Road rules: Tailgating
For more information about the Queensland road rules please contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads at tmr.qld.gov.au or 13 23 80.
Tailgating is the No.1 ‘pet peeve’ for Queensland drivers, according to RACQ surveys. It lowers your margin for error and increases the risk of a crash.
It is also viewed as aggressive driving behaviour by many people.
Queensland Road Rules state that a driver must drive a sufficient distance behind a vehicle travelling in front of them, so that the driver can, if necessary, stop safely to avoid a collision with the vehicle. There is no minimum distance specified in this rule.
RACQ’s recommended minimum following distance is at least two seconds in good conditions and at least double that in rain or other adverse conditions.
A minimum following distance is specified for drivers of ‘long vehicles’ – which are defined as a vehicle (along with any load or projection) that is 7.5m or longer.
These minimum distances apply when the driver is travelling behind another long vehicle and are 200m for a road train, and 60m in other situations.
The minimum distances for long vehicles do not apply if the driver is driving on:
- a multi-lane road;
- a length of road in a built-up area; or
- overtaking.
While penalties for these offences include one demerit point and a $389 fine, rather than just avoiding a ticket, RACQ encourages all motorists to avoid tailgating to help create a less-stressful road environment with fewer crashes and delays.
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