Police target tailgaters on M6

Officers were out on the motorway keeping a close eye on drivers in Staffordshire yesterday as Operation Proximity was launched.

And it was drivers getting too close who saw police in their own rear-view mirrors ordering them to pull over.

Police chiefs have grown increasingly concerned about drivers creating the danger of a crash by getting too close to vehicles in front at high speeds.

They say not leaving enough distance increases the chance of a crash as it leaves less time to react if the driver in front brakes. Motorists can also feel intimidated by vehicles getting too close behind, distracting their attention from the road.

Figures recently released by Highways England showed that one in eight of all road casualties are caused by people who drive too close to the vehicle in front, with more than 100 people killed or seriously injured each year.

Officers were out between Junction 12 for Gailey and Junction 14 for Stafford and will continue to monitor traffic during June as part of the operation.

Drivers who were seen getting too close to other vehicles were taken to the Central Motorway Policing Group's base in Doxey, Stafford, where they were spoken to by officers.

A lorry driver was among those seen tailgating on the motorway and pulled over yesterday. Eleven drivers were stopped on the first day of action, ten of whom were issued with tickets. They could now face education courses fines or be taken to court.

Inspector Damian Shave, from Staffordshire Police, said: "It's a big issue on some of the motorway networks, it has a massive impact on the safety of people travelling on them so we're carrying out some enforcement over a two-week period to combat that."

Traffic officer Nigel Kearney said: "It's extremely dangerous, especially with high-sided trucks and vans because the vehicle behind, the one that's tailgating, cannot see what's happening in front of that vehicle.

"A good rule of thumb is if you can see the wing mirrors of the vehicle in front in a truck then they can see you but you can also seem round them so it gives you more of an idea and gives them an idea of what's behind them also.

The operation has been backed by Highways England, which has been running its own 'Space Invaders' campaign aimed at raising awareness of the problem.

Head of Road Safety Richard Leonard said: "We know that 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.

"It is intimidating and frightening if you’re on the receiving end. If that leads to a collision, then people in both vehicles could end up seriously injured or killed. We want everyone to get home safe and well."

The Highway Code says drivers should allow at least a two second gap, which should be doubled on wet roads. Drivers who are tailgated are advised to avoid speeding up, slowing down or staring in the rear-view mirror and to reduce the risk continue to drive normally before signalling clearly and allowing people to overtake.

A Highways England survey revealed tailgating is the biggest single bugbear that drivers have about other road users. And in-car research - using dashcams, facial recognition, emotion tracking and heart monitors - showed a driver’s typical reaction to someone who tailgates them is surprise, anger and contempt, with a spike in heart rate.