Do you ever feel like people are tailgating your vehicle consistently? Maybe you always drive the speed limit, but it always seems like there is an impatient driver right behind you. It’s very frustrating because this drastically increases your odds of being injured in a car accident.

But why do people do this? It is well known that people should leave a three-second gap between cars. What are some of the reasons why they refuse to do so?

They are impatient

As you may have guessed, many people are simply impatient and in a rush. They want you to drive faster than you are, even if you’re driving the speed limit or going over it already. They will tailgate you as a way to communicate this, hoping to get you to speed up.

They are oblivious

There is also the chance that the tailgater has no idea that what they’re doing is dangerous. They should be leaving a three-second gap, but not everyone remembers this or judges the gap properly. You may know that they are tailgating when they feel like they’re driving safely.

It’s a form of road rage

Finally, tailgating sometimes happens when drivers get frustrated or angry with each other. It may be a type of road rage. An example of this could be if you accidentally cut someone off and then they start tailgating you afterward, trying to show you how angry they are that you made a driving mistake.

No matter the reason, tailgating is always illegal. If you’ve been injured by a driver who decided to do so anyway, you need to know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills and other costs.