Tailgating leaves more than 100 people dead or seriously injured every year

DRIVING too close to the car in front is killing and seriously injuring more than a hundred people on English motorways and A-roads every year.

The shocking figure revealed by Highways England also means that one in eight casualties on the roads is caused by tailgating.

In charge of managing the major roads, Highways England believes that many drivers are completely unaware of the distance they're leaving between cars.

The Highway Code recommends allowing at least a two-second gap, and four seconds when the road is wet.

Chevrons are also painted on some motorways to indicate how much space to leave behind the car in front.

These commonly suggest a two-chevron gap, and four in adverse weather conditions.

A quarter of English drivers admit to tailgating so close in the last three months that it would have been difficult to stop in an emergency.

The study also found it to be the single biggest annoyance for motorists.

Further in-car research using dashcams, facial recognition, emotion tracking and heart monitors revealed that a driver's typical reaction to being tailgated is surprise, anger and contempt - with a spike in heart rate.

In response, Highways England has launched the Don't Be A Space Invader campaign, supported by former British Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell.

Mansell, who is also president of road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: "Tailgating is a driving habit I utterly deplore.

"Not only is it aggressive and intimidating, but it can lead to a crash with a tragic outcome.

"There is absolutely no upside to it. You will not get to your destination faster, you are not a skilled driver for doing it, and you are putting so many innocent people at risk."

Richard Leonard, Head of Road Safety at Highways England, added: "Tailgating makes the driver in front feel targeted and victimised, distracting their attention from the road ahead and making them more likely to make a mistake.