Traffic Idiocy #1 - Tailgating

Tailgating is more than just what a group of people do before and during a football game. Here is a basic definition of traffic tailgating according to Wikipedia. Are you guilty of this?

"Tailgating is the act of driving on a road too close to the vehicle in front, such that the distance between the two vehicles does not guarantee that stopping to avoid collision is possible.

The safe distance for following another vehicle varies depending on various factors including vehicle speed, weather, visibility and other road conditions. Some jurisdictions may require a minimal gap of a specified distance or time interval. When following heavy vehicles or in less than ideal conditions (e.g. low light or rain), a longer distance is recommended."

Every, and I mean EVERY, time I get on the freeway or a main road, I see tailgating to the fullest. It is as if it became the "in thing" to do. I believe a lot of the bad driving we see today has to do with a number of factors, but two are quite possibly the "monkey see monkey do" mentality and the influx of foreign drivers from aggressive driving cultures. The police are constantly raising the bar during quota time so I am beginning to wonder when they will add this infraction to their list. Oh yeah, I have even witnessed people tailgating the police cars!