Whats the penalty for tailgating

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Sun 28 Aug 2022 13:06
Whats the penalty for tailgating - crxg

.It was a 40 road and the guy in front was barely doing 30 so I was quite close, hoped he would just speed up. Well he didn't he did the opposite he randomly kept braking and going down to 20. My fault for following him too closely . Say if he reported me. Could I then counter report saying he was antagonising me and brake checking which I believe is also illegal?

Are awareness courses offered for tailgating etc, would it be 3 points for DwDCA or six points for dangerous? I'm still within the 2 year limit.

I saw an article today that someone had submitted footage of tailgating and they had got six points (but also said it was a road rage incident and the driver was gesticulating)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 28 Aug 2022 13:19
Whats the penalty for tailgating - RT

Unlikely to come to anything - use it as a lesson in avoiding confrontation.

Speed limits are just that, a top limit, they aren't a target speed and some drivers may have genuine reason for going slower than the limit

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 28 Aug 2022 13:22
Whats the penalty for tailgating - crxg

I will, just worried that's all. I thought when they slowed down they *might* be trying to turn off to a house or something but they didn't indicate so it seems they were then deliberately slowing down.

Like I said, theoretically if they did report me. would they actually have any evidence? if they did say a camera, would it be six points or three/awareness course?

I live on the road so it will be ironic if I'm done for it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 28 Aug 2022 14:28
Whats the penalty for tailgating - _

I absolutely hate it when people tailgate me. The speed limit is just that, not a target. On many of our rural roads round Colchester the speed limits are sometimes set TOO high and if going constantly from 30-40-50-60 in no particular order... is easier to obey, and on the twisty bits stay that bit slower.

The ultimate penalty for tailgaiting is...

An accident, YOU are liable for the accident costs unless you have dashcam footage of the car in front doing something really stupid, and your airbags going off leaving you with major costs and a potential visit to A&E.

Without condemning you, just don't push. One day you might meet THAT idiot who will brake check you, and in a moment of inattention, Kerboom.

Edited by _ORB_ on 28/08/2022 at 14:31

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 28 Aug 2022 14:38
Whats the penalty for tailgating - crxg

Yes I've been tailgated before on an NSL country lane in pitch black night conditions.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 12:55
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Gibbo_Wirral

Yes I've been tailgated before on an NSL country lane in pitch black night conditions.

Me too. I just pull over when I can, let them past, then continue with every front light on max!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 13:06
Whats the penalty for tailgating - alan1302

Yes I've been tailgated before on an NSL country lane in pitch black night conditions.

Me too. I just pull over when I can, let them past, then continue with every front light on max!

So you drive just as badly as the tailgater

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 28 Aug 2022 14:39
Whats the penalty for tailgating - crxg

Also he did brake check me - but maybe I wasn't "tailgating" because I didn't have any issue stopping ?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 28 Aug 2022 22:51
Whats the penalty for tailgating - alan1302

Also he did brake check me - but maybe I wasn't "tailgating" because I didn't have any issue stopping ?

He said you were deliberately driving close, that is tailgating and is a very stupid thing to do. Watch some of the videos on here:

Ashley Neal - YouTube

and improve your driving before you have a crash and hurst yourself/someone else.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Aug 2022 09:32
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Adampr

If you've previously been on an awareness course, you'll know that standing advice for dealing with tailgaters is to slow down. That way, the car in front will have a greater braking distance available should a hazard appear and the tailgater is less likely to go up their exhaust from an emergency stop.

I do t think you'll get in any trouble for tailgating, but my approach to slow traffic is to wind the window down and relax.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Aug 2022 10:10
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Andrew-T

If you've previously been on an awareness course, you'll know that standing advice for dealing with tailgaters is to slow down.

I'm not quite with this - slowing down in front of a tailgater will make them closer to your exhaust pipe, though I suppose it might offer an invitation to overtake.

I suspect some tailgaters may be trying to urge the driver in front to drive nearer the speed limit, but if that driver is a bit uncertain it may have the opposite effect.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Aug 2022 23:15
Whats the penalty for tailgating - alan1302

If you've previously been on an awareness course, you'll know that standing advice for dealing with tailgaters is to slow down.

I'm not quite with this - slowing down in front of a tailgater will make them closer to your exhaust pipe, though I suppose it might offer an invitation to overtake.

I suspect some tailgaters may be trying to urge the driver in front to drive nearer the speed limit, but if that driver is a bit uncertain it may have the opposite effect.

Better off pulling over and letting them past

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 13:35
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Maxime.

The penaly for tailgating can be death, Feeling lucky?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 18:21
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Andrew-T

The penalty for tailgating can be death,

If a penalty is to be imposed for 'tailgating', an official definition will be needed. What is it ? When does 'normal' following overstep the line ? Someone has to be seen as aggressive. I guess a rear-window cam may help ?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 18:33
Whats the penalty for tailgating - _

The penalty for tailgating can be death,

If a penalty is to be imposed for 'tailgating', an official definition will be needed. What is it ? When does 'normal' following overstep the line ? Someone has to be seen as aggressive. I guess a rear-window cam may help ?

I, and several of my friends have front and rear cameras.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 15:10
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Gerry Sanderson

Police were supposed to be getting hot on tailgating considering it to be careless driving or driving without reasonable care and attention under Section 3 Road Traffic Act 1988

Penalty max fine £5000 3 - 9 points

Dont do it always allow yourself a bubble

dvd

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Aug 2022 15:41
Whats the penalty for tailgating - galileo

Police were supposed to be getting hot on tailgating considering it to be careless driving or driving without reasonable care and attention under Section 3 Road Traffic Act 1988

Penalty max fine £5000 3 - 9 points

Dont do it always allow yourself a bubble

dvd

If you sit on most motorway bridges, you will observe that most vehicles in lane 3 are closer to the one in front than the recommended 2 second gap.

This may not qualify as tailgating but I would think it is the cause of many Motorway accidents.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Sep 2022 22:51
What's the penalty for tailgating? - Bilboman

I read on a motoring blog many years ago that the rationale for drivers in France (other countries too, no doubt!) persistently tailgating a car in front is to minimise the damage in any possible collision, since the cars are closer and the impact would be less. From my vague recollection of O level physics this sounds like hokum, but can any engineers or physics teachers out there elucidate? I'd imagine a high-speed 50 car collision is going to be pretty messy whether the cars were 100 metres apart or less than a centimetre!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 5 Sep 2022 23:36
What's the penalty for tailgating? - Andrew-T

.... the rationale for drivers in France (other countries too, no doubt!) persistently tailgating a car in front is to minimise the damage in any possible collision, since the cars are closer and the impact would be less. ...

Yes, I can understand the notion that if the cars are closer, the following driver has less time to react to a sudden brake application, but as less deceleration has taken place, the impact will be less severe. I don't think it's a sensible strategy however.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 18 Sep 2022 12:28
What's the penalty for tailgating? - focussed

That's what drivers in france are taught to do. They don't have any comprehension of a safe following distance - 2 second gap - 4 seconds in the wet etc.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 20 Sep 2022 13:39
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Warning

The fact the driver was braking suggest he was getting annoyed at you tail gating. You need to get yourself on a driver awareness course.

He is doing this, to make you give him a bigger distance.

Even if sped up to 35mph, you would be still stuck on his bumper.

I have had to do the same, on my car, when I lightly press the brake pedal the light will come on (I don't press down hard to actually brake. It is just the light which comes on).

I have found the only way to deal with such drivers, it to take the pedal of the gas and go slower (rather then braking). I then speed up.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 20 Sep 2022 14:05
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Andrew-T

I have found the only way to deal with such drivers, it to take the pedal of the gas and go slower (rather then braking). I then speed up.

You think this is equally sensible ?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 21 Sep 2022 13:26
Whats the penalty for tailgating - ExA35Owner

Driving more slowly gives the tailgater more time to react; it also reduces the energy dissipated in a collision (energy proortional to square of the speed) so less damage and injury should things go wrong.

It also makes overtaking easier if the tailgater gets an opportunity.

This is sensible defensive driving.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 21 Sep 2022 22:09
Whats the penalty for tailgating - alan1302

Driving more slowly gives the tailgater more time to react; it also reduces the energy dissipated in a collision (energy proortional to square of the speed) so less damage and injury should things go wrong.

It also makes overtaking easier if the tailgater gets an opportunity.

This is sensible defensive driving.

Aggravating the person behind you who is already driving badly is never a sensible option - quite the opposite.

If you are on a straight road with good visibility, then yes, ease of the speed a bit but otherwise you are just driving poorly like they are and holding up others behind them.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 20 Sep 2022 21:51
Whats the penalty for tailgating - alan1302

I have found the only way to deal with such drivers, it to take the pedal of the gas and go slower (rather then braking). I then speed up.

So you drive badly to show them up for their bad driving?

Just pull over and let them get on with it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 25 Sep 2022 07:35
Whats the penalty for tailgating - Clk GD

"Just pull over and let them get on with it.

That's exactly what I do, as soon as I'm able to.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link