Tailgating is to blame for one in eight serious accidents on motorways and major A-roads, Highways England has warned, as it urges drivers to 'snap out of autopilot'.

Highways England, which manages the roads, said more than 100 people are killed or seriously injured each year in accidents where a vehicle has driven too close to the one in front.

Of the 16,233 casualties on motorways and major A roads in England in 2016, 1,896 involved tailgating.

Richard Leonard, head of road safety at the state company, said: "We think that most of it is simply unintentional, people don't realise they're driving too close to people ... sometimes they're on autopilot.

"Most of us just do it ... we drive on autopilot and sometimes on autopilot you do creep up to the vehicle in front of you, you don't realise you're doing it."