How should you respond to a tailgater while maintaining safety?

• A. Speed up to create space
• B. Increase your following distance, tap your brakes gently to warn, and move to another lane if safe to do so.
• C. Brake hard
• D. Ignore and maintain position

Answer: (B)

When someone is following too closely, the safest approach is to reduce risk by creating space and signaling a calm, controlled response. Increase your following distance so you have more time to react if traffic slows or stops ahead. Lightly tapping the brakes serves as a warning to the driver behind you without appearing aggressive, helping them anticipate your slower speed. If it’s safe to do so, move to another lane to let the tailgater pass and relieve the pressure on your vehicle. This combination lowers the chance of a rear-end collision and keeps you in control. Speeding up to create space can prompt the tailgater to speed up or try unsafe passes, braking hard risks a crash with the car behind you, and ignoring the tailgater does nothing to reduce danger.