Tailgating in America means having a celebration at a soccer sport with the tailgate of your pick-up truck folded down. That’s not what we’re speaking about right here – tailgating in Aussie parlance is the act of driving too intently to the automobile in entrance of you. As in, you’re driving proper on the lead automobile’s tailgate.

• Tailgating, or following a lead automobile too intently, is an offence in most Australian jurisdictions
• Fines and demerit factors apply 
• There are solutions for preserving a secure distance – and hardly anybody appears to abide by them

And not solely is the act harmful as a result of it limits your stopping potential and will increase the danger of an accident, it’s additionally an unlawful act throughout virtually all states and territories in Australia, and there are sizable penalties to pay.

First, let’s take into account what “tailgating” may appear like in apply. Every of the Australian jurisdictions gives recommendation on what’s broadly labelled a “secure following distance”. 

As a rule of thumb, the suggestion is that you need to maintain “at the least 3 seconds’ distance between your automobile and the automobile in entrance of you”.

How do you measure that? Control the automobile forward, pick a marker because the lead automobile passes it, after which rely out “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand”. When you attain the identical marker earlier than you end saying that, you’re too shut.

That’s the suggestion, anyway. In actuality, you may discover that’s unattainable, particularly on freeways the place different drivers seemingly assume they need to be positioned in no matter hole there may be between different autos.

In response to the NSW Authorities: “Response time is the time a driver must see and perceive a state of affairs, resolve on a response, after which begin to take motion. A driver who’s match and alert and never affected by alcohol, medicine or fatigue, wants about 1.5 seconds to react to a hazard. At increased speeds it will increase to about 2.5 seconds.

“Response time is the time a driver must take motion. Most individuals want at the least 1.5 seconds to reply, for instance, to brake.”

And past that, completely different situations have an effect on response instances, with the NSW Authorities stating that drivers ought to enhance their crash avoidance house “to 4 or extra seconds when driving in poor situations, corresponding to on unsealed (filth or gravel), icy or moist roads, or at night time”.

With that in thoughts, having a penalty for not preserving a secure distance appears a logical factor. And each state and territory in Australia has such a rule. Right here’s a rundown of every:

• New South Wales has the most important penalty of all states and territories in Australia for tailgating. Common driving offences rule 126: “Drive behind different automobile too intently to cease safely” can lead to an enormous $464 tremendous, and three demerit factors. For context, that’s the same penalty to what you’d cop for rushing 10-20 km/h over the restrict!
• Victoria makes use of the wording “fail to drive ample distance behind a automobile”, and it will probably see the offender cop one demerit level and a tremendous of as much as $248.
• South Australia has two “Tailgating” guidelines: “Fail to maintain secure distance behind different autos” – $372 tremendous and one demerit, whereas there’s additionally a rule round preserving a “minimal distance behind an extended automobile”, which attracts a $270 tremendous and one level.
• Queensland has a barely completely different tackle issues, with the foundations stating that drivers ought to maintain “at the least two seconds” distance between their automotive and the automobile forward in “ideally suited” situations, or 4-6 seconds in antagonistic situations. When you’re discovered to be doing the flawed factor – in different phrases, to be “following too intently to the automobile in entrance”, you might be handed a $335 tremendous and one demerit level.
• Western Australia additionally prescribes to the “two seconds” if the situations allow following distance technique, although anybody discovered to be “failing to comply with a automobile at a secure distance” could also be fined $200 and cop two demerit factors.
• In Tasmania, the wording is “comply with one other automobile too intently to cease safely”, which might appeal to one demerit level and a $181 tremendous.
• Within the ACT, in case you are discovered to “drive behind different automobile too intently to cease safely”, you may end up the recipient of a $407 tremendous and one demerit level.
• Northern Territory doesn’t have a selected tailgating rule, or something describing following too intently to the automobile forward, although the Northern Territory Authorities does advocate the “three-second rule” for following distance in tremendous situations, or six seconds if the street is moist or slippery. Moreover, “the driving force of an extended automobile (longer than 7.5 metres, together with autos towing caravans) should not comply with behind one other lengthy automobile at a distance nearer than 200 metres”. 

Not meant as authorized recommendation. Examine with the related roads authority in your state or territory.