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We’ve all been there, driving down the highway, only to be constantly distracted by a car or truck following far too close behind us, constantly bobbing around in the rear-view mirror. Whether they are in a rush, or simply just following too close, it’s not just annoying but also incredibly dangerous.

Here’s the thing, when driving at 60 mph, the average stopping distance is around 240 feet — or 18 car lengths. Now, couple that with the average reaction time for braking of three-quarters of a second, and it’s easy to see why following too closely could pose a serious problem. If you’re struggling to connect the dots, a car traveling at 60 mph will cover 66 feet in that three-quarters of a second, and so the chances of having a crash when tailgating are no joke.

Fortunately, the NHTSA has a simple rule, and following it is a sure-fire way of getting yourself out of harm’s way on the highway — and out of anyone else’s rear-view mirror too. The trick is to find a marker ahead of you down the road, it could be a tree, bridge, building, anything — something stationary. As the car ahead of you passes, count in your head from 1,000 to 1,004. You shouldn’t reach the marker before you make it to 1,004, and if you do, slow down a touch, pick another marker, and try again. Essentially it’s like counting Missisippis, but it’s a simple, easy to remember rule, and a brilliant way of staying safe while out on the road.

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That tip is all well and good if you’re the one tailgating, but for the well disciplined among us, tailgating isn’t part of our daily driving routine anyway. The problem comes from those behind us, as we can’t exactly ask them to pick a counter and start counting when on the move. Happily though, there are ways to avoid being tailgated when on the road.

First of all, before criticizing another driver, look at your own driving. Are you in the rightmost lane, or overtaking? If not, the chances are they may be annoyed at you for being in the wrong lane and in their way. Move over to the right-hand lane and let them pass — lane discipline is a common source of stress on faster roads, as driving in the left lane when not passing is dangerous and yet so easily avoided.

If you are in the correct or only lane, and still being tailgated, it’s important to just keep on driving normally. Slowing down may agitate them, or cause a crash if it’s abrupt, and speeding up to a speed you’re not comfortable with is dangerous also. Signal out of the way and allow them to pass if possible, and refrain from staring in the rear-view mirror for too long, as your eyes should be focusing on what’s ahead. You might also consider a sticker on your rear bumper or window, something direct that will let drivers know when they’re tailgating. Common examples include “if you can rear this sticker then you’re too close“, or simply “tailgating causes accidents“.