Cardiff, UK
I'm sick of driving within the law and having someone up my rear. I stick TO the limit (not near it) and stick left unless overtaking. It's what your meant to do. I have seen many people doing 45 on a 60 road. This is not correct & doing 80 is wrong whatever lane your in. Don't Speed Don't lanehog
Andy, Essex, UK
If these "safe" drivers simply moved back into the inside lane when they are not overtaking then there would be no reason to tailgate them. We need police to start pulling over lane hoggers not just those going a few miles over the speed limit.
Justin, Liverpool, Merseyside
as a routine, if I am being tailgated I will simply deflect my rear view mirror so I cant see and drive as I like. If they want to overtake let them.
I have no problems with overtaking safley, i do it myself, tailgating makes it more difficult to overtake reflecting the small size of the tail gater
harrinder dhatt, swindon, SN14LX
Oxymoron: if "safe" drivers at the speed limit are involved in more incidents, then clearly they are not driving in a safe way! something most of us know. secondly I wonder how obliging people are when being overtaken on the inside lane? outside land hoggers are as dangerous as "slow" drivers
bobby, London, UK
All drivers, regardless of speed should be in the left lane unless they need to overtake. Even if you're doing 70 you should be in the left lane if the flow of traffic allows. Tailgating should be taken more seriously than speeding, especially as they are often the same offenders.
Rish, London, UK
People who drive slower that the average speed for a given piece of road are a menace and obviously a major cause of stress and ultimately accidents to other drivers who value their time more. Pulling over into the side to let other drivers pass would be a very useful contibution to road safety.
william, edinburgh, scotland
I also have noticed many people driving at between 50 - 60 mph on m/ways. This is fine, as long as they do it in the inside lane and don't have the pious attitude that as they are not breaking the law, they may sit in the middle and outside lanes holding up other road users.Please stop it.
Moog., Melton, Suffolk
Flash-will it really?
If driving 10mph below the speed limit saved you 5mpg and you did 12k a year you'd save £175 a year in petrol (a whopping £3.37 a week!!!)...I think I'd rather pay the price and get home before it gets dark thanks very much.
Al, Rugby, UK
Yes, tailgating is incredibly dangerous. One sees it every day, but: "Pull over and let them pass.” ? If they can pull over, ie they are not overtaking, why haven't they done so already? Driving in the centre or outside lane when not overtaking is not "safe" - it is a major cause of accidents.
Graham Rounce, London, UK
Bob Smalley's advice just teaches tailgaters that bullying works.
richard, France,
This is not so black & white. Many incidents are caused by people driving in the middle lane when the inside lane is clear and some ( not all by any stretch ) are caused by people who assume that because they are driving at 70mph the have to be in the outside lane. This lane is for overtaking only.
John Barrett, Folkestone, Kent
Maybe it's time that we get back to visible policing and enforce the highway code.
Barry, Tonbridge, UK
I've noticed that there are a lot more cars doing not just the speed limit but less than the speed limit - coming back from East Midlands airport yesterday afternoon there were loads of cars doing 55 - 65 mph in a 70 limit. It's got to be the price of fuel! - It will save them a fortune though
Flash, Notts,