Stay safe, stay back
05 November 2020
We Marshall Minibus Leasing are dedicated to the safety of our drivers and follow advice from Highways England and other governing bodies closely.
Anyone who drives a vehicle, and likely even those who don’t, will have heard the saying ‘stay safe, stay back’. The sad reality is, this warning is often not heeded. Tailgaiting is partly responsible for one in eight casualties on England’s motorways and major A roads, with more than 130 people killed or seriously injured in incidents involving people driving too close in 2018.
Highways England has joined forces with the police to tackle tailgaiters with new cameras, which have already caught 10,000 offenders within the first two weeks of trials.
Highways England’s head of road safety Jeremy Philips said, “These new cameras have, sadly, highlighted just how many people are driving too close on our roads.
“We understand that most tailgating is unintentional by drivers who are simply unaware they are dangerously invading someone else’s space. But not leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front can be very frightening and intimidating – it could also prove fatal.”
“We are trialling the new cameras to make drivers aware of their behaviour and encourage better driving.
“We are also using the Space Invader video game character as a quick reminder to drivers of the risks of tailgating. Our message is simple – Don’t be a Space Invader, Stay safe, stay back.”
Caroline Layton, a data and intelligence analyst for Highways England, says she feared her small car was going to be “crushed” when she was tailgated by a lorry in motorway roadworks on the M27.
Layton said, “He came up really close, just a couple of metres behind. I thought I had to slow down because if it hit me at 50mph I would be crushed.
“This was very intimidating behaviour and likely to cause a crash and serious injury. If anyone had stopped in front of me he would have gone into the back of my car and I would have been sandwiched in the middle.
“From the driver’s seat, all I could see in my rear-view mirror was the lorry’s grill.”
PC Dave Lee of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team, which is supporting the trial, said “Motorists who experience tailgating can often feel intimidated and put under pressure to increase their speed in a bid to create more space between them and the offending vehicle.
“However, we have seen first-hand the devastating consequences which tailgating can cause. People who carry out this extremely dangerous behaviour are not just putting themselves at risk, but the lives of other road users.
“Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our county’s road network remains a policing priority for the Force, which is why it is important to work with our partners on such campaigns in a bid to save lives by making our roads safer.”
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We at Marshall Minibus are always interested in finding out the latest news about road safety. To find out more about our minibus leasing options, please contact us on 01480 220444 or email info@marshall-minibus.co.uk.
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