How to Report Tailgating in the UK

If someone's following you too closely, it probably at least makes you nervous and might even make you angry. Tailgating is a form of dangerous or anti-social driving that puts the driver, as well as other drivers on the roadway, at risk...

Filing a Dangerous Driving Report

  1. Pull your car off the road and park in a safe location. Trying to report a dangerous driver while you're driving will make the situation even more dangerous. Even if you're just the passenger in the vehicle, you could distract the driver by asking them questions while they're trying to focus on the road.[2]
    1. Avoid simply pulling off to the shoulder, especially if traffic is heavy. A public parking lot or retail establishment is typically the best place to stop. If you're driving at night, stop in an area that's well-lit.
  2. Take down information about the driver. You don't want to try to write down information while you're driving — taking your eyes off the road is also dangerous driving, especially if you've got someone following you too closely. If there's no one else with you in the car, you may not be able to remember as much information. However, you want as much of the following information about the dangerous driver as possible:[3]
    1. The vehicle's registration/number plate
    2. The vehicle's color, make, and model
    3. The time and place where the incident happened
    4. Specifics about what happened
    5. A basic description of the driver
    6. Names and information for other witnesses
  3. Call 101 to file a report immediately. Typically, anti-social driving doesn't rise to the level of emergency, so you wouldn't call 999. If you want to report the activity immediately, call 101 after you've parked your car in a safe location.[4]
    1. If the driver has already caused an accident or is seriously endangering the lives of other motorists, it might be necessary to call 999. Err on the side of caution, but if you have any doubt, call 101 first. The operator will tell you if they believe you should call 999 instead.
  4. Submit a report online if it's more convenient. If you've got somewhere you need to be or can't talk on the phone immediately, wait until you have a free moment and file your report online. The Metropolitan Police in London has a website you can use to report traffic incidents throughout the UK. [5]
    1. Some local police departments have their own websites. For example, if you live in Cambridgeshire, you can report anti-social driving (with or without video evidence) at https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/Vehicles.
    2. To find the best way to report the incident online, go to https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-the-police/report-a-crime-incident/ and answer the questions.
  5. Cooperate with police as they investigate your report. After you file your report, police will investigate the driver and the incident. If the situation warrants, charges may be pressed against the driver. Typically, this would require you to appear in court and testify about the incident and the actions the driver was taking on the road.[6]
    1. Some police forces won't investigate a report at all if you're unwilling to provide your name and contact information so the can follow up with you.
    2. The police don't always bring charges. However, if they can identify the driver based on your report, they will send a letter to the person advising them that a complaint was filed against them because of their unsafe driving. Your identity won't be revealed in the letter.[7]

    Tip: Most police forces will not take action on your report unless you are willing to appear in court to testify if the driver is prosecuted. Keep this in mind if you prefer to submit your report anonymously.

Submitting Dashcam Footage

  1. Contact your local police force to tell them about the incident. Pull off the road to a safe location and call 101 to reach your local police force immediately. Tell the operator that you want to report dangerous or anti-social driving and that you have dash cam footage of the incident.[8]
    1. Typically, the operator will take down some information about you and the incident, then tell you how you can submit your dashcam footage. They may provide you with the URL of a website or send you an email that you can reply to and attach your footage.
    2. You can also use the website Nextbase (https://www.nextbase.com/en-gb/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/) to submit your dashcam footage from anywhere in the UK. The company will forward your footage to the appropriate police force.
  2. Provide details about the incident in an online form. If you're submitting your dashcam footage online, you'll typically also fill out a form in which you provide information about yourself, including your name and address. Then, you'll identify when and where the incident captured took place along with a description, in your own words, of what happens in the footage.[9]
    1. Your description also helps police understand anything that might have happened beforehand that was out of the camera's range and wasn't captured.
    2. Provide as much specific information as possible to help the police identify the driver and act on your report.
  3. Upload raw original footage of the incident from your dashcam. Include the entire incident in the file you send to the police. You might also include footage a little before and a little after. Do not edit the footage in any way or remove any elements, such as overheard conversation in your car.[10]
    1. Don't delete the footage from your device, even after you've submitted it to the police. If the police decide to prosecute the driver they'll need that original footage directly from the device — not a copy.

    Warning: When you submit dashcam footage, police will review your own actions as well as those of the driver you're reporting. If you engaged in any unsafe driving to antagonize or "get back" at the tailgater, you might find yourself in trouble as well.

  4. Answer questions from investigating officers. After officers have reviewed your report and evaluated your dashcam footage, they may want to talk to you about the incident. Your report won't be investigated if you're not willing to cooperate with the investigation.[11]
    1. If the tailgater is charged with dangerous or anti-social driving, you may be required to testify in court regarding the incident and what you saw. At a minimum, you'll need to authenticate your dashcam footage.
Update 21 April 2020
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