Troopers cracking down on tailgating trucks

If you drive too closely behind a semi-truck state troopers might come after you. It's part of a new crackdown targeting aggressive drivers on Interstate 95.            .

The Florida Highway Patrol wants to prevent serious crashes.

 “We are looking for people who are cutting in and out of traffic. And, if you notice traffic is moving at one speed,  and someone comes up, tailgates and swerves in and out,  those are the people who cause the accidents,” said FHP Trooper John Csanyi.

When WFTV’s Racquel Asa rode along with a trooper, it took only 10 minutes to find a truck following another truck too close.

“You were less than a 100 feet from the truck in front of you. That doesn't give you enough reaction time,” Csanyi told the truck’s driver.

 “Do you think you were following too close to the other truck?” Asa asked truck driver Sylvio Sinophat.

“I don't want to do that. He told me that and I told him I won't do that next time,” said Sinophat.

Under state law a truck is supposed to keep 300 feet between itself and another vehicle. One way to tell if that is the case is by looking in your side mirror. If you can't see the truck's full bumper from end to end, it's too close.

“Hit star FHP on your cell phone give a description of the vehicle and the license plate - if you can pull over.  I would rather people don't dial while they're on the road,” said Csanyi.

Getting caught doesn't come cheap; tickets start at $116.

FHP troopers say fines can get steeper if you argue your ticket before a judge and the judge sees an officer cited you for aggressive driving.