Tailgating which means not keeping a safe distance between two vehicles became the cause of a fatal accident on a busy Dubai road on Monday afternoon.
Three died and eight were injured when a collision between a mini bus and a truck took place on the Emirates Road.
Brigaider Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of the Traffic Department in Dubai Police, said, “The accident occurred at 1pm on Emirates Road before the Maleha Exit towards Sharjah.”
Initial police reports revealed that the minibus was not keeping a safe distance from the long transport vehicle in the front, and later crashed into it causing a severe road accident.
Brigadier General Saif Muhair Al Mazroui advised drivers to be aware of the fatal consequences of tailgating and failing to pay attention to the road ahead.
“Drivers should be careful when driving on highways and leave safe distance between vehicles,” Brigaider Al Mazroui added.
An ambulance and police patrols were dispatched to the scene. The police admitted the injured in Rashid Hospital for treatment.
How to avoid tailgating
To avoid tailgating, use the "three-second rule": When the vehicle ahead of you passes a certain point such as a sign, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three." Counting these numbers takes approximately three seconds. If you pass the same point before you finish counting, you are following too closely.