Leaving a safe following distance between your vehicle and the one ahead is a good way to protect yourself from a collision. But what do you do if someone is driving very closely behind you?
If you notice someone tailgating you, remain calm and don’t allow your emotions to get the best of you. Remaining calm also ensures you’re able to stay in control of your vehicle and avoid causing an accident.
When driving on a multilane road, keep to the right-most lane, leaving the other lanes available for other drivers to pass you.
Slowing down gradually and flashing your brakes can also encourage a tailgater to pass you. Maintaining a constant speed is important. Tailgaters may be stuck behind you because your speed is inconsistent and they may not feel it’s safe to pass. So maintaining a consistent speed allows the tailgater to judge if it’s safe to pass you.
It’s also important to not allow a tailgater to force you to travel faster than you feel safe doing so to exceed the speed limit.
A message brought to you by Manitoba Public Insurance, in partnership with CTV.
