Eric Skager Law can help you if you’ve been ticketed for tailgating in High Point. Following too closely is one of the most common traffic tickets you can pick up in the area, but even that can impact your driving record in negative ways. My firm can stand up for your rights and make sure you keep your license. Set up a free consultation today to learn more.
Do I Need an Attorney?
Just like any other situation, you don’t technically need an attorney’s help when you get a tailgating ticket in High Point. But what looks like a minor traffic ticket can quietly turn into a bigger problem—points on your license, higher insurance rates, or issues down the road if you get cited again. So, it’s worth looking at your options, and that’s where my firm can step in. We will:
- Give you clear step-by-step guidance
- Review the ticket and any other evidence
- Put together a strategy that fits your situation
You don’t have to let a tailgating ticket linger. WIth my firm, you can let us handle the details so you don’t have to.
What Does “Tailgating” Mean Under North Carolina Law?
In North Carolina, tailgating is usually written up as “following too closely.” There isn’t a hard rule that says you must stay a certain number of feet behind the car in front of you. Instead, the law expects drivers to leave enough space for the situation—based on how fast traffic is moving, how busy the road is, and what the conditions look like at the time.
That gray area cuts both ways. It gives officers room to make judgment calls, but it also means a ticket isn’t always as clear-cut as it sounds. Whether you were truly following too closely depends on what was happening around you, not just how things looked for a moment. A lot of tailgating tickets come from everyday driving situations, like:
- Traffic bunching up and spreading out over and over again
- Another car sliding into the gap you’d already left
- The vehicle ahead braking suddenly for no obvious reason
- Slower speeds where a short gap looks risky even when it’s manageable
Most of the time, a tailgating ticket is just a traffic infraction—not a criminal charge. But that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. It can still put points on your license and show up when your insurance renews, which is why it’s worth taking a closer look instead of brushing it off.
Where Does Tailgating Usually Happen in High Point?
Most people who get a tailgating ticket here in High Point aren’t trying to ride someone’s bumper. What usually happens is much more ordinary. You’re driving along, traffic’s moving fine, and then everything tightens up at once.
- It happens a lot on roads like Eastchester Drive or along Main Street, where traffic flows one minute and then suddenly slows because of a light, a turn lane backing up, or someone pulling in from a shopping center.
- Highway connections are another common setup. Around S. 29 and the nearby interstate ramps, traffic tends to bunch up fast.
- Then there’s everyday stop-and-go traffic. Retail corridors, lunch-hour traffic, school pickup times—these are classic tailgating ticket scenarios.
That’s why tailgating cases are so context-heavy. There’s no tape measure on the road. Everything depends on timing, traffic flow, road design, and what was happening in the moment. And that brings up a natural next question: what kind of information actually helps your case?
What Kind of Information Can Help Me With a Tailgating Ticket?
Tailgating tickets don’t usually turn on one big piece of evidence. They’re built—or broken—on small details. The kind of things that explain why your following distance looked the way it did at that moment.
- Traffic conditions. One of the biggest factors is what traffic was actually doing. If cars were braking suddenly, bunching up near a light, or slowing because someone cut in front of you, that context matters. Following distance isn’t judged in a vacuum. It changes with speed, congestion, and road layout.
- Where the officer is. Where the officer was positioned can also be important. Tailgating is a judgment call, and that judgment depends on what the officer could realistically see. Were they behind you for a sustained period, or did they catch a few seconds of compressed traffic? Were they merging onto the road themselves or watching from an angle?
- Video footage. Sometimes, video tells a different story. Dashcam footage—yours or the officer’s—can show how quickly traffic was changing or whether another vehicle squeezed into the gap you had already left. Even short clips can add clarity to what’s otherwise just a written description on a ticket.
- Your history. Your driving history may come into play as well. A clean or mostly clean record can support the idea that this wasn’t part of a pattern, but a moment shaped by traffic conditions. That kind of background can matter when pushing for a reduction or dismissal.
At the end of the day, a tailgating ticket often comes down to whether the full picture is told. When it is, many of these cases look a lot less clear than they first appear. That’s going to impact the process. One way or the other, my firm will be there to help you.
Let Eric Skager Law Help You With a Tailgating Ticket in High Point
If you were stopped for tailgating in High Point and aren’t sure whether paying the ticket makes sense, it’s worth talking it through with someone who handles these cases every day. At Eric Skager Law, we can look at what happened, explain what the ticket actually means for your record, and help you decide the smartest next step.
If you want to understand your options before making a decision that follows you for years, we’re happy to start with a free, one-on-one consultation.