There are certainly times when drivers tailgate intentionally. They may be in a hurry, so they’re hoping that the driver ahead of them will speed up. Or they may be driving aggressively because they’re angry about something that the driver did, so tailgating is their way of expressing this frustration.
But not all tailgaters are malicious. In many cases, they’re just doing it accidentally.
Often, what happens is that a short following distance feels relatively safe if traffic speeds are stable. If two cars have been traveling at the exact same speed, the rear driver may become complacent and accidentally get too close to the vehicle ahead of them. They don’t even notice that they’ve done it until traffic speeds start to change, and they don’t have enough time to stop.
How much time does it take?
Another component is that drivers may underestimate how long it’s actually going to take them to stop. They may think that their following distance is safe because they can start slowing down instantly if they need to. But in reality, this doesn’t happen instantaneously, and there can be a notable delay.
For example, some reports indicate that it takes about a second and a half for someone to even start braking. First, they have to recognize that it’s time to hit the brakes, which takes around 0.75 seconds. Next, they have to move their foot to the brake pedal, which takes another 0.75 seconds. Depending on their speed, they could travel a significant distance in one and a half seconds—before they even start slowing down.
These types of mistakes often lead to serious car accidents. If you’ve been injured due to the negligence of another driver, take the time to carefully look into your legal options.