Tailgating is both illegal and dangerous. As a general rule, drivers should try to keep a three-second distance between vehicles. While the law doesn’t necessarily require three seconds, it does prohibit tailgating and states that the rear driver is always responsible for maintaining a large enough following distance to stop without causing an accident.
The problem is that some drivers believe they can react quickly. Many people tailgate almost every time they drive—not to be aggressive, but because they’re simply used to it. They may follow at just one or two seconds instead of three or four. But is that enough in an emergency? How fast are their reaction times, really?
How reaction times work
What these drivers need to understand is that it’s impossible to react instantly. No matter how focused or skilled they may be, reaction time is limited by perception.
Studies have found that it takes about three-quarters of a second for a driver to perceive that it’s time to brake. Even if they’re watching the taillights of the car ahead, a small amount of time passes as their brain processes the information. After that, moving their foot to the brake pedal takes another three-quarters of a second.
In other words, it takes around a second and a half for a driver to even start slowing down. If their following distance is only two seconds and they’re traveling at a high speed, they may not have nearly enough space to stop in time. They think they’re driving safely, but they’re mere seconds away from causing a rear-end accident.
Since drivers make this mistake consistently, those who are injured in these accidents must know how to seek compensation.