If you are being tailgated, what is a safe course of action?

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Multiple Choice

If you are being tailgated, what is a safe course of action?

When someone is tailgating, the safest move is to create more space between you and the vehicle in front of you and, if it can be done safely, move over to let the tailgater pass. Increasing your following distance gives you extra time to react if the car behind you suddenly stops or swerves, which reduces the risk of a rear-end crash. If there is a safe lane change available, signaling and moving over removes you from the tailgater’s path and lowers the chance of a crash. Avoid options that make the situation riskier: speeding up closes the gap and can provoke the tailgater or reduce your ability to react; braking hard can cause a collision from behind; pulling over and stopping can put you in a vulnerable position and disrupt traffic.

When someone is tailgating, the safest move is to create more space between you and the vehicle in front of you and, if it can be done safely, move over to let the tailgater pass. Increasing your following distance gives you extra time to react if the car behind you suddenly stops or swerves, which reduces the risk of a rear-end crash. If there is a safe lane change available, signaling and moving over removes you from the tailgater’s path and lowers the chance of a crash.

Avoid options that make the situation riskier: speeding up closes the gap and can provoke the tailgater or reduce your ability to react; braking hard can cause a collision from behind; pulling over and stopping can put you in a vulnerable position and disrupt traffic.

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