What is a recommended action when a tailgater is following you and it is safe to change lanes?

• A. Brake gently and stay in lane
• B. Increase your following distance, and move to another lane if safe
• C. Speed up to create space
• D. Ignore and maintain position

Answer: (B)

When someone is following too closely, the safest move is to create more space and, if possible, change lanes to let them pass. Increasing the distance from the vehicle ahead gives you a bigger buffer to brake gradually if traffic slows, which reduces the chance of a rear-end collision from the tailgater behind you. If traffic in an adjacent lane is moving and there’s a safe gap, signaling and moving over prevents you from being squeezed and lets the tailgater pass without pressure to brake hard or react suddenly. Speeding up or braking hard to “teach them a lesson” only raises the risk for everyone, and ignoring the tailgater doesn’t address the danger. So, the best action is to increase your following distance and move to another lane if it’s safe.