We have all probably been guilty of tailgating ' the act of following the vehicle in front of us too closely ' at one time or another in our lives. Perhaps we were in a rush to get to where we were going, perhaps the person in front of us was driving below the speed limit, or perhaps we simply weren't paying close enough attention to the road and our surroundings. But the absolute truth is that there is just no reason good enough to justify driving that closely behind another vehicle. Remember, too many Fort Worth car accidents and car wreck injuries occur due to excessive tailgating every day. There is a good reason why it is illegal in Texas to tailgate: tailgating drastically increases the probability of both rear-end collisions and interstate chain-reaction accidents, which often lead to serious skull injuries, whiplash injuries, backbone injuries, back injuries, and even the loss of your life.

When it comes to tailgating, how close is too close? Here are some tips on avoiding tailgating and rear-end accidents:

• Put a few car-lengths between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Safety experts suggest that you put one car-length worth of space between you and the vehicle in front of you for even ten miles per hour that you are driving. That means if you are traveling 40 miles per hour, then according to the experts, you should be traveling four car lengths behind the vehicle ahead of you.

• Comprehend that tailgating will help you reach your destination quicker. Tailgating doesn't have ANY inherent rewards - at most, it might get you to your destination a few second faster. Not to mention that following too closely is illegal and could end in an expensive ticket and a black mark on your driving record.

• Give cars more room in bad weather. Vehicles require extra room when operated in inclement weather. Most experts suggest that you double the space between the car in front of you and your vehicle when the road conditions are poor.

• If you are towing something heavy or carrying a substantial payload, be extra liberal with space. When you are towing a significant load, it can be easy to forget that it causes you to need much more room slow down or to come to a complete stop. When towing a load on a highway or interstate, give yourself even more room to stop in case the person in front of you stops or slows down suddenly.

In most scenarios, the individual that rear-ends a car in an automobile accident is the party faulted in the wreck. If you or someone you care about has been gravely hurt in an automobile wreck you believe to be caused by an act of tailgating, it is in your best interest to consult with a Dallas Car Accident Attorney as soon as possible.