Which action best preserves safety when another vehicle is tailgating you?

• A. Move to the right lane immediately.
• B. Brake gradually to warn the tailgater away.
• C. Increase the distance between you and the car in front; gradually slow down to a safe following distance.
• D. Speed up to match the tailgater.

Answer: (C)

When a vehicle is tailgating, the priority is to create space and slow gradually to maintain a safe following distance from the car in front. Easing off the accelerator and reducing speed slowly increases the gap ahead, giving you more time to react to any sudden moves and reducing the chance of a rear-end collision with the tailgater. This method also avoids abrupt braking, which can invite the tailgater to close in further, and it is safer than trying to speed up to match the tailgater or moving to a different lane if that maneuver isn’t clearly safe or possible. So, gradually increasing the distance to the car in front and easing to a safer following distance best preserves safety.