Scotland's Motorists Drive Too Close To The Car In Front

More than a quarter of motorists in Scotland are ‘an accident waiting to happen’ - as they drive too close to the car in front, according to the RAC Foundation at the launch of Strathclyde Police’s RU 2 Close? campaign.

The figures come from a recent traffic survey conducted by the RAC Foundation on the M8 and make for worrying reading. The results also show that more than 60 per cent of drivers were travelling too close to the vehicle in front when clusters of vehicles were measured.

The results have prompted the Foundation to call for an extension to an innovative new system of road markings that appear to be contributing to lessening tailgating on motorways in some areas. The tailgating survey was also carried out at a location where chevrons, designed to encourage drivers to keep their distance from one another, were located.

The results show that on the stretch of road before the chevrons, tailgating was at around 60 per cent. Encouragingly, right in the middle of the chevron patch, it appeared to drop off significantly. While it did pick up again after the chevron patch, not to the extent that it was at beforehand - suggesting chevrons could have a role to play in changing driver behaviour.

At present there are only a small number of sites on UK motorways with chevrons, and although acknowledging that the ‘novelty factor’ may make people keep their distance at chevron locations, the Foundation is calling for a review as to whether any more appropriate sites for chevrons can be identified.

A previous TRL study has shown accident reduction of 56 per cent at chevrons sites, compared to the same stretch of road before the chevrons were installed.

The survey results also picked up on other poor driver behaviour whilst tailgating, including a man driving whilst chatting on his mobile phone, children in the back seat of a car with no seatbelts, and a convertible car sandwiched between two heavy goods vehicles.

At the commencement RU2 Close? - a two week long, high-profile education and enforcement campaign run by Strathclyde Police Force which aims to stress the dangers of driving too close to the car in front - the RAC Foundation revealed that tailgating not only costs lives but also large amounts of money because of the delays and non injury accidents it causes.

Sue Nicholson, Head of Campaigns for the RAC Foundation said:

"I am delighted that Strathclyde Police has decided to highlight the potential hazards to road users and hope that motorists think about their own driving habits.

"As well as being a large factor in fatal and serious accidents in Scotland, tailgating is the biggest contributor to the build up of "phantom" traffic jams which result in delay and many non injury collisions.

According to the Foundation, phantom traffic jams are caused by motorists who tailgate. If a vehicle is driving too close to the one in front and the lead vehicle slows down, then the following vehicle will have to brake sharply resulting in a "red light" domino effect - the red light is the brake light that the following driver sees ahead. The driver behind then brakes suddenly and this has a domino effect until further down the line traffic grinds to a halt.

Motorists are then perplexed as to what has caused the traffic jam. In reality they have all caused the traffic jam because of their sharp braking. The easiest way to prevent phantom traffic jams is to keep a good distance from the car ahead.

"Tailgating is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous and foolish examples of bad driving but we see it everyday on Scotland’s roads and motorways. It is also recognised as one of the biggest factors in triggering road rage. If someone behind you is too close, don’t be tempted to get angry, brake or speed away, simply let them go when it is safe to move over.

"Tailgating limits the ability of motorists to be able to react swiftly to events which may be happening further along the motorway, and significantly increases the chances of a crash. We would urge drivers to obey the ‘two second rule’ when driving, and adjust their distance according to local weather conditions," added Nicholson.

Chief Inspector Angus McPhail, Road Policing Department Deputy Head, said:

"Driving too close to the vehicle in front is one of the most irritating examples of bad driving and leads to crashes and injuries. Whilst this campaign seeks to remind drivers of their responsibilities by education and encouragement we will not hesitate to enforce the law relating to dangerous or careless driving where the circumstances merit it."