Highways England is trialling the use of new cameras to clamp down on tailgating, an offence they claim is a factor in around one in eight casualties on England’s motorways and major A roads.

The cameras are designed to make drivers “aware of their behaviour” and have been trialled on the M1 in Northamptonshire since November 2020. Some 26,000 tailgating offences have been recorded in the first two months of the trial according to the RAC. Motorists caught tailgating by the cameras can expect to receive letters advising them they were too close to another vehicle, highlighting the dangers of not leaving safe braking distances.

From a survey it was found that more than a quarter of drivers admitted to tailgating. However, nearly nine in 10 people say they have either been tailgated or seen it.

David Tomlinson