“… it remains unclear to me exactly what you mean by a 'tailgating camera' “

Forrest, I’m not sure either. I’ve been trying to net-surf an answer. I guess that it is restricted to cameras mounted on overpasses on freeways. Whatever the case, it is bound to only be a token effort.

While I agree with tailgating cameras in any form, I think that the solution lies in empowering the general public, by way of recording the necessary information and making complaints to the police.

Tailgating cameras mounted in the rear window of a car might be part of this.

For that matter, it is not hard for a passenger with a digital cam recorder or still camera to record the necessary info.

The police should be encouraging and facilitating this sort of thing, instead of rendering the public virtually powerless.

“How do you properly distinguish the real cause of the problem in any specific instance?”

Well, there is no excuse for tailgating. If the driver in front is a road-hog, a tailgater is still in the wrong.

For that matter, a passenger with a camera can gather the necessary evidence regarding a slow road-hog in just the same way as for a tailgater.

All they need to do is photograph the offending car, number plate and driver if possible, then the speedometer in the car that they are travelling in. You’d also need to record the time and place of course.

Now if just a small portion of the public did this sort of thing, with support from the police, then the tailgating phenomenon along with lots of other wankery on our roads could be greatly reduced. If bad drivers came to realise that any person could easily gather evidence and make a complaint, and that a significant portion of the travelling public were inclined to do so, then they’d pull their heads in.

The police could then concentrate more on non-road-safety-related matters. Jobs would be created administering the complaints. The police and government would get their revenue-raising fix. Almost everyone would be happy!

“I drive far too many kilometers every year, mostly on secondary "highways" that traverse inland eastern Australia, and I never get tailgated…”

Yes CJ, on inland roads where there is vastly less traffic and plenty of overtaking opportunities, tailgating isn’t much of a problem. But on the Bruce Highway for example, it is rife.

“…and I never get tailgated (except at roadworks when I just ignore them)”

Stuff that! I’m not one to just ignore being placed under a heightened risk scenario at any time. In roadworks zones, you’ve got hazards that you don’t have on the open road. You don’t need tailgaters as well, and you shouldn’t just put up with it.

“I think that there needs to be greater emphasis on encouraging drivers to be courteous to each other and other road users.”

Do you real think that this would have any effect at all in the absence of a greatly improved policing regime? There are far too many drivers who don’t know the meaning of the word ‘courtesy’ and who won’t decide to be nice on the road just because some advertising campaign implores them to do so.

“I disagree with those who advocate covert policing - I think that nothing is more effective in improving driving behaviour than having lots of brightly coloured police cars on the road.”

Got to disagree with that! ALL police cars should be unmarked. They can easily be identified as police vehicles by turning on the little blue flashing light. Brightly coloured police vehicles achieve two things; to show how sparse they are and how wafer thin the thin blue line is, and to give unscrupulous drivers adequate warning and opportunity to change their behaviour in the presence of the police….and then change it right back again as soon as they have gone. Covert policing on our roads is DEFINITELY the way to go.

Ludwig, mate, it'll never work. I am highly unlikely to tail gate you, or anyone, as the paint job on my 30 year old sports car, [sports by name at least] is too vulnerable to stone chip damage, for me to be too close to the car in front.

BUT, if I did decide to tail gate, you, or anyone else, I'll be too damn close, for anyone to get a photo of my numberplate, from inside the car I was following. If I'm not that close, it can't really be tail gating, can it? [Smile]

I would suggest it would be a very bad idea to start taking photos of any driver, who must be frustrated, to be behaving in a stupid manner. From what I have seen of road rage, you would be asking to be driven off the road.

Just keep to reporting what you don't like, vigilante activities will just get yuo something you don't want.

Hasbeen, I share your disgust with some planners and managers.

We’ve got a new bypass road in Townsville, which links the Bruce Hwy to the south with the Bruce Hwy to the north. It was built at great expense, with several overpass bridges and a new bridge over the Ross River. It links a long stretch of dual carriageway on the south side to the same on the north side.

But get this: for its entire length of many kilometres, it comprises a single lane in each direction, with absolutely no overtaking lanes!

What were the planners smoking?! What were those that approved this project sucking on??

It absolutely defies belief.

It seems that the managers of roadworks sites are all too often completely inept!

The police are the managers of road law and safety. But by crikey they leave an awful lot to be desired!

Alright, I note your negativity about the simple use of a camera to gather evidence of tailgaters and other unscrupulous road-users. Obviously I don’t agree with you on that point. I emphasise the importance for the public to feel empowered, as opposed to being essentially powerless, to do something about tailgating etc.

That sort of thing is not vigilante activity. Far from it – it really is just part of the commonsense responsibility of all citizens to do their bit. Of course all citizens are not going to do it, but if just 1% took it up, it could make a huge difference.

Sorry Ludwig, a bad choice of words there.

Still, don't forget the people you are going to be taking snaps of, are likely to be the aggressive type, or they probably wouldn't be tailgating, in thr first place. They will also be armed with over a ton of powerful weapon.

I have seen one road rage event, when someone passed a bloke, waffling along at 80, in a 100 zone, & eating a hamburger. The way that bloke went off, just because someone wanted to pass him, I reckon it would be more than a bit dangerous, taking his photo.

Probably better to fit a very heavy duty tow bar, & take the globes out of the brake lights, or fit a small rear view camera, that your quarry won't notice.

I handed back our fleet Ute after 9 days.
It was a fill in until my car returned, bit surprised I had done 3400 kl ms in that period.
Its a bit above my average but not much.
We Ludwig have spoken about that long tail at work sites before, sorry bloke it is complex.
It is in part a traffic calming zone, slowing traffic down both leaving and coming on site.
And a traffic storage area that MUST be in place.
That is to allowed a long Que to form safely while waiting to go.
That line MUST be AFTER the signs, so motorists near the end of line see warnings, that leads to a separate issue.
Que control, vital! lines must not end just around a corner or over a hill.
There MUST be warning for ever car that traffic is stopped ahead.
Long tails are also because stopped traffic must be clear of moving traffic, people get out of cars and wander around.
Some spend half the day complaining about roadworks, and the other complaining about the condition of the road.
It is complex.
I have reported my dreadful sights of attending death scenes, 12 in one week dead.
Still wake in a sweat sometimes, can you imagine that? 73 deaths in 22 years, .
I drive 10 klm over the speed limit, a petrol head still, but let police drive anything, use any means, a life can never be replaced.
more on traffic control soon.