Tailgating is not only very dangerous but in recent years it has become a serious problem in the United States. Every day, more and more drivers engage in this reckless practice, which consists on following other vehicles just too close. This can result in serious accidents, as tailgaters are more likely to crash the vehicle in front of them if they happened to brake suddenly. Keeping a safe and prudent distance from other vehicles is a key safe-driving practice that we all should follow. However, there are 4 types of tailgaters that we are likely to encounter and that we should avoid.
The Too-Distracted-to-Care Tailgater
Unfortunately, one of the most common types of tailgaters we are likely to encounter on the road is the too-distracted-to-care tailgater. This kind of driver might not seem like a threat at first, but we should always be careful of them. Even when they may be aware of the dangers of tailgating, they are simply too distracted to care, so they don’t actually think about the risks when sitting behind the wheel.
The Ignorant Tailgater
Another very common type of tailgater is the ignorant driver who isn’t really aware of the reasons why tailgating is so risky and dangerous. Whether it is because they lack experience behind the wheel, or because they were never actively taught to avoid this practice, the ignorant tailgater is the one that sooner or later will end up causing an accident. Of course, they will be truly confused about how they were at fault.
The Complacent Tailgater
There are many drivers out there who, luckily, have never been involved in a car accident, regardless of their driving skills or experience. When we mix this with tailgating, we get the complacent tailgater. This is a driver who is aware of the risks, who understands why tailgating is dangerous, and that knows this isn’t a safe practice. However, since they have never been involved in a tailgating accident, they are simply too confident and assume they will never cause a car crash. Therefore, they simply won’t stop tailgating.
The Aggressive Tailgater
Last but not least, we have one of the most dangerous types of tailgaters, which is the aggressive tailgater. This type of driver is well aware of the risks that tailgating implies, yet they still do it. Most of the time, they tailgate as a way to intimidate other drivers, forcing them to either speed up or move out of the lane. Since they understand perfectly what tailgating is, they tend to be ready to brake of something unexpected happens. However, this doesn’t mean they are less likely to cause an accident, but the opposite. They tailgate so often and recklessly, that they will eventually end up crashing.