Tailgating - Following too close

How many times have you looked in your driving mirrors and seen the word 'OVLOV' (Volvo - backwards) written in large letters against the backdrop of a huge radiator grill filling all the available view.

Tailgating is a habit that most people get away with most of the time. By 'get away with' I mean that they are not involved in accidents and do not get stopped by the police; because of this, their perception of danger is diminished.

But who are the tailgaters, and why do they do it? Let's start close to home .

When was the last time that you had to brake sharply to avoid colliding with the car in front? Or cursed under your breath (or out loud!) because the driver in front was holding you up?

Most of us consider that we keep a safe distance; however, if you have had to brake suddenly because the driver (idiot?) in front has taken emergency action (or is simply dithering), you have been following too close and probably fall into one of the categories below listed on this page.

Follow the arrows at the bottom of the page or skip to the sections using the menu below.

Some categories of tailgaters ...

	The dreamer ...
	The distracted
	The short sighted
	The winners
	The bullies
	The others

Solutions ...

	Solutions?
	What are your options?
	The best solution?