Overview

• Driving instructor Annie Winterburn advises leaving at least a two-second gap on dry roads, extending to four seconds when wet and twenty seconds on icy surfaces
• The Highway Code mandates minimum following distances that grow with speed, rising to 2.4 seconds at 50 mph and 3.1 seconds at 70 mph to ensure safe stopping room
• The DVLA warns tailgating offenders face fines beginning at £100, three penalty points on their licence and potential disqualification or imprisonment for careless driving
• National Highways data link close-following to one in eight collisions on England’s major roads, contributing to over 140 serious injuries or deaths each year
• Police forces are using dashcam evidence under Operation Snap to enforce safe distancing alongside charity-led personal-space campaigns