EDMONTON — Many drivers have experienced it: you look in your rear-view mirror and there’s another vehicle right on your tail.
In 2015, nearly 40 per cent of the collisions on Edmonton roads were caused by drivers following too closely behind the vehicle in front of them, according to the City of Edmonton.
The city believes more than 9,700 crashes could have been avoided by leaving more space between vehicles.
“People often don’t realize the risks they are taking and the danger they create for others when they tailgate,” Laura Thue, senior research coordinator with the city’s office of traffic safety, said.
“It’s all about leaving yourself enough room to stop if the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly.”
Here’s a list of the top 10 locations where following too closely led to a collision in 2015:
- Yellowhead Trail and 149 Street – 65 collisions
- 107 Avenue and 142 Street – 58 collisions
- 137 Avenue and 97 Street – 48 collisions
- 137 Avenue and 50 Street – 47 collisions
- 167 Avenue and 97 Street – 45 collisions
- Whitemud Drive eastbound and 66 Street – 43 collisions
- Yellowhead Trail and 127 Street – 42 collisions
- 95 Avenue and 170 Street – 41 collisions
- 23 Avenue and 91 Street – 39 collisions
- 63 Avenue and 91 Street – 39 collisions
Graphic by Tonia Huynh, Global News
The city recommends leaving a three-second space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. At 50 km/h on dry pavement, a vehicle travels almost 13 metres before the driver hits the brakes, the city said. The vehicle then travels another 14 metres before stopping.
READ MORE: Edmonton traffic deaths up 50%; police chief calls it ‘tremendous concern’
Last fall, Edmonton became the first city in Canada to adopt “Vision Zero,” a campaign aimed at having zero fatalities and zero major injuries on the roads.
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