Tailgating - driving too closely to another vehicle in your lane - is not only annoying for the driver in front of you, it also may earn you an expensive ticket, tow and repair bill if it leads to an accident.

But there's one more important reasons not to tailgate.

Let’s say you’re on a two-lane road. You’re right on top of the large truck or van in front of you when an oncoming vehicle in the other lane crosses the yellow line. Because you’re tailgating, your view of the other lane is obstructed, you don’t see the oncoming car in time to react, and you don’t have enough room to maneuver out of the way.

Another scenario: you’re practically riding the bumper in front of you when, out of nowhere, a muffler or a large truck tire tread appears in the middle of the highway. Because you can’t see enough of the road ahead, you can’t react quickly enough to miss the debris. If you drive over it you could damage your car. If you swerve to avoid it, you could slam into another vehicle.

In both of these examples, the end result could be a deadly accident. Ask yourself if tailgating is worth that risk.