Tailgaters (the bad kind) beware: RRPD is watching

From the Rio Rancho Observer - Rio Rancho Police recently conducted a study involving the major causes of crashes over a six month period. In that time, at least 50 percent of the crashes, about 300, involved drivers who were following too closely. This is significant because most of the crashes could have been avoided. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) previously came up with guidelines for safe following distances. The three-second rule was adopted as a National Standard. The rule is a simple way to double-check driving at a safe following distance. To do this, simply choose a fixed point that is even with the car in front of you like a road sign or a building. If you reach that same fixed point before you can count to three, then you are driving too close to the car and you need to fall back a bit. (NewsNM Swickard, Yes, four cars will pull into the gap one after another, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing, eh?) Officers will target peak traffic volume and density locations, complaint areas and areas where statistical data revealed a high propensity for following too close and inattentive driving collisions. Officers will use LIDAR (Laser Radar) equipped with the Distance Between Cars (DBC) function to measure following distances of motorists in target areas. Citations will be issued for, but not limited to, following too close, aggressive driving and speeding... Read more

Tailgaters (the bad kind) beware: RRPD is watching