ROAD safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist is calling on drivers to observe the two-second rule and ensure they're not putting lives at risk by tailgating.

The advice comes amid concern that too many motorists are simply unaware of the distance they need to stop safely in an emergency.

Writing in the summer edition of GEM's membership magazine, Good Motoring, road safety expert Peter Rodger says that being followed too closely is one of the most hated experiences among drivers.

"Drivers regularly place being tailgated up there at the top of the list of annoying, unpleasant and dangerous things they experience on the road," he says.

"Imagine a sudden problem ahead of you on a motorway or dual carriageway. According to the Highway Code, if you're driving at 70mph you will need a minimum of 96 metres to come to a stop. This relies on your being alert and able to react immediately to the problem you've spotted ahead. Any sort of distraction will compromise that ability, meaning you will continue driving towards the problem at more than 60 metres per second.

"The two-second rule is a great guide, and it works because it's time-based, not distance-based. There's flexibility that matches your speed, so it doesn't mean carrying a spreadsheet of distances and speeds around in your head. You should note as the vehicle in front passes a fixed point, such as a tree or lamp-post. Then you say ‘Only a fool breaks the two-second rule.' If you are still speaking when you pass the same fixed point, then you are following too close.

GEM road safety officer Neil Worth added: "We know that some aggressive drivers deliberately choose a close-following position in an attempt to intimidate those in front of them. But we are also concerned about those who may follow too closely simply because they're not paying attention or they're simply not aware of the space they would need to stop if anything went wrong ahead of them. They don't mean anyone else any harm, but they're still putting lives at risk.

"Trying out the two-second rule on a road journey should be very helpful in demonstrating whether we are following at a distance that will let us react and stop safely if we need to, or whether we are putting ourselves and others at risk because there's simply not enough space in front of us."

GEM says that in wet weather the safe time gap needs to be doubled to four seconds to allow for reduced visibility and the extra stopping distance required tyres have less grip on wet roads, meaning it takes longer to stop.

Other tips include checking your driver seating position to ensure you can brake hard if necessary, keeping a lookout beyond the vehicle in front and not assuming that different rules apply to drivers of modern cars with fantastic brakes.

Effective braking - and doing it early enough - relies on observation and being alert.

And if you're concerned that someone is following you too closely, then leave plenty of extra room ahead of you so that you can lose speed gradually if you need to. Let the vehicle pass when it's safe, so that their presence behind you doesn't turn into a risky distraction.