Police hand out 135 careless driving fines

“Driving too closely to the car in front, or tailgating, is a serious safety issue and leads to unnecessary crashes and injuries,” said Jonathan Wheeler, APIL’s president.

“It is incredibly anti-social, as well as dangerous, and can be really intimidating for other drivers.

“It’s also entirely pointless as it’s not going to get anyone to their destination any faster, and we’re asking people to back off.”

In a recent poll of motorists, APIL found that more than half (56 per cent) do not know that the typical stopping distance when travelling at 30 miles per hour is 23 metres (75 feet), including thinking time, according to the Highway Code — the equivalent to six car lengths.