Final answer:
You should never tailgate the vehicle in front of you, whether you are about to pass or not. It is important to maintain a safe following distance to reduce the risk of a rear-end collision.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tailgating is the act of driving too closely behind another vehicle. It is never safe to tailgate, whether you are about to pass or not. Tailgating reduces the amount of time you have to react to any sudden changes in the traffic ahead, such as the vehicle in front slamming on their brakes. It increases the risk of a rear-end collision.
Instead, it is important to maintain a safe following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. The general recommendation is to keep at least a 3-second following distance, or more in adverse weather conditions. This will give you enough time to react and stop if necessary.
So, to answer your question, it is false that you should tailgate the vehicle in front of you just before you pass.