Tailgaters

[BondiBlue]

How do you handle them? I drive exactly the speed limit so these wonderful people come into my life on a semi-regular basis.

Basically when a person gets so I can't see their headlights or the front half of their hood in my rearview I'll just slow down to annoy them even more. They either pass me (rarely happens oddly enough for the hurry they're apparently in) or get closer. When (and they do) get even closer I brake check them. At that point they always back off.

I hate that I have to do that, but it seems the only way to get through to these idiots. It's not NASCAR so there's no reason to draft.

So anyways, what do you guys and gals do when this happens?

[jonl9]

I do all the same stuff, except I also swear......

[Fastskiguy]

I wait for a passing zone and make an fairly abrupt move right so my right wheel is on the white line (so I move 2 feet right). Look for bicycles first LOL. Then coast. I'm trying to get a message across...."now is your time to pass". Sometimes it's effective, sometimes not.

[Norm201]

I don't like the idea of the brake check but I have used it. Slowing down only aggravates the other driver and contributes to road rage. We don't need it.

If I drive on a two lane (2 lanes same direction) I will stay in the right lane and go the speed limit. It's then their option to stay behind or pass. If they don't like it tough!

However, on a single lane or in a situation that the cars behind me are unable to pass me or I can't get out of their way I will go the prevailing speed speed regardless if its the limit more or less.

Getting annoyed by tailgaters is usually caused by one's self. And causing other drivers to get annoyed can usually be attributed to the "speed limit followers". Keeping up with the flow of traffic be it fast or slow is safe driving procedure.

I'm one of those "speed limit followers" but only if it doesn't impede the flow of traffic.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain why the brake check procedure is not a good idea. You don't know why or what is going through the tailgaters head. He or she may be drunk, they could be agitated due to a personal problem, or just daydreaming, or just a new driver. By hitting your brake lights could cause them to slam on their brakes and cause an accident. Most likely others behind them will be involved. Is it worth it? If need be pull over on the shoulder and let them go. Unless you're law enforcement don't try to patrol the roads.

By the same token, don't get close to the car in front of you. Again for the same reasons as above you don't know what they are thinking or what they may be reacting to when they hit their brakes. I always keep a distance that says what if the car in front came to a sudden stop? Can I stop in time? Most people cannot! I make sure I can.

In two words: defensive driving!

[iamz]

I usually just flash my brake lights (without slowing down) and if that doesn't work, I'll slowly decrease my speed to what I figure is a safe speed to get rear ended at and not kill us. There is not much else that you can do. Actually stomping on the brakes and slowing down abruptly could cause an accident. That is not only stupid but likely to cause what you were trying to prevent in the first place.

If traffic is heavy, I always travel at the same speed as everyone around me even if that means speeding. That is far safer than trying to drive the speed limit and cause an accident by doing so. So the solution I employ with a tailgater here, is to just increase the distance between me and the car in front of me so that I can react to sudden slowing traffic in front of me in a manner that won't startle the dumbass tailgater behind me.

[eRic]

I use my left foot to tap the brake pedal and flash the brake lamps without slowing down.

[Norm201]

Originally Posted by iamz

I usually just flash my brake lights (without slowing down) and if that doesn't work, I'll slowly decrease my speed to what I figure is a safe speed to get rear ended at and not kill us.

See, this is just my point. Case in point. A co-worker of mine related this story. From slow moving group of cars (about 40 mph) coming off from a routine traffic light. The car in front of them came up to speed as usual and then without warning but not slowing down the car flashed the brake light. My co-worker slammed on their brakes and a chain reaction resulted while the front car drove away without knowledge or care of what happened. Who knows why the front car hit the brake pedal? Maybe it was an accident, or a possible dangerous situation seemed possible. Whatever, the flashed brake lights caused an unintended accident. Was my co-worker tailgating? Most likely.

[iamz]

Originally Posted by Norm201

See, this is just my point. Case in point. A co-worker of mine related this story. From slow moving group of cars (about 40 mph) coming off from a routine traffic light. The car in front of them came up to speed as usual and then without warning but not slowing down the car flashed the brake light. My co-worker slammed on their brakes and a chain reaction resulted while the front car drove away without knowledge or care of what happened. Who knows why the front car hit the brake pedal? Maybe it was an accident, or a possible dangerous situation seemed possible. Whatever, the flashed brake lights caused an unintended accident. Was my co-worker tailgating? Most likely.

Your co-worker is 100% at fault.

[BondiBlue]

Originally Posted by Norm201

I will go the prevailing speed speed regardless if its the limit more or less.......

.....Keeping up with the flow of traffic be it fast or slow is safe driving procedure.

I'm one of those "speed limit followers" but only if it doesn't impede the flow of traffic.

In my opinion that is BS. I refuse to risk getting a ticket from a hidden cop car somewhere just to "keep up with traffic". If they want to get a ticket they can feel free to pass or they can just wait to get around me. If they're late for something causing them to speed they should leave earlier and they wouldn't have to worry about it.

Originally Posted by iamz

Your co-worker is 100% at fault.

Agreed. There would be no reason to slam on the brakes if they hadn't been 1. following too closely or 2. not paying full attention to the road...assuming the person in front of them was as gentle on the brakes as led to believe.

[Reddog99]

I do the same as you, Bondiblue, but you might want t travel a bit faster. For example, I learned from a GPS that my car's speedometer shows 4 mph faster than what I'm traveling. If I were to go 65 by the speedo, my actual speed would be 61, ample reason for someone to get annoyed.

Having said that, tailgating so close that you can't see their headlights is not acceptable. Some A-holes don't care how fast you're going. They just like to tailgate.