Study: Georgia drivers among the worst tailgaters

ATLANTA — If you’re hitting the road for the Independence Day holiday, you might want to keep your eye on the driver behind you – and in front of you.

Georgia drivers are among the worst in the nation when it comes to tailgating, a new study shows.

Insurify, a web site for auto insurance quotes, analyzed tailgating violations nationwide. Georgia was the second-worst state, with 45 drivers cited for tailgating per 10,000 motorists. That was second only to Idaho, with 76 drivers cited per 10,000 motorists.

On average, 14 out of every 10,000 drivers nationwide have a prior citation for tailgating, the study found.

The company examined data from more than 1.6 million car insurance applications, which included the driving history of the applicants. Among other things, the applicants disclosed whether they had been cited for tailgating in the last seven years.

In addition to being annoying, tailgating can be dangerous. A third of car collisions involve rear-end impacts, according to 2017 data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The study had some good news for Georgia: the company found the state has the highest rate of seatbelt use in the country (97.1 percent). But it also had some more bad news: Georgia has the 16th-worst traffic fatality rate (14.8 vehicle-related deaths per 100,000 people).

You can read the survey here.

Cox Media Group