Tailgating called to a halt

Highways England has released figures, following an analysis of traffic in England, as part of a campaign it has kicked off to highlight the dangers of tailgating. The analysis shows that, in 2016, one in eight casualties caused by high speed incidents involved a tailgating motorist. This equates to 1,896 casualties caused by tailgating, out of 16,233 in total. Of these 1,896 incidents, 114 of these resulted in death or serious injury.

In response to these figures, the police have announced a crackdown on tailgating; ordering an increase in vigilance, introducing three-points on a tailgater’s licence, and a £100 fine. Officers will now be on the lookout for drivers remaining close to the vehicles ahead of them and be issuing fines accordingly.

There is room to suggest that this £100 fine fails to adequately encapsulate the seriousness of tailgating, given that it is proven to have caused loss of life in a number of situations. Tailgating is a consequence-led offence, by which this means the seriousness of the crime is not so much judged by the act, but the outcome. If an accident is caused by tailgating, then the driver in that situation may well find themselves facing allegations of dangerous driving – the penalty of which could be years in prison.

By allowing police to make immediate penalties, there is less strain on resources and, hopefully, an incentive for motorists to avoid repeated offending. Higher penalties may be faced by those drivers who pose more serious threats to others.