Leave tailgating for football – ICBC survey shows B.C. drivers say one thing, do another when it comes to tailgating

June 24, 2025

According to a new ICBC survey* by Ipsos, 77% of B.C. drivers admit to tailgating or following too closely behind the vehicle in front on occasion. Yet when the roles are reversed, 86% say being tailgated makes them feel frustrated, scared, angry or even intimidated. 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.

When asked why they tailgate, drivers pointed to their frustrations. Half (50%) said it's because the driver ahead is travelling below the speed limit, going too slow, while 30% blame slower drivers in the fast lane. Meanwhile, 17% admitted they tailgate to block others from cutting in, and 16% simply said they’re in a rush to get where they’re going.

The survey also uncovered where tailgating is most common. A whopping 84% of drivers say it happens at least sometimes on city streets, and 82% report it on highways. Three out of four drivers (75%) experience tailgating in the fast or HOV lanes, where speed is already expected. Surprisingly, 73% say they're tailgated in construction zones, and 69% report it even happens in playground and school zones, places where extra caution and reduced speed should be applied.

“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. 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 remain one of most common type of collisions reported to ICBC, with tailgating often being a contributing factor. In fact, more than 57,000 rear-end collisions were reported to ICBC last year alone.

While some drivers may brush it off, the vast majority say being tailgated is anything but harmless. Only 12% say it doesn’t bother them, while the rest report a range of negative reactions. 31% feel frustrated, 23% admit they’re scared, 21% say they feel angry, and 11% feel intimidated when another driver follows too closely. Tailgating isn’t just risky, it’s an emotional trigger for many behind the wheel.

When faced with a tailgater, B.C. drivers take a variety of approaches — some defensive, others more reactive. 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.

Here’s the twist: while many drivers surveyed admit to tailgating, even more recognize the importance of maintaining a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of them. 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.

More insights from the survey are available in the results summary .

Tips to avoid and handle tailgating:

• If you’re being tailgated, stay 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.

*Survey conducted by Ipsos online panel. 800 total surveys completed. Data collected from March 21 to 25, 2025. Those surveyed met the criteria of having a valid B.C. driver’s licence and self-reporting having driven since receiving their licence.