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Question

Difficulty: MediumFollowing Distances and Tailgating

You are travelling in wet conditions and notice that a vehicle is following very closely behind you. What should you do to minimise the danger of a collision?

  1. A
    Brake sharply to illuminate your brake lights and warn the driver behind to back off
  2. Increase your distance from the vehicle in front so you can brake gradually if necessaryAnswer
  3. C
    Accelerate to pull away and maintain a standard two-second gap behind you
  4. D
    Flash your headlights and wave your arm out of the window to signal them to overtake

Answer

Increase your distance from the vehicle in front so you can brake gradually if necessary
When another road user is following too closely, you cannot control their actions, but you can control the safety cushion ahead of your own vehicle. By easing off the accelerator and increasing your following distance from the vehicle in front, you ensure that if the lead vehicle slows down or stops, you can brake gently and progressively. This gives the tailgating driver behind ample time and distance to react and slow down safely.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the compound risk of wet road conditions and a tailgating vehicle behind
Recognise that stopping distances are doubled on wet surfaces and the driver behind lacks adequate reaction time
When a tailgater is behind, any sudden braking is likely to result in a rear-end collision
2
Adjust your forward safety cushion by easing off the accelerator gradually
A significantly larger following gap (at least four seconds or more) is established with the vehicle ahead
Creating a larger space ahead allows for earlier anticipation and progressive, gentle deceleration
3
Maintain calm lane positioning and avoid retaliatory actions
The overall danger is minimised without escalating tension or causing sudden maneuvers
Defensive driving prioritises safety margins over aggressive reactions like brake tapping or speeding

Key Concept

Defensive driving response to being tailgated under adverse road conditions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Following Distances and Tailgating

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