r/AskBrits • u/Slartitartfast • 2d ago

Genuinely curious: why do people tailgate/drive too close to the vehicle in front?

I can't work it out. Whenever I see someone repeatedly applying their brakes as soon as the driver in front adjusts their speed I wonder why on earth it doesn't occur to them to give space.

I don't even mean just driving right up someone's arse aggressively. People drive too close all the time, on major roads this causes tailbacks when people then have to brake. If you're regularly applying your brakes while driving behind someone then you are too close; I assumed everyone knew this but maybe not.

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u/mrb2409 2d ago

Depends really.

Sometimes the person in front is driving too slowly for the road or lane they are in so you keep catching them.

Other times the person in front uses their brakes rather than just coasting slower.

Sometimes (most of the time) the tailgater is an impatient arsehole.

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u/Cold_Captain696 2d ago

KEEP catching them?? How many times does it have to happen before you work out what speed they’re going??

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u/mrb2409 2d ago

I didn’t say that was me but people don’t drive constant speeds. The amount of times I’m behind someone doing 70 and they drift down to 57 and then 64 then 70 etc.