Queensland will roll out new camera technology that will warn drivers to back off if they’re caught tailgating on the state’s roads.

According to Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), the Australian-first technology will detect unsafe tailgating behaviour and display a message in real-time on electronic message boards similar to the Speed Awareness Monitors (SAMs) that notify drivers in real-time when they are speeding.

TMR claims that tailgating is a major contributor to road trauma in Queensland and is commonly listed as a pet peeve for Queensland motorists. The tailgating monitor technology will apparently provide a way to increase awareness of safe following distances and how close is too close.

The trial aims to encourage safer driving behaviour by providing a positive message to drivers when they are following at a safe distance and a warning message when they are too close. 

Tailgating drivers will not be penalised from the new cameras.

The new tech comes as the latest RACQ (Royal Automotive Club of Queensland) Annual Road Safety Survey shows that 20 per cent of of drivers admit to tailgating, which is a gradual increase on previous years, with rear-end crashes now the most common type of motoring accident in Queensland.

Tailgating contributed to nearly 2,000 serious crashes – those resulting in a fatality or hospitalisation – from 2014 to 2018, Queensland’s StreetSmarts website states, advising drivers to maintain a two-second gap to the vehicle in front.

Car accident

“Tailgating is a major contributor to road trauma in Queensland, being one of the main causes of rear-end crashes,” said Joanna Robinson, the general manager of Land, Transport, Safety, and Regulation at TMR.

“This new technology will detect unsafe tailgating behaviour, and display a message to motorists in real-time.”