Tailgating can result in deadly semi-truck crashes and fatal car accidents
Following too close behind a motor vehicle on our local roadways is against the law in both Illinois (625 ILCS 5/11-710) and Indiana (IN Code § 9-21-8-14). Otherwise known as “tailgating,” this type of driver behavior has been outlawed by lawmakers in our part of the country because it is known to result in serious accidents with deadly consequences.
Following too close behind either a large commercial vehicle (semi-truck, big rig, tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler) or a smaller passenger vehicle (SUV, sedan, minivan, pickup) is simply not safe. Moreover, state legislatures have determined that tailgating is a form of aggressive driving. Accordingly, it has been deemed to be in the public interest to pass laws prohibiting this type of dangerous driving activity.
Nevertheless, drivers still drive too close to the motor vehicle in front of them. Aggressive driving in the form of tailgating continues to be a problem that much too often results in collisions where people are killed or permanently harmed as a result.
Why is Following Too Closely so Dangerous?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), following too closely involves “…situations in which one vehicle is following another vehicle so closely that even if the following driver is attentive to the actions of the vehicle ahead he/she could not avoid a collision in the circumstance when the driver in front brakes suddenly.”
Braking Time and Distance
The critical factor in these situations is the distance needed by the motor vehicles to brake and halt their forward movement, particularly when driving at high rates of speed. Different vehicles need different amounts of time and distance to slow or stop: a fully-loaded tandem trailer truck will need much more time and road length to come to a halt than a small two-door hatchback. According to FMCSA, it takes the average tractor-trailer (loaded with freight) at least 196 feet to come to a stop in normal road conditions. Passenger vehicles need much less (133 feet). See, Brakes and Fatal Auto Accidents: Duty of Care for Brake Upkeep and Maintenance.
Blind Spots
Following too closely behind also brings the risk of being in the blind spot of another vehicle’s driver. Serious crashes can happen in an instant if one driver simply cannot see the vehicle that has moved into its blind spot. For more on these types of accidents, read: Blind Spots and Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents.
Reaction Time
Tailgating places both vehicles at risk of a collision if unexpected hazards arise. Things like debris in the roadway or sudden bursts of rain or hail can appear almost magically, giving drivers very little time to respond and react. For vehicles following too closely behind, severe collisions can occur not only as a result of the swift reaction of the driver in the front vehicle, but also because the driver in the rear vehicle has an insufficient time to avoid the hazard itself. For more, read Road Debris: Driving Hazards That Cause Serious Accidents.
Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes and Following Too Close Behind
Tailgating is dangerous in any situation, but following too close behind collisions are especially deadly when a commercial truck driver is tailgating. According to FMCSA’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS), five-percent (5%) of fatal truck crashes in this country happen when the driver of the semi-truck (big rig, tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler) has been following too close behind the motor vehicle in front of the rig.
Other semi-truck crash fatalities involve a smaller vehicle following too close behind the rig. In these circumstances, the sudden stopping or slowing of the large truck can leave the rear driver with too little time to avoid colliding with the rear of the truck. See, Stuster, Jack. The unsafe driving acts of motorists in the vicinity of large trucks. Final Report. Anacapa Sciences, 1999.
These can be particularly deadly and devastating truck crashes, where the rear-end collision becomes an “underride accident.” Read, Fatal Truck Crashes: Will Congress Pass the Stop Underrides Act?
Justice for Victims of Fatal Tailgating Accidents in Indiana and Illinois
The AAA Foundation explains “aggressive driving” is “any unsafe driving behavior, performed deliberately and with ill intention or disregard for safety…,” with tailgating as one of its prime examples of aggressive driving behaviors.
While following too close behind may result in a small fender-bender at an Indianapolis suburban intersection or a Chicago traffic stop by local police officers, tailgating cannot be dismissed as a minor infraction of road rules in our part of the country.
Our winter weather conditions provide unique challenges to all drivers on both urban and rural roadways. The large number of commercial trucks moving through our Crossroads of America means a greater volume of semi-truck traffic here than in other parts of the country.
The risk of a serious or fatal accident in Illinois or Indiana caused by a driver following too close behind cannot be discounted.
When there is a severe or deadly motor vehicle accident, investigators on behalf of the accident victims must consider all possible causes for the crash, including a driver following too close behind. If there is evidence that permanent harm or death resulted from a driver or trucker deciding to tailgate, then the state laws of Indiana and Illinois will provide avenues for justice to the tailgating victim and the victim’s loved ones.
Claims may be based upon negligence of the driver as well as negligent supervision, product liability, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death.
For more, read:
- Trucking Companies Liable for Semi-Truck Crashes in Indiana and Illinois;
- Safety Groups Push Feds to Require Big Rigs to Have Auto-Brake Safety Devices;
- Danger of Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes in Indiana and Illinois and the 2021 Infrastructure Bill;
- Nuclear Verdicts in Fatal Semi-Truck Crashes; and
- Trial Tactics for Plaintiff Semi-Truck Accident Claims: a Practical Guide from Investigation to Trial.
The stresses and concerns facing all of us in these uncertain times of the COVID Pandemic may bring increased temptations for drivers to drive aggressively and follow too close behind in traffic. Accidents due to tailgating can be deadly. Please be careful out there!
