Tailgating road accidents halve in five years - News

• The number of reported accidents in Great Britain when following too close was a contributory factor fell to 3,584 over one year, latest official figures reveal
• It means that tailgating accidents have halved over last five years
• Leading driving experience provider TrackDays.co.uk welcomes the huge fall

The number of reported road accidents when following too close to another vehicle was a contributory factor has almost halved in just five years, according to TrackDays' analysis of newly released official government figures.

Indeed, the figures from the Department for Transport highlight that the reported accidents when following too close was a contributory factor have dropped dramatically by 48% year-on-year, from 7,023 in 2015 to just 3,582 in 2019, the latest year for which full figures are available.

It is one of the largest percentage drops of all the contributory causes of accidents caused by an injudicious action, which means due to a lack of judgement.

Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, says: “It's very welcome to see such a dramatic drop in the number of reported accidents when following too close was a contributory factor. It could be due to a number of factors, perhaps most importantly though advanced safety features on modern cars, such as adaptive cruise control which help keep a safe distance from the car in front. But it would also be nice to think that drivers are now calmer and more considerate to their fellow road users.”

Meanwhile, more welcome news highlights how the number of reported accidents when travelling too fast for the conditions was a contributory factor was also on a long-term decline, showing a significant decrease from 7,361 in 2015 to 4,666 in 2019, a decrease of 36%.

Additionally, there are also fewer reported accidents when disobeying automatic traffic signals, and disobeying 'Give Way' or 'Stop' signs and markings was a contributory factor.

Dan adds: “Brits do appear to be becoming safer motorists in certain areas of driving, which has to be good news for all road users.”

For more information about our variety of driver training courses, including Young Driver Training for junior drivers aged 10 - 17, please visit our dedicated Young Driver Training page on the TrackDays site.