Confused.com says four in five drivers have been tailgated while a third admit to hogging the middle lane.
Despite a proliferation of poor lane discipline it remains a notoriously difficult offence to monitor.
“Careless driving” includes offences such as tailgating, middle-lane hogging, undertaking and driving too slowly. Yet only 2,012 drivers fell foul of “careless driving” spot fines in 2016 according to Freedom of Information data.
This is despite the introduction of ‘smart’ motorways, which do not have the means to catch these types of offenders in the act.
It seems to be an issue that needs to be addressed, given that one in five (19%) of drivers have had an accident or near miss as a result of being tailgated by another driver, while one in 10 (11%) have had a similar experience with a middle-lane hogger.
The number of drivers committing these dangerous offences is not surprising given that the research shows four in five (79%) UK drivers are unaware that tailgating is an offence punishable by at least three points on your licence and a £100 fine. And similarly, two-fifths (37%) are unaware that middle-lane hoggers can face the same penalties.
It’s perhaps no wonder so many drivers are unaware of these offences, given that almost a third (30%) of qualified drivers were never taught to drive on motorways after passing their test
Thankfully, it will be legal for learner drivers to be taught on motorways from 2018, which could improve awareness of careless driving offences among motorists.