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Difficulty: MediumFollowing Distances and Tailgating

You are driving at night on an unlit single carriageway when a vehicle behind begins tailgating you closely, causing glare in your mirrors. Which TWO actions should you take to safely manage your following distance and reduce risk?

  1. Gradually ease off the accelerator to increase your gap from any vehicle aheadAnswer
  2. Switch your interior rear-view mirror to the anti-dazzle positionAnswer
  3. C
    Tap your brake pedal repeatedly to warn the following driver to back off
  4. D
    Accelerate beyond the speed limit to open up a safe distance from the tailgater

Answer

Gradually ease off the accelerator to increase your gap from any vehicle ahead, and switch your interior rear-view mirror to the anti-dazzle position.
When followed too closely, increasing your distance from the vehicle ahead provides a safety cushion so you can brake smoothly and gradually if needed, giving the tailgater time to react. Setting the interior mirror to anti-dazzle prevents blinding reflection from the trailing headlights without compromising situational awareness.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the hazard created by the tailgater and mirror glare
Recognise that a vehicle following too closely cannot stop in time if you brake sharply, and glare reduces your vision
Tailgaters eliminate their own safety margin, requiring you to compensate with your forward space cushion
2
Adjust your forward following distance
Gently ease off the accelerator to extend the distance between your vehicle and the traffic ahead
A larger forward buffer ensures you can slow down gradually and avoid sudden braking
3
Minimise nighttime visual impairment
Operate the anti-dazzle tab on your interior mirror
This prevents headlight glare from temporarily blinding you while retaining observation of traffic behind

Key Concept

Defensive response to tailgating and nighttime glare
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Following Distances and Tailgating

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