A survey by motoring solutions specialist easytrip has found that more than 79 percent of motorists have been the victim of tailgating in the last year with 55 percent experiencing it on a monthly basis and almost 40 percent on a weekly basis.
Although it can be a stressful situation, 30 percent of respondents say they ignore it when it happens while other drivers deal with it in different ways. These include pulling over or changing lanes to let the driver pass; using brake lights to encourage the driver to back off; or speeding up to get away.
Three out of 10 of those surveyed admitted tailgating other motorists over the last year. The majority of these were male drivers citing that the driver in front was 'driving too slowly' as their main reason for doing so.
The survey also found that we are a nation of angry drivers with more than 42 percent admitting to flashing lights or beeping in a bid to get other motorists to move aside. Again, males confess to 'slightly' more intimidating tactics on the road with 7 percent saying they use hand gestures compared to 0 percent of females.
The survey noted that 82 percent of respondents would be in favour of adopting the custom used on German Autobahns on Irish roads where a motorist approaching a vehicle in the outer/fast lane indicates right to politely request that the vehicle in front vacate the lane so they can pass.
Ciara O'Brien of easytrip says "The RAC Report on Motoring 2013 puts tailgating in third place of driver stresses while separate research shows that 80 percent of accidents on our roads are due to driver error."
Two seconds is the recommended distance between you and the car in front, while four seconds is recommended in wet conditions.
easytrip is Ireland's largest provider of electronic tolling tags and offers over 10,000 car parking spaces in 22 car parks around Ireland.
