Transport & Travel Research Ltd (TTR) and its parent company Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) have received funding from Road Safety Trust (RST) for a pilot scheme that aims to reduce tailgating by business drivers.

RST is a charity that supports and encourages research activities for reducing road casualties.

TTR is now seeking local partners who would act as a host for the pilot scheme in their respective areas.

Tailgating, or close following, has become a major concern on UK roads, and is also a contributory factor in 7% of collisions, according to Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2014 Annual Report Department for Transport 2015.

"I hope that the Trust’s support will help to develop a useful tool for employers as they take their role in managing this issue seriously."

The new project will particularly focus on business drivers as they undertake high annual driving mileages.

Road Safety Trust chief executive Robert Gifford said: "This project tackles two important issues: close following, which is of concern to many road users, and driving for work, which poses increased risk to all drivers.

"I hope that the Trust’s support will help to develop a useful tool for employers as they take their role in managing this issue seriously."

The TTR and TRL teams are also looking for local authority partners, who can assist them in recruiting employers within the pilot area and develop a package of behaviour change techniques to measure and influence attitudes towards close-following.

TTR senior expert on sustainable mobility Marcus Jones said: "The project provides an excellent opportunity for road safety departments to not only help tackle tailgating on their road networks, but develop new tools they can use in the future."