How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[lman]

Where I live and drive around the Ohio Valley region of the country, the #1 problem is people using the passing lane on highway wrongly. If it's a 4 lane highway, then the 2 passing lanes should not be clogged up. If they are, it's because somebody is being a disrespectful idiot (and usually breaking the law). And then the tail gating and road rage soon follows. I see it every week to and from work.

I rarely have tailgaters because I don't clog the passing lanes, or drive slowly on other 2 lane highways. In other words, I don't give people any reason to tailgate me.

But, IF they do anyhow, then I stop and attempt to have a "coversation" with them in person. Unfortunately I had to do this last Sunday. The guy was a chicken and wouldn't stop to talk to me. So I found him on Facebook using the power of the internet and asked him to meet me. He wouldn't do that either. He didn't mind tailgating me and yelling out his window driving through town, but when I called him out on it suddenly his demeanor changed. Too bad...

I have come to the unfortunate realization that sometimes, road rage is a necessary evil. You can't just let people walk all over you because they'll keep doing it to other people as well.

I highly doubt your conversation changed their driving habits. You can't change stupid.

 

[JasperFrank]

I admit that I drive fast and can’t stand it when people drive in the left lane and don’t check their mirrors and move over but I really don’t like is people who tailgate at 20 over the limit and when I move over they don’t pass
They want to go 80 but just don’t want to be first in line
I call them tire turds
And what about the people that you can watch for 10 miles following a semi and wait until you get five lengths behind them and they pull into the passing lane but maintain the same speed

This is so true. They get out front and THEN figure it out that they are the new "Runner" for any speed trap. And I always see them, pulled over later getting the speeding ticket. I'll set them up, because I know the area and let them pass, just before a place I know there is most likely a speed trap. And I wave as I drive by.

 

[shooterdon]

When I was maybe 8 years old my parents, one sibling and I were coming back from two towns over late at night after a high school football game that one of my other siblings was in. It was raining and quite dark. As we were driving down the highway, some other car came up on our tail so close you couldn't see his headlights. My dad pulled over and the guy pulled ahead and pulled over and stopped about 1/4 mile up the road. My dad passed him, and the guy came up behind us again. So my dad again pulled over and let the guy pass, and again the guy pulled over and stopped about 1/4 mile up the road. So my dad did a u-turn across the grass median, and went the other way. Well, the guy did the same and came up on us again. So my dad repeated and so did the other guy. This happened three times.

The last time the guy passed us and pulled over and stopped ahead of us, my dad stayed stopped, he opened his door, stepped out into the rain in his Army trench coat, pulled his 1911 out of nowhere and fired a few shots towards the guy. I just remember the shock of seeing the flames shooting out the barrel, the boom boom boom, and my mom screaming. The guy took off, my dad got back in the car, set the gun between the two front seats, and said his most stern words I'd ever heard him say in my entire life....

"gosh darn it 'my mom's name', I shot over him to scare him."

He did another u-turn and we went home. I'll never forget that night....

And I'll never forget my sibling in the back seat sitting next to me slept through the whole thing.

I carry at almost all times because there are people in this world that are evil and others who just enjoy making trouble. I am 75 and getting into a fight is not a good outcome. If the "problem" does not react to a gun and back off...well...there are consequences.

I have an understanding with my fiancé. She has terrible situational awareness. I determine where we sit and which seat she gets. If I draw the gun, her job is to bet behind me and call 911.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

More than one police vehicle has overcome me from behind when I'm doing the speed limit! (Sometimes I can't do the speed limit because of either gravity or the company has it governed at 68 mph)

The ones that zoom by me ... I call them "bear bait" and let them "sweep the road" for me, buttt t you still gotta watch your back door and make sure there isn't a bear creeping up on your "back porch"!

Why is it that when I pull out to pass someone that is going 60 mph in a 65, I try to pass them at 68 ... And they speed up to match/pace me, then an up hill comes, I can't get by them, we are both slightly over the speed limit, and gravity takes over on my loaded semi-truck ... And I slow down, I try to get over but the idiot who is pacing me also slows down ... By 50 mph there could be a line of traffic behind BOTH of us tailgating, and getting frustrated by the second ... I'm not putting my brakes on at the bottom of a hill when I'm loaded ... Then eventually they zoom off at 75 mph, and most of the line behind us, won't give me a chance to get over in the granny lane!

 

[etpm]

Years ago I was driving to work in the winter and though the road wasn't yet icy there was snow on the roadside. There was a long downhill section that then turned into a long high bridge. Thinking that bridges freeze first I was going slow on the downhill section and this car was tailgating me bad. I just kept going slow. We hit the bridge and the car pulled to the left to pass. The bridge was frozen. He started to fishtail and almost ended up hitting the side of the bridge. Then he got behind me at the proper distance and followed me across the bridge and then into town. I think he figured out why I was going so slow before the bridge.
Eric

 

[lman]

More than one police vehicle has overcome me from behind when I'm doing the speed limit! (Sometimes I can't do the speed limit because of either gravity or the company has it governed at 68 mph)

The ones that zoom by me ... I call them "bear bait" and let them "sweep the road" for me, buttt t you still gotta watch your back door and make sure there isn't a bear creeping up on your "back porch"!

Why is it that when I pull out to pass someone that is going 60 mph in a 65, I try to pass them at 68 ... And they speed up to match/pace me, then an up hill comes, I can't get by them, we are both slightly over the speed limit, and gravity takes over on my loaded semi-truck ... And I slow down, I try to get over but the idiot who is pacing me also slows down ... By 50 mph there could be a line of traffic behind BOTH of us tailgating, and getting frustrated by the second ... I'm not putting my brakes on at the bottom of a hill when I'm loaded ... Then eventually they zoom off at 75 mph, and most of the line behind us, won't give me a chance to get over in the granny lane!

You must have a keyboard in the steering wheel of your big truck or is your truck disabled today.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

You must have a keyboard in the steering wheel of your big truck or is your truck disabled today.

I don't really understand ... ?

I'm guessing and going out in a limb, but I think you are suggesting that I'm typing while driving?

 

[Jstpssng]

It would be difficult to enforce but many if not most states have a law against speeding up when somebody is trying to pass.
I can think of a few places they could set up to enforce it, and wouldn't be long finding offenders.

My sister's ex-bf killed an oncoming motorist and lost his legs in the resulting fire after refusing to let somebody by. The passer bumped him when pulling in, he lost control and hit the oncoming car headon.

 

[Renze]

My sister's ex-bf killed an oncoming motorist and lost his legs in the resulting fire after refusing to let somebody by. The passer bumped him when pulling in, he lost control and hit the oncoming car headon.

Sounds more like the passer killed the motorist.

I am not to be bullied in traffic, but sometimes you meet people on the road that are simply not allright in the head, so i back off. I have no desire smashing into someone when getting brake checked just when i thought his/her rage was over. Although, slowing down to kiss the brake checker gently, and then unleashing some diesel torque on them whilst slowly steering them into the guard rail, sobers them up pretty quick. Though i dont like being caught off guard.

 

[Yander]

Not sure if this has been said and I'm not going to read the whole thread. Flipping on your hazards, often gets them to go around. It's the only thing I find that works 90% of the time.

I HATE a tailgater while I'm pulling a trailer especially.

 

[sandman2234]

You must have a keyboard in the steering wheel of your big truck or is your truck disabled today.

Have you seen a semi truck steering wheel lately? Full of buttons!!!
David from jax

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

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.

My brother had a switch to turn off the brakes lights, just for the police in our hometown that pulled this tailgate trick, to try to get people to speed up or do something else so they could stop you and give you a ticket.
He was rear ended by two different police cars, and he had a good lawyer too.
Funny thing is both policemen claimed his brakes lights didn't work only when they rear ended him.
Switch was under the dash, they never figured it out.
But they were forced not to tailgate people by the council.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Have you seen a semi truck steering wheel lately? Full of buttons!!!
David from jax

Mine doesn't have a lot, I just use the cruise buttons, I have my own Bluetooth headset, and I never listen to the one-way radio ...

 

[sandman2234]

Mine doesn't have a lot, I just use the cruise buttons, I have my own Bluetooth headset, and I never listen to the one-way radio ...

Mine has 13 on the face and over 20 on the levers. David from jax

 

[LouNY]

Well this old geezer is the one doing the speed limit most of the time on the main roads, maybe 1 or 2 over or sometimes 1 or 2 under.
Get on the secondarys that don't have a posted limit in this state it means you can legally do 55, but safely 45 or less sometimes even 25 or 30 because of the curves or blind hills and the good possibility of slow moving vehicles.

I typically drive 5-8 mph over the limit, so tailgaters aren't a big issue. I find getting behind someone pokey (usually someone driving a toyota, Suburu or old geezer in a pickup) more annoying. Winding roads with few places to safely pass only compound it. I don't tailgate, though there are times I'm tempted.


Gotta say, those are the worst ones to be stuck behind. Never fails they'll always speed up when there's a place to pass.
I don't use CC except occasionally on interstates, never on 2 lane roads.


That would be scary.


Same here. No sense provoking a road rage incident. Too many weirdos out there, some of them armed.

I am so glad you all are not in front of me. I have places to get to and do not want to spend it crawling up the rear end of a slow driver. Can't drive that fast, pick a slower road. Get out of the way. It is my truck grill in your mirror.

Get behind me you will be slowing your squirrelly butt down, and when you pass me in a no passing zone or unsafely on a road with no lane markings, my dash cam will have your plate number and I will call it in and provide the video and sign the complaint. Have done so twice and will do it again if need be.

 

[Jstpssng]

Sounds more like the passer killed the motorist.

He's the one who sped up and wouldn't let the guy pass.

 

[RayIN]

We turn on our 4 way flashers partly because most of the trucks don't show there brake lights when only the engine brake is on, which is a good way to gradually slow down, save your real brakes for when you need them ...

Something not mentioned, but equally annoying is the idiot who sticks to the middle lane when there are three or more lanes ... I'm in the right lane, wanting to pass the slow poke in front of me, I have my left turn signal that activates SIX (6!) Blinking/flashing lights on the left side of my truck and trailer ... Yet idiot in the middle lane won't pull out into the far left* lane, even though there is nobody there!

*Us truck drivers call that "The hammer lane" or "#1 lane" ... In the above scenario the middle lane is #2, the far right is #3 ... And so on ... Far right is also called "The granny lane!"

Indiana state law defines the left-most lane of multi-lane interstates as a passing lane only. Driver who hang out in that lane are ticketed for obstructing traffic-unless they are passing, regardless of their speed.

 

[Torvy]

It depends on the road, the weather and which car I'm driving.

I usually go 5-9 over posted (and I'm driving a Tundra or a Subaru, haha) if weather is good. Still, there's always someone who wants to go faster. If we're on a 2 lane road, I'll get over so they can pass.

Most problems on the roads happen because someone is trying to force someone else to drive their way.

I'm trying hard to not be the jerk. If someone wants to go faster, let them. What does it hurt you to move over and let them go?

If I'm on a multi-lane road, I'll speed up briefly to get to a gap and move over. If there's too much ahead, I'll slow down and get a gap behind. This situation is rare because I move over unless I am actually passing.

 

[JasperFrank]

It depends on the road, the weather and which car I'm driving.

I usually go 5-9 over posted (and I'm driving a Tundra or a Subaru, haha) if weather is good. Still, there's always someone who wants to go faster. If we're on a 2 lane road, I'll get over so they can pass.

Most problems on the roads happen because someone is trying to force someone else to drive their way.

I'm trying hard to not be the jerk. If someone wants to go faster, let them. What does it hurt you to move over and let them go?

If I'm on a multi-lane road, I'll speed up briefly to get to a gap and move over. If there's too much ahead, I'll slow down and get a gap behind. This situation is rare because I move over unless I am actually passing.

This happens so may times, that someone under the limit, so you attempt a pass, and they speed up to match you side by side. Till you are both going way too fast. If they do this match game, I back off, and take the next rest area for 15 minutes or so. Cause something is mentally wrong with this other driver.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Taping the brakes without reason can get you "cuffed up" in many states. It depends on how the state defines reckless driving. Having a dash cam can help if, in deed, a deer or animal crossed your path. But it better show an unavoidable encounter. Be warned that not all rear-end collisions create an automatic fault.

Tapping the brakes to light up the brake lights won't get you a ticket. Binding them up so they have to brake hard will.