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General Knowledge · Managing Space

A driver notices a car has been tailgating a heavy vehicle for several miles on an uphill grade. What is the recommended way to reduce the danger of a crash?

1.Gradually increase following distance ahead and avoid sudden speed or direction changes, rather than speeding up or flashing brake lights at the tailgaterCorrect answer
2.Tap the brakes lightly several times in a row to clearly warn the tailgater that they are following much too closely from behind
3.Speed up until completely clear of the tailgater, then resume the normal posted speed limit for the rest of that stretch of roadway
4.Move slightly onto the paved shoulder of the roadway itself to encourage the tailgater to pass safely on the left side instead

Explanation

The safest response to being tailgated is to open up more space ahead and make any needed speed or direction change gradually, since sudden braking or swerving gives a following driver, who is already too close, no time to react. Understanding how to manage the space behind a vehicle is part of the required knowledge CDL applicants must have under 49 CFR 383.111(a)(10)(ii), but that paragraph only names "space cushions, e.g., controlling space ahead/to the rear" as a required knowledge topic; it does not itself describe this tailgater-response technique, which is standard driver-training content rather than a codified federal rule. The other options fail for a shared reason: each responds to the tailgater with an abrupt or provocative action, brake-tapping, speeding up, or edging onto the shoulder, that increases crash risk rather than reducing it.

Source: 49 CFR 383.111(a)(10)(ii)

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