Back to Articles

Tackle tailgating with vehicle cameras

The most common issue is drivers failing to look, or incorrectly judging the speed of another vehicle. However, driving too close behind the vehicle in front –also known as tailgating – is ranked ahead of speeding, drink-driving and poor weather conditions when it comes to defining the cause of a collision involving a van.

Research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles found that there were 4,256 road traffic incidents reported as vehicles “following too close’” in 2017. These collisions resulted in 6,184 injuries, including 19 fatalities. A total of 8% of these cases involved LCVs – equating to 10 injuries per week. Around 55% of all tailgating incidents occur on A-class roads, meaning they tend to be at higher speeds.

Tailgating is actually illegal; drivers found guilty of following too close face fines of up to £100 and three penalty points. If tailgating results in a serious incident, then punishments from the court can include a driving ban or even a prison sentence.

Collisions result in vehicle down time, which recent research by van hire specialist Northgate placed at £800 per day. Vehicle cameras can help to reduce the risk of tailgating – and provide evidence of when it has occurred in the build-up to a crash.

The Trakm8 RH600 telematics camera uses its forward-facing camera to monitor the distance and closing speed to the vehicle ahead; and creates an event if a collision becomes likely. It also creates a proximity alert to prevent tailgating. Both events include an audio and visual alert to the driver, as well as a notification to the fleet manager, which can be configured to include a photo of the incident.

Forward-facing dashboard cameras, also known as dash cams, record and store footage of the key moments leading up to a collision. Police can access this footage at the scene of an incident, enabling them to quickly prove whether or not a driver was tailgating. Dash cams such as Trakm8’s RoadHawk DC-3 therefore help to deter your drivers from following other vehicles too closely.

Trakm8’s award-winning RH600 telematics camera is proven to reduce accident rates by up to 39%, cut instances of speeding by 35%, improve driver behaviour, and enhance fuel economy by up to 10%. It is the most advanced 4G telematics camera currently available on the UK market.

Trakm8’s RoadHawk vehicle cameras are proven to cut at-fault accident rates by up to 20% and reduce insurance premiums by up to 10%, providing ROI within months of purchase. All RoadHawk models can be self-installed in minutes or hardwired in by an auto-electrician.

For further details, please visit https://www.trakm8.com/vehicle-cameras

If you would like to find out more about our vehicle camera solutions, fill out the short form below and one of our team will be in touch. Alternatively, call us on 0330 311 5157 or email us at info@trakm8.com.