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Question

Difficulty: EasyFollowing Distances and Tailgating

You are driving along a single carriageway road and observe that the vehicle behind is following far too closely. Which TWO actions should you take to safely manage this hazard? (Select TWO answers)

  1. Ease off the accelerator gradually to increase the separation distance ahead of your carAnswer
  2. B
    Brake sharply to shock the driver behind into increasing their following distance
  3. Allow extra time and space to react smoothly if you need to slow down or stopAnswer
  4. D
    Accelerate beyond the legal speed limit to outrun the close-following vehicle

Answer

Ease off the accelerator gradually to increase the separation distance ahead of your car, and allow extra time and space to react smoothly if you need to slow down or stop.
When a driver follows too closely behind, you cannot control their distance, but you can control the safety margin ahead of your own vehicle. Gradually easing off the accelerator expands the gap in front of you. This ensures you have plenty of time and space to anticipate hazards and brake gently, preventing the tailgater from colliding with the back of your car.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the risk created by the tailgating vehicle
Recognise that the vehicle behind does not have enough stopping distance to react to sudden braking
Tailgaters compromise the rear safety margin, transferring the responsibility of maintaining overall safety space to the leading driver.
2
Adjust the forward safety gap smoothly
Gently ease off the accelerator to open up a larger gap to any vehicle or hazard ahead
An increased forward gap ensures all upcoming decelerations can be progressive and smooth, eliminating the need for abrupt braking.

Key Concept

Defensive gap management when being tailgated
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Following Distances and Tailgating

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