Volume XII Issue 11

Volume XII Issue 11

Tailgating

The Eos recommendation for following distance is to allow one second for each ten feet of vehicle length plus two seconds for identify/react time under ideal conditions. That would be two seconds in a standard passenger vehicle or pick-up plus two more seconds. This equals four seconds following time in a car or pick-up. This is under ideal conditions.

“Rear-end collisions account for approximately 28 percent of all crashes.” “The average stopping distance for a loaded tractor-trailer traveling at 55 mph (in ideal conditions) is 196 feet, compared with 133 feet for a passenger vehicle.” – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

In pest control, our most common type of crash is when we hit the back of the vehicle in front of us. This often happens because we are following too closely to avoid a collision when the vehicle in front of us stops turns or changes speed unexpectedly.

Tailgating is a form of aggressive driving when your impatience leads to driving too closely to the vehicle you are following. Your chance of a crash go up when tailgating behavior is combined with other factors like being distracted, feeling ill or tired, or traveling faster than conditions permit.

Not all tailgate crashes involve deliberate, aggressive driving behavior. Sometimes, the driver believes that he/she has enough space between vehicles or has developed a habit of following too closely over time. The driver may also be failing to adjust to the weather or road, vehicle, and braking conditions.

Increase your follow distance beyond 4 seconds when:

·  Pulling a trailer or carrying heavy loads

·  Your vehicles brakes are out of adjustment or need maintenance

·  The weather conditions are poor

·  You are traveling at higher speeds (the higher your speed the more distance required to stop)

·  You are tired or distracted (your identify/react time increases)

·  You are following motorcycles (when motorcycles crash you often must avoid two separate objects, both the driver and the bike)

·  You are following large vehicles that block your view ahead and you need extra space to see around them.

Leave extra room in front when you are crowded by a tailgater. Why? This allows extra room between your car and the car ahead so that if you need to, you have time to stop gradually and also get your tailgater stopped. Use your Attention Zone (as far ahead as you can see) to spot problems early and avoid a rear-end collision.