How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[MossRoad]

I slow down and I pull pull to the right as soon as I can to let them pass, most of the time I can pull over far enough that I don't need to stop.

I will admit that I was a tailgater in my youth, I was always in a hurry for no particular reason.

Let's just say that I never had to worry about tailgaters back then.

Today I am much different, I still like to drive fast, but I am never in a hurry. If I come up behind someone that is going slower I leave plenty of room, at minimum a 3 second gap.

It also annoys the piss outa me when people get on my A at a stop light. I have a manual shift, when they do this I generally let my car roll back just to scare the piss out of them.

That's one thing I like about our adaptive cruise control on the wife's Subaru. At full distance, it'll leave us about 3-3.5 seconds behind the vehicle in front of us, no matter what speed we're going. At half distance it's about 2 seconds, and at least distance, about 1 second.

 

[not2old]

The ones that really bug me are when you are in the right lane and they tailgate with no other traffic in sight. I very slowly slow down until they pass in the left lane and then speed up to match their speed about two seconds behind after they usually pull back into the right lane. My wife can't figure out how I constantly attract this type of driver.

 

[RB5]

Sometimes there is a real reason to drive faster. Most of the time it appears to be some idiot just wanting to go faster than everyone. It is best to just let them pass. The only time it upsets me is when they almost hit me or almost cause a wreck. It sometimes get annoying when there are cars lined up in front of me and nowhere to go even if they got by me, and I keep seeing their hood too close to my rear window in the wife's car. I'm not holding up traffic. They need to chill out and drive.

Maybe they have to take dump real bad? I know out here there are no places to stop for more than 10 miles in many places. Who knows. This could devolve into road etiquette so I will avoid that. We already had another thread on that.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I used to brake moderately and watch them struggle. Now I drive so slow they pass

Others may be in a hurry, I'm not. I'm 5mph under most of the time. Their urgency is not my issue

 

[QRTRHRS]

The rear seal leaks on my van. I slowed it a tad by going from 5-20 to 5-30 and adding an additive but it's not totally sealed. Anyone that tailgates me will know when they clean their windshield.

Else I maintain speed and if I get hit then I will stay in my seat and complain of back and neck pain, real or imagined.

 

[MossRoad]

The ones that really bug me are when you are in the right lane and they tailgate with no other traffic in sight. I very slowly slow down until they pass in the left lane and then speed up to match their speed about two seconds behind after they usually pull back into the right lane. My wife can't figure out how I constantly attract this type of driver.

You need bigger fonts on your number stickers.

 

[MossRoad]

There's a problem with driving exactly the speed limit, and that is no one behind you can then go the speed limit. It's not possible.

 

[ConawayFarms]

Never brake-check, just brake straight if needed. Dash cam helps if they hit you.

 

[Bad Boy Biker]

Look in your mirror, if all you see is a truck grill, it's me, and I am yelling "get out of my way!"

 

[MattB4]

I despise people that ride my bumper. The worse one I ever had I did all that I could think of to get them to go around me. I drove faster when passing was not allowed (2 lane road) and than slowed down when a passing opportunity existed. I waved my hand to go around. Finally after several miles I see a pull off area and I make use of it.

The dang tailgater stopped on the road for several seconds just to the back of where I was pulled as I sat and cussed about it. The women in the car eventually drove on but to this day I have no idea what her problem was.

But I have others that not only tailgated but wanted to have fights about it. There are some really dangerous folks driving out there. Some become homicidal because you are impeding them in any way. Those pass when they can not see oncoming cars and flip you off as they narrowly avoid head on collisions.

 

[RayIN]

One excellent reason to allow plenty of space when following someone.
About 8 years ago on a city street (US 41) in Ft. Myers FL, my friend was behind a car hauler semi-truck/trailer. He noticed the bottom car was jiggling more than the top car, he slowed down JIC something was wrong. Just about that time that bottom car came off the trailer.
Since it must've been in park, it quickly stopped, but swerved sideways.
They remained at the scene as witnesses; the truck driver was ticketed for having an unsecured load.
He said when he and DW got home they both were a nervous wreck, thinking what if_.

 

[MossRoad]

When I was in high school I had a pair of aircraft landing lights on the back dash of my Nova facing backwards. That made for some interesting interactions with tailgaters. Also made for one interesting interaction with a cop.

I also had a pair behind the grill in front of the radiator for oncoming traffic that wouldn't dim their brights.

I outgrew that kinda stuff fairly quickly, as it mostly attracted trouble, just as brake checking a tailgater can end up very bad...

 

[tomplum]

It's interesting to me that many don't have the common sense to KNOW they are tailgating. I was riding with my granddaughter driving their family car. Her driver's license was so fresh it was still warm... Anyways, I pointed out that she should follow at least the 2 second rule, which some now say should be 3. She seems to be good driver in most ways. I'm guessing that they have the adaptive cruise set that way or something because the whole crew seems to drive that way when I started to think about it. Grumpy old man signing off now...

 

[Jstpssng]

I usually keep a good distance, but my company Tundra has the adaptive CC which keeps you inside of the 2 second rule. (Now they are saying 3 seconds)
If I get behind somebody who can't make up their mind if they want to do 40 or 60 I back off, try to find a compromise speed but if they slow down again I just let the CC take over.

The women in the car eventually drove on but to this day I have no idea what her problem was

I had a similar experience which I've related before. He would pass, then slow down. At one point I got POed and pulled over. When I pulled back out he was parked a 1/4 mile down the road waiting for me. I still don't know WTF was going on but in hindsight I should have picked up the phone and called the cavalry.

 

[lman]

I drive a little slower and ignore them.
20 years ago I sometimes would through a lit cigarette out the window and watch it bounce off their windshield.

Oh great, tailgaters and litterbugs.

 

[square1]

Set the cruise control slightly above the speed limit, where I usually do, and continue on my way. As someone stated, their hurry isn't my problem.

 

[JasperFrank]

I figure out a way to let them pass. Then spend 15 minutes pulled over and doing something else. This is easy if your road follows a river. But I do have their tag. I do not need any more violence in my life for road rage. And I will see them, five miles up: "Accident" and all. And I help the victims. The tailgater gets a finger. And no help. They have to wait for the EMs. Which can take hours. And if authorities arrive, here is the SD card. of what this guy was doing to me.

 

[azbinder]

Worked with a guy in the late 60's from Montana. Told me a story that one night while driving a '62 Ford F250 4wd. w/ roof mounted spotlight. Had a vehicle come up behind him with brights on. Drove a couple of miles tapping brake lights, flashing headlights, everything he could think of. Finally flipped on the spotlight with a landing light in it. All of a sudden all sorts of red lights started flashing. Cop started in on him and Les told him he had been behind him with his brights. Got in his truck and left.

 

[BackRoad]

I had a similar. Last flight in from working remote for the week, so midnight thirty on a Thursday. Watched as a local townie pulled out of the median and followed me. I generally respect the police, but this one followed me to my exit, then the secondary road to the house, which was heading away from town.

I set the cruise control on 44mph in the 45mph speed limit section and drove an unwavering line.

He tailgated to where I couldn't see his headlights, then backed off a bit...then tried it again...multiple times...till he got frustrated and pulled off to turn around.

Now I generally ignore them. If I'm with my wife, I slow down and pull over allowing the most impatient to pass. Life's too short to allow them to affect my life.

 

[bigtiller]

Oh great, tailgaters and litterbugs.

Lucky Strikes disintegrate when they hit the windshield.