A new camera that detects tailgating is being tested by Highways England with police sending letters to drivers travelling too close, highlighting the dangers. One in eight casualties on motorways and major A roads in England is thought to be as a result of a vehicle driving too close to the one in front.

“Not leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front can be very frightening and intimidating,” said Highways England's head of road safety Jeremy Philips. “It could also prove fatal.”

Figures show that more than 130 people were killed or seriously injured in incidents involving people driving too close in 2018. A survey for Highways England found that more than a quarter of drivers admitted to tailgating.

The new cameras monitor the gap between vehicles travelling over a 150m stretch of road, to determine whether driving too close is the result of deliberate tailgating or manoeuvres such as overtaking, changing lanes or sudden braking.

The Highway Code says drivers should leave a two second gap between them and the vehicle in front on roads carrying faster moving traffic. Driving too close to the vehicle in front can lead to prosecution for driving without due care and attention, an offence that carries a minimum fine of £100 and three penalty points.

Police constable Dave Lee of the Northamptonshire force, which is supporting the camera trial, said: “Motorists who experience tailgating can often feel intimidated and put under pressure to increase their speed in a bid to create more space between them and the offending vehicle.

“However, we have seen first hand the devastating consequences which tailgating can cause. People who carry out this extremely dangerous behaviour are not just putting themselves at risk, but the lives of other road users.”

Roads Minister Baroness Vere added that when people think of the causes of road accidents, tailgating probably is not one of them. “But it is one that can have dangerous repercussions,” she pointed out. “Highways England's innovative plans are already showing how serious and reckless this behaviour is.”

Footage from a camera in the car of Highways England data and intelligence analyst Caroline Layton shows just how worrying tailgating can be. Caroline was driving through roadworks on the M27 and feared a lorry behind was going to hit her.

“He came up really close, just a couple of metres behind,” she said. “I thought I had to slow down because if it hit me at 50mph I would be crushed. If anyone had stopped in front of me he would have gone into the back of my car and I would have been sandwiched in the middle.”

To view the footage, click here.

(Photograph: Highways England / Caroline Layton)