Do you often feel like the car in your mirror is just a bit too close? They may not be driving aggressively, but it makes you uncomfortable to have them so close to the back bumper.
This is a very natural feeling, and it may just mean that they’re not following the 3-second rule. This rule of thumb simply indicates that having three seconds between vehicles is important because it lowers the odds of a rear-end accident. When someone drives just two seconds back — or closer — they put you at risk.
They may still blame you
Often, the drivers who violate the 3-second rule aren’t aggressive tailgaters. They’re just oblivious. They believe that the following distance they’ve settled on is safe, and they don’t know that any risk exists. That’s why they don’t back off.
This can also lead them to blame you for the accident. Say you see a child’s football roll into the street. Fearing the child will chase it, you slam on the brakes and get rear-ended by the tailgater behind you. They’ll be irate that you hit the brakes so aggressively, telling you that you caused the crash.
Rest assured: They’re wrong. In almost every single case, the driver in the back is at fault. This is because drivers are legally obligated to leave a large enough stopping distance. No matter why you stopped quickly, if they hit you, that means they were too close. They did not drive safely, and they were not prepared for the unexpected.
What can you do next?
Have you been hurt in an accident like this? You may have high medical bills and many other costs, so you need to know how to seek compensation.