Trouble follows close behind
Tailgating by impatient or arrogant drivers has always been a safety issue. But aggravating the problem today are motorists abusing cellphones and the mismatched bumpers of small and large vehicles on the road. Tailgating is the leading cause of rear-end collisions, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. And the cost of repairing vehicles in these accidents has soared in recent years.
Whether you are on the freeway traveling the speed limit at 65 mph or doing 25 in a residential neighborhood, you stand a chance of some reckless driver zooming up behind you, perilously close to your bumper.
Menacing drivers even bully motorists in the carpool lanes, tailgating them at speeds of more than 70 mph.
California Highway Patrol Sgt. Troy Lucas says this form of aggressive driving is more than just annoying. “It’s very dangerous.... I’ve seen tailgaters following as close as 3 feet on the freeways.”
If these intimidating motorists ram into you at high speeds, you can suffer something far more severe than a fender bender, says Lucas. Rear-end collisions can kill or cause significant injuries to victims. In California, 46,917 people were injured and 43 killed from 1999 through May 2004 in accidents in which tailgating was the primary causes of the collisions, according to CHP data.
From 1999 to 2003, the CHP issued 130,363 citations for following too closely under California Vehicle Code 21703, according to spokesman Steve Kohler.
Tailgating can quickly turn into road rage. Testy drivers become frustrated if they are caught in traffic, or they’re venting their anger over who knows what. Some get distracted and all of a sudden are on the tail of another vehicle. And there are others who seem to think it’s fun and games to harass others.
Trucks and large SUVs that tailgate can be very threatening to motorists, particularly if the lead driver is in a smaller vehicle, says Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California. It’s unnerving to look in the rear-view mirror and see the massive grill of a large truck or SUV bearing down on your sedan.
Miller notes that, for some drivers, cellphone usage and tailgating go hand in hand: “Drivers are talking on their cellphones and fail to realize how close they are to the vehicle in front of them or how fast they are going.”
The dangers of tailgating have been heightened by the differences in car and SUV bumpers, Miller says. Bumpers are designed to reduce vehicle damage. But that’s only achieved if the bumpers line up and the contact is bumper to bumper.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a report last month noting that despite federal requirements that car bumpers have to match up with those of other vehicles, “no such requirements apply to SUVs, and some of these vehicles don’t have bumpers.”
As a result, “mismatches in crashes are increasing and ... repair costs from low-speed collisions are escalating,” according to the report. In tests conducted by the Insurance Institute, a 2004 Ford Taurus going 10 mph and striking the back of a 2004 Explorer sustained $1,784 in damage. Damage to the Explorer was $824. Driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a Dodge Stratus resulted in $2,848 in damage to the SUV and $3,281 to the Dodge. Repair costs have also increased because of the additional safety features and technology on new vehicles, says Miller.
What can you do if someone is tailgating you? The CHP and DMV offer the following suggestions:
* If a motorist is dangerously close to you or other motorists, you could pull off the road or exit the freeway and call 911 to report the incident. Give a description of the vehicle or the license plate number, advises Lucas. If a tailgater poses a serious danger to the public, officers need to be notified so they can respond immediately.
* If the tailgating is not posing a serious threat, but is somewhat unsafe, you can report the incident to the CHP by calling (800) TellCHP or a local CHP office. The CHP will send a letter notifying the offending driver that his or her driving behavior was reported to authorities.
* Stay clear of vehicles that are tailgating and avoid following others too closely by keeping space between you and another vehicle. The DMV encourages drivers to use the “three-second rule” to determine whether they are following other vehicles too closely. When the vehicle ahead of you passes a specific point such as a sign or other landmark, count “one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three.” If you pass the same point before you finish counting to three seconds, you are following too closely. Depending on weather, road conditions and other factors, it may be necessary to leave an even wider distance between you and the next vehicle.
* Remember to slow down on slippery roads and keep a safe distance if driving through fog. Also consider that larger vehicles take longer to stop, so leave plenty of space.
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Jeanne Wright can be reached at jeanrite@aol.com.
