New research from Confused.com has revealed that 79 per cent of motorists on the roads in the UK are unaware that tailgating carries a hefty fine.
Motorists caught tailgating can be penalised with a £100 fine and three penalty points on their licence.
It is not something that is as heavily policed as other driving offences such as speeding, with just over 2,000 motorists facing a fine in 2016.
One of the problems is that ‘smart’ motorways, which are becoming more popular in the UK, are not equipped to catch drivers offending in Britain.
Almost half (42 per cent) of drivers believe more needs to be done to tackle tailgating and make drivers more aware about careless driving and lane discipline.
Tailgating falls under the category of carless driving and is the biggest annoyance UK motorists have on the motorways in Britain.
Drivers should travel with a two-second gap between yourself and the car in front.
Motorists almost two in three drivers (65 per cent) believe that tailgating should be a priority and focused on by learners.
Thames Valley PC Tony Cope believes there is a lack of education; he says ‘when we pull offenders over, a standard response is “I didn’t realise that was an offence”.’
PC Cope’s sentiment is reflected in the research with (50 per cent) of motorists agreeing that many drivers are not even aware they are hogging the middle lane in the first place.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com says: “With millions of drivers taking to roads across the UK over the Christmas period, it’s likely that they will come across careless driving offenders on their travels.
“Unfortunately, it’s a difficult crime to catch in the act, and so-called ‘smart’ motorways have yet to address the issue, which contributes to congestion and accidents – not something drivers want to be faced with at Christmas time.
“Hopefully, allowing learner drivers to practice on motorways from 2018 will be a step towards reducing the number of tailgaters and middle lane hoggers on our roads.
“Tailgating and middle lane hogging, are not only punishable with points and a fine, but can increase your car insurance premiums. “
And drivers should do all they can to avoid being lumped with such penalties over an already expensive Christmas period.