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Alberta drivers are getting a little too close for comfort, according to the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) as a new survey shows tailgating is the province’s top driver error associated with casualty collisions.

AMA’s survey shows 63 per cent of drivers often or always witness other vehicles following too close while only two per cent of respondents admitted to doing the act themselves. Jeff Kasbrick, AMA’s vice-president of government and stakeholder relations, said tailgating leads to a third of all collisions that cause harm or death in Alberta. AMA attributes nine collision a day and over 3,000 collisions a year to tailgating.

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“Alberta drivers like to get pretty cosy with each other, maybe a little too close for comfort,” said Kasbrick at a Tuesday press conference. “Tailgating simply isn’t safe and we need to come together to raise awareness and ultimately stop doing it.”

Tailgating should be viewed as a total fail, said Kasbrick, calling it “failgating”. He said it slows traffic, raises costs related to insurance premiums and can ultimately cost drivers four demerit points if they’re convicted.