• 30% say they don’t leave a two-second gap between them and the car in front
• 10% admit to trying to get drivers in front to move aside by driving too closely
• However, 65% say they always leave a safe space, September’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows

September’s Startline Used Car Tracker also shows 10% sometimes try to get the car in front to move over by driving too closely and 9% don’t know about the two-second rule used to estimate a safe distance.

This poor driving has a direct effect on other motorists – 19% say being tailgated makes them feel anxious, while 12% have been involved in an accident or near miss because of tailgating. However, 65% say they always leave an appropriate gap.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “We were prompted to ask these questions by a new Highways Agency campaign designed to highlight the dangers of tailgating that shows it causes around 140 deaths or serious injuries each year.

“Our key finding – that around a third of people admit to driving too closely to the car in front – shows the need for education in this area, especially the lack of awareness among some drivers about the two-second rule.

“Other results from the data are even more worrying, with 4% of respondents saying tailgating is not as dangerous as it is made out to be, which is a genuine concern in terms of the implications for how they may behave on the road.

“However, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of people – 65% - are driving sensibly when it comes to following other vehicles.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 301 consumers and 60 dealers were questioned.