This Ridiculous Multi-Car Pile-Up Shows Why Tailgating Is A Bad Idea

Tailgating is never really a great idea. Even if you’re doing it to stop people pushing into a queue, you’re still taking a risk every time you do it.

This dashcam footage taken from the windscreen of a fully-loaded truck shows what can happen when you don’t leave enough space. Filmed last week on a highway outside Williamsburg, Virginia, the bizarre and totally avoidable multi-car fender bender is well worthy of a good facepalm.

Fast-forward to about 1min50sec to get the action. As the camera truck, which the driver says was loaded at close to 36 tonnes at the time, follows at a safe distance, the truck in front suddenly manoeuvres sideways as the unfolding accident comes into view.

We don’t know whether it was caused by the first car brake-checking the second one (not unlikely), but those two coming to a halt sees one car after another pile into the back of what’s in front. Moronic. One car even gets pushed free of the mess only to smash straight into the side of the innocent semi that had tried to get out of the way.

Apparently, the State Troopers were grateful for this footage and it’s not terribly difficult to see why. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.