Tailgating, or following too closely, has been a very hazardous issue for a very long time. This issue is very common, ranking in the top 25 for causes of all automobile accidents. Some drivers are not aware of the tailgating they may do and or the people who are tailgating them. It is important to always be aware of your surroundings while driving. When you follow too closely you are at risk of causing accidents. The time you have to make a quick reaction is shortened, when you follow too close to the car in front of you. For example, you may tailgate a driver and the driver has to stop abruptly, because you do not have time to stop in time, you could end up rear-ending the vehicle.

Over one- third of all vehicular crashes are caused by tailgating. This means every time you tailgate there is a one out of three chance you may be involved in an accident. If you are involved in a tailgating accident that results in injury there are a number of things you must do for treatment and rehabilitation. First, you need to seek immediate medical attention. If you have received serious injuries you must get treatment followed by rehabilitation. By entering rehabilitation, you can gain control of your daily activities again.

Most accident treatment and rehabilitation clinics are very experienced. Therefore, their staff can give you the information and answers you are looking for. Some of the clinics help to create a partnership between the patient and physician to give each patient the individual, unique therapy he/she needs. There are two different types of therapy used during rehabilitation to get you back on your feet. Passive therapy and Active therapy, together they create a perfect haven for your injuries. There are a number of clinics that can help with both post accident treatment and full rehabilitation and many are covered by the automobile and or medical insurance offered today.

Passive therapy is designed to eliminate pain through cryotherapy, moist heat, and Interferential/TENS. Active therapy on the other hand is designed to build body strength and stability. Active therapy includes, balance training, core building, stretching, and strengthening exercises.

Your driving skills can help to prevent tailgating accidents from happening. One of the reasons drivers tailgate is due to the lack of knowledge on how far apart they should be from the vehicle ahead of them. The two-second rule is a good rule of thumb to use. This is the following distance drivers should maintain between two vehicles. When the vehicle in front of you passes an object like a pole or tree, you count two seconds. If you reach the same object before two seconds you are following too closely. This practice needs to be changed when inclement weather changes the condition of the roadways. If a tailgater is behind you, do not worry you can either change lanes if possible or continue on and make sure you do not have to make any sudden stops.

By maintaining a good distance from the car in front of you, you will not be in jeopardy of rear ending the car and causing bodily injury to the driver, passengers or bystanders.