Tailgating is one of the most dangerous traffic violations in the UAE and has been a major reason behind road deaths during 2017. Tailgating refers to a driving behavior in which a driver follows the vehicle ahead too closely and fails to leave a safe distance. A recent survey commissioned by RoadSafetyUAE and QIC Insured and conducted by YouGov has revealed the reasons behind tailgating behavior exhibited by drivers on the UAE roads. The survey was conducted between August 21st and August 28th and 1,010 respondents participated in the survey.
Findings of the New Survey
The new survey asked motorists about the reasons for tailgating on the UAE roads. The respondents of the survey included both the tailgaters and the motorists who were being tailgated.
Fundamental Reasons behind Tailgating Behavior
Thomas Edelmann, Managing Director of the RoadSafetyUAE, said that as per the results of the new survey, a majority of motorists in the UAE understand the risks of tailgating and 59% of the motorists avoid it consistently. However, the remaining 41% of motorists who were involved in tailgating violations still pose a serious threat to the safety of other motorists.
Motorists who failed to leave a safe distance between their vehicle and the vehicle ahead gave following reasons for exhibiting such a behavior on the road:
- Slow Drivers on the Road
- Running Late
- Lack of Awareness about the Traffic Rules
According to tailgaters, drivers who drive at a slow speed particularly in the fast lanes disrupt the flow of traffic. Some tailgaters admitted that they tailgated because of running late for work or other commitments.
Also read: Motorists Alert: Reckless Drivers to face Jail Time in the UAE
A High Percentage of Young Drivers Commits Tailgating Violations
The survey also showed that many young drivers committed tailgating violations. The lack of understanding of basic road safety principles among the young drivers is the fundamental reason behind tailgating violations committed by them.
Reactions of Motorists who were being tailgated
According to the survey results, 36% of the drivers who get tailgated just try to move out of the way of tailgating drivers. On the other hand, 25% of the drivers admitted that they felt nervous on being tailgated, while 9% didn’t mind being tailgated.
According to the UAE motorists, lack of education and poor understanding of the traffic rules are among the major reasons for tailgating behavior exhibited by tailgaters. Motorists who were being tailgated suggested traffic authorities to increase police patrolling on roads and impose higher fines on tailgaters.
Also read: Tailgating Causes 73 Accidents and 8 Road Deaths in 1st Quarter of 2017
What is the Recommended Safety Distance between Vehicles?
Motorists must know that traffic authorities in the UAE recommend a safety distance of 56 metres, which needs to be maintained between vehicles when driving at a speed of 100 Km/h. Surprisingly, 43% of the respondents were unaware of the recommended “safety distance” between vehicles. As per the survey results, 22% of the drivers thought that keeping the distance of a car’s length between two vehicles was sufficient. Only 24% of the respondents knew the accurate recommended safe distance that needs to be maintained.
Traffic Penalties for Tailgating
Tailgating violations continued to worsen the road safety situation in the UAE during 2017. In Dubai alone, 21,846 tailgating violations were recorded in the first quarter of 2017. Some of these violations resulted in dangerous traffic accidents in which 14 people were killed and 151 were left injured.
The traffic penalties for tailgating violations include a fine of AED 400 and 4 black points issued against the offender’s driving license. Traffic authorities across the UAE have been making efforts to improve the traffic monitoring system and with the help of advanced radars on major roads, authorities can catch even the smallest of tailgating violations.
Also read: Reckless Driving Violations: Risks, Fines and Penalties in the UAE
How Can Driver-Assist Technologies help in Avoiding Unintentional Tailgating?
Unintentional tailgating violations can be avoided with the help of some advanced driver-assist technologies available in new cars. At times, distracted or aggressive driving can result in a failure to leave safe distance between vehicles and this is where the advanced driver-assist technologies can warn the driver to either reduce the speed of the vehicle or apply brakes immediately to avoid a front-end collision with the vehicle ahead.
These driver-assist features include:
- Driver Attention Assist
- Intelligent Speed Assist
- Adaptive Cruise Control
Motorists must leave the recommended safety distance between vehicles, especially when driving on highways where vehicles are usually cruising at a high speed. On the other hand, motorists should not drive too slowly in the fast lanes as it can be a major reason behind tailgating behavior exhibited by other drivers. With the help of driver-assist technologies and a responsible driving behavior, motorists can avoid unintentional tailgating violations and dangerous road situations induced by these violations.
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