Tailgating can cause accidents that lead to serious harm

 Posted on January 22, 2020 in Uncategorized

Though patience is a virtue, you may wonder whether many drivers on Texas roads have heard of it. You likely see people speeding well above the speed limit and carrying out other dangerous driving maneuvers on a daily basis. It may seem as if everyone has to get to a particular destination at that exact moment or are already late.

Of course, these unsafe driving habits can easily put you and other drivers at risk of a car accident. Some people may think they drive well enough to avoid a collision, but crashes can happen to anyone at any moment.

The issue of tailgating

When drivers are in a hurry, they often want to speed. However, speeding may not be an option if they are stuck behind a slower moving vehicle. As a result, the driver may try to get the other driver to speed up by getting close to the rear of the vehicle in front. You have likely witnessed tailgating numerous times and may have even carried out the action yourself against your better judgement. Whether you are the victim or the tailgater, know that this action could put you and others at risk of serious injuries.

What can you do?

Because you have control over the way you drive, you can make a conscious decision not to tailgate others. This will lessen your likelihood of causing an accident that could harm you and others. If someone is tailgating you, you may want to consider the following actions:

• Move to a different lane and let the tailgater go around you.
• Try to create distance between your vehicle and the vehicle behind you, but do so without having to speed yourself.
• If on a multilane road, stay in the slow lane and leave the left lane open for fast-moving vehicles or those who need to pass.
• If these are not an option, safely pull off the road to allow the other driver to continue traveling.

In some cases, you may not have the chance to perform any of these maneuvers safely before the other driver strikes your vehicle. Unfortunately, rear-end collisions could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and can become more serious accidents than many people believe. You may even suffer serious injuries as a result. If so, you may want to consider your legal options for seeking compensation from the driver considered at fault for the incident.