Tailgating is becoming one of the biggest killers on the UAE roads, with eight lives being lost this year so far, road safety experts have warned.

Thomas Edelman, Founder and Managing Director of roadsafetyuae.com said: "Tailgating is a very dangerous behavior."

"Tailgating remains the third killer in the UAE (behind sudden lane change and speeding) for many years in a row. It's a true pity that UAE motorists don't get it! It is so simple: just leave enough distance to the vehicle in front to avoid accident risks."

The warning followed new figures from Abu Dhabi Police that showed that eight people were killed and three others sustained serious injuries in 73 tailgating crashes in Abu Dhabi during the first four months of 2017.

Police also said they have recorded 5,150 offences against drivers for not leaving enough distance between vehicles.

Col. Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Director of Main Roads Department at the Traffic and Patrols Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police said: "Tailgating was one of the main causes of traffic accidents between January and April."

"Tailgating is a dangerous driving habit which often results into fatal accidents especially on highways. Motorists who harass drivers in front of them by beeping their horns and flashing headlights are also dangerous and increased the risk of accidents."

Officials also reminded drivers that according to federal traffic laws, tailgating can invoke a fine of Dh400 and four black points.

Edelman noted that keeping a safe distance is a key pillar of road safety, as is enables motorists to be able to brake if needed, and have a clear view of the traffic situation ahead.

"It is also a basic principle of 'road etiquette and politeness' not to encroach on others. Also, many modern cars often come with a distance warning system - consider this in your purchase decision and activate this functionality," he added.

"When we drive too close to vehicles in front, we just cannot react and brake on time. Many motorists drive in a false belief that if the car in front suddenly started braking, they would react and brake and end up stopped the same distance apart."

Janice Hinson, Public Relations Manager of Audi Middle East said: "In today's busy world, people are often in a rush to get from A to B and don't realise the danger they can cause themselves, their passengers and other road users by driving too close to the car in front."

"Leading car manufacturers recognise those pressures and many latest car models have a number of drive assist systems available as options to alert drivers and prevent our cars from tailgating, like including adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist that relieves the chore of driving in slow-moving traffic on roads in good condition."

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

Some tips on how to do it right! According to roadsafetyuae.com

- Make sure, that you leave enough space for the car in front of you: To be able to brake if needed and to have a clear view of the traffic situation.

- To avoid tailgating, use the "three-second rule": When the vehicle ahead of you passes a certain point such as a sign, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three." Counting these numbers takes approximately three seconds. If you pass the same point before you finish counting, you are following too closely.

- In low visibility situations like in bad weather, increase this rule to the "five-second-rule": Consider this in sand/dust storms, fog or rain.

- Use common sense and use the "five-second-rule' in dangerous situations - this gives you time to react (think tire debris on highways!).

Source: Khaleej Times