MOTORISTS sticking to the speed limits are being bullied into going faster by tailgating by other drivers, a study has shown.
There has been a four-fold increase in tailgating incidents involving motorists trying to follow the rules of the road, the study for RBS Insurance by TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) found.
As many as 93% of motorists under observation were tailgated by other road users when driving to Highway Code regulations, while just 47% were tailgated when driving in their usual style.
The study also showed that 40% of drivers following the Highway Code were other overtaken or undertaken - passed on the inside - by other motorists.
It was also found that drivers such as newly-qualified motorists and parents with small children who are likely to be most vulnerable to bullying behaviour on the road.
The study showed an increased use of the rear-view mirror and raised heart rates by these drivers when tailgated, suggesting that many drivers become stressed and emotionally upset as a result, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of accidents.
When asked about how they responded to annoying behaviour by other drivers, motorists' responses ranged from either direct aggression, such as car vandalism and confronting the other driver, to indirect aggressive acts such as cutting in, "brake testing", and indirect aggressive gestures.
One driver even admitted to carrying a baseball bat in his car in case another driver infuriated him.
Maggie Game, head of car insurance at Direct Line, which is part of RBS Insurance, said: "Drivers need to understand that the increased stress caused as a result of tailgating can lead to volatile situations on the road and that tailgating is responsible for approximately 7% of road traffic accidents in the UK.
"By driving less erratically, with fewer gear changes, rapid accelerations and decelerations, the average journey time is 8% faster overall. So, improving driving habits could actually save time and money as well as lives."
