Following too Closely

Maybe you were impatient with the driver ahead of you, so you tailgated them and when they braked suddenly — you hit their rear bumper. The police wrote you a ticket for following too closely.

A moving violation ticket – or two or three — can lead to escalating difficulties like points on your driving record, costly fines, rising insurance premiums and even suspension of your driver’s license. A defense attorney can help you minimize or avoid these problems.

What You Need To Know About Following Too Closely

In Pennsylvania, you can be cited for following another vehicle “more closely than is reasonable and prudent.”

The law leaves open exactly how close is too close. The police who ticket you will make that determination based on their observation of what they considered to be reasonable and prudent under the circumstances.

The law makes allowances for several factors. If you have to follow another vehicle closely because you are stuck in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic, it does not add up to illegally following too closely.

Also, if there is an accident or road construction, and you are compelled to drive in close proximity to the car ahead, this would also not equal illegally following too closely.

If you are found guilty of following too closely, three points will be added to your driving record.

What To Do If The Police Pull You Over

• Turn the ignition off but don’t get out of the car.
• Don’t argue with the police officer or get angry.
• Be polite.

How A Lawyer Will Help

When you are up against a traffic violation, you need an attorney who will stand by you every step of the way, work hard to discredit any evidence – and work with you to determine your best course of action.

Pennsylvania Traffic Violation Law

Traffic violation is described and defined under The Pennsylvania Code under Title 75. Read the code.