Saturday July 5, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
OVer three-quarters of BC drivers admit to — on occasion — tailgating or following too closely behind the vehicle in front.
That is according to a tailgating ICBC survey by Ipsos in which 77% of B.C. drivers admitted to tailgating or following too closely.
“Yet when the roles are reversed, 86% say being tailgated makes them feel frustrated, scared, angry or even intimidated,” said ICBC in a news release on June 24, 2025.
ICBC adds: “It’s a classic case of ‘do as I say, not as I drive’, proving that when it comes to the road, we’re not always as patient as we like to think.”
While some drivers may brush it off, the vast majority say being tailgated is anything but harmless.
Survey profile:
The survey was conducted via an Ipsos online panel, with 800 total surveys completed. That implies people who chose to participate rather than a truly random sample.
Data was collected from March 21 to 25, 2025. ICBC says those surveyed met the criteria of having a valid B.C. driver’s licence and self-reporting having driven since receiving their licence.
Main reasons for tailgating:
When asked why they tailgate, drivers pointed to:
- 50% said it’s because the driver ahead is travelling below the speed limit or going too slow;
- 30% blame slower drivers in the fast lane;
- 17% to block others from cutting in;
- 16% in a rush to get where they’re going.
On city streets and highways:
- Tailgating appears to be most common on city streets and highways: 84% and 82% of drivers respectively.
- Three out of four drivers (75%) experience tailgating in the fast or HOV lanes, where speed is already expected.
- ICBC says it is “surprising” that 73% say they’re tailgated in construction zones.
- In playgrounds and school zones the response was 69%.
Road safety comments:
“Every time you get behind the wheel, you’re sharing the road, and how you drive affects everyone around you,” said Kathleen Nadalin, ICBC’s road safety program manager.
“Tailgating isn’t just aggressive, it’s dangerous. It cuts your reaction time, increases your risk of a crash, and puts pressure on the driver ahead,” says Nadalin.
“A safe following distance isn’t just a courtesy, it’s a critical part of keeping everyone safe. Remember, the only place tailgating is fun is at a football game, not on the road.”
Rear-end crashes:
Rear-end crashes remain one of most common type of collisions reported to ICBC, with tailgating often being a contributing factor.
More than 57,000 rear-end collisions were reported to ICBC in 2024.
Feelings about tailgating:
Only 12% say tailgating doesn’t bother them, while the rest of the survey respondents reported a range of negative reactions. Tailgating isn’t just risky, it’s an emotional trigger for many behind the wheel.
- 31% feel frustrated,
- 23% admit they’re scared,
- 21% say they feel angry, and
- 11% feel intimidated when another driver follows too closely.
Responses to tailgating:
When faced with a tailgater, B.C. drivers take a variety of approaches — some defensive, others more reactive, says ICBC.
According to the survey, 41% choose to move to another lane when it’s safe to do so, while 28% try to ignore the behaviour and maintain the posted speed limit.
Others take different tactics. 11% pull over to let the vehicle pass, 9% deliberately slow down to send a message, and 7% admit to speeding up to create space, a move that can increase the risk for everyone on the road.
Distance between vehicles:
- Nearly everyone surveyed (95%) say they are likely to maintain a following distance of at least two seconds when driving at 50 km/h or less on city streets. On highways, 92% report they are likely to keep at least a three-second gap when traveling at 80 km/h or more in good weather conditions.
- When road conditions deteriorate, most drivers indicate they adapt their behavior accordingly.
- In poor weather, 86% say they are likely to increase their following distance on city streets, and 87% say they are likely to do the same on highways, demonstrating an awareness of the added risks that come with reduced visibility and slippery roads.
Tips to avoid and respond to tailgating:
- If you’re being tailgated, be calm. Consider slowing down slightly to increase the space in front of you. This way, if you have to slow down or stop, you can do so gradually and give the driver behind you more time to react. Other strategies are to move into another lane or to pull over to the side of the road if it’s safe to do so and let the tailgater pass. When stopped at an intersection, leave about one car’s length between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. This gives you room to move ahead or potentially change lanes if a vehicle is approaching from behind quickly. When stopped behind a larger vehicle, allow more space.
- Give yourself extra time. If you give yourself extra time to get to your destination, you won’t be in a hurry and tempted to speed. Consider the time of day and peak commute times when planning out your drive. If your travel involves a longer route, check road conditions, possible road closures on drivebc.ca, and use GPS to get an estimate of how long your drive will take.
- Consider others when you’re behind the wheel. Our roadways are shared spaces. That means, allowing space for vehicles when they’re trying to merge into your lane or being considerate of slower moving vehicles like RVs and trailers. When passing, keep within the speed limit, ensure there’s enough space in the lane you’re entering, and communicate clearly with other road users by using your signals. If you need to pass a vulnerable road user, like a cyclist, on roads with speed limits of 50km/hr or less, you have to leave one metre of space and for roads with speeds above 50km/hr, leave 1.5 metres of space.
- Manage your speed and following distance. If you tailgate, the vehicle in front of you may block your view of hazards ahead. Worse, if the vehicle ahead suddenly stops, you won’t have time to slow down and stop safely. Allow at least three seconds of distance when driving behind a large vehicle that could block your vision or a motorcycle that could stop very quickly. Increase your following distance to four seconds if weather conditions are bad or visibility is reduced.
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