Warning for tailgating - just curious

[Jimdandy]

I’ve been sent the attached - completely accept it and it’s worked, I’ll change my ways (I honestly don’t normally do it, but get frustrated as there's a lot of lane 2, 3 and 4 hoggers, but I still see why I shouldn’t and won’t again)

But I’m just really curious how they detect it from the cameras? Just interested in the technology and how it works.

Anyone know? I drove this route everyday so on my best behaviour now.

Someone could have sent in dash cam footage of you tailgating them, or they have been reviewing traffic cam footage or their was an unmarked police car on the road at the time.

If you cannot drive without doing dangerous things when another motorist frustrates you then you should not be driving.

More likely a driver has complained. It’s from Highways not Police but it’s an advice letter about how not to drive like a twat. Specs may pick up your driving habits but it’s a new thing on me.

I believe there are cameras that can detect it, and good job too.

These are new cameras, not dissimilar to the average speed cameras.
They read your number plate and can apparently tell if it is tail gating rather than you have changed lanes and come momentarily close to another vehicle.

Yeah,I'd guess complaint personally?

As it says a 'sustained period of time' wonder how long it was you were doing this for without overtaking?

Just to add, it's not before time.
Tailgating is massively intimidating and causes people to make hasty manoeuvres just to get out of their way.
Hope they make a bloody mint out of those cameras. That are the worst type of drivers!!
If you're in that much of a hurry you need to intimidate other drivers, set of earlier.

That's good that this is finally being cracked down on

Do you not get frightened driving so close to someone knowing your stopping distance is compromised? Literally putting your own life in danger on the motorway

So we now get people who drive dangerously to fill in surveys? Dear God no wonder nobody takes traffic regulations seriously.

Is this on a smart motorway by any chance? They work on the same principle as average speed cameras.

I'd guess someone reported you using dashcam footage. Police would have pulled you over there and then.

Tailgating is awful.... I get so intimidated by people that do this.

How long was the sustained period of time for the cameras to pick it up and act on it?

So pleased to see this is happening. I bloody hate tailgaters. It's horribly stressful driving with another car 6 inches from your bumper, either from or rear.

Hope middle lane hoggers are also getting warnings.

www.gov.uk/government/news/caught-on-camera-10000-tailgaters-spotted-in-just-two-weeks

Good. It would be even better if they had fined you. Very irresponsible, bullying behaviour.

Was reading about the tailgating camera trial in the Times recently:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cameras-fight-growing-danger-of-tailgating-dltxq2bfj?shareToken=d2677827b66a5adcac4399461153e25b

Good job you aren't in France, they love to whack fines at tailgaters!

Tailgating is bullying with what is essentially a deadly weapon.

You are driving something that can cause massive damage to yourself and others.

Crashes on motorways rarely involve only two cars.

I hope they also sent a patronising letter to the lane hogging twat in front of you, who was presumably disobeying the Highway Code by not keeping well to the left while driving and allowing faster traffic to safely overtake him?
Such people are the cause of accidents by obstructing the free flow of traffic, leading to frustration and road rage in the drivers trapped behind them.

OP, I wouldn’t advise tailgating for any great distance, but I have certainly come up behind slow drivers in the outside lane and flashed my lights to tell them to pull in to the empty inside lane. If they didn’t comply immediately when I was on call for hospital emergencies, I simply overtook them on the inside. Such drivers are an utter menace.

@YouBoughtMeAWall
I was going to say that but thought I would get jumped on for it!