How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[shooterdon]

If there is a line of cars behind you, you are the problem.
I usually drive as fast as the car in front of me will allow.
I feel comfortable with the space between me and the guy in front of me, but I suspect from their point of view, I'm probably up the butt.
Sat at a red light the other day for four cycles of the light (our left turning arrow never changed), finally honked my horn at the guy in front of me, he just points to the red light. People behind me were going around us. Three seconds later the light turns green. Figures.

If I am doing 5 mph over the speed limit and there are cars behind me, I am not the problem. They are the problem.

 

[Torvy]

If I am doing 5 mph over the speed limit and there are cars behind me, I am not the problem. They are the problem.

Whomever is obstructing traffic is the problem. You never know if the person behind you is in a hurry for a reason.

The police rarely enforce speed unless 10+ over (except in school or construction zones). Who authorized you to enforce it? Impending traffic is also illegal.

Just let them pass. Around here, most locals will get over to the shoulder if they are holding up multiple vehicles. We tend to think of it as being courteous.

 

[ultrarunner]

On single lane it’s requires to let faster traffic pass when safe to do so.

Recent trip the truck lane is 60 mph and other lane is 70 mph for vehicle.

If someone is driving a solid 70 and continually passing 60 mph trucks it would seem the 70 mph driver is meeting the both spirit and regs of the law.

Some of the pickups blasting past must be 15 to 20 over posted.

In driver training it was understood in emergency situations to use emergency flashers…

Not once in 850 miles did I see anyone blasting past use emergency flashers…

I once rushed someone to the hospital suffering a heart attack with emergency flashers and flashing headlights…

ER said I saved the persons life…

 

[lman]

I've noticed that some people are content to follow on the bumper of a lead car instead of passing when there is an opportunity to do so. This makes it necessary for another driver to pass multiple vehicles. I think some people don't trust their vehicle to accelerate to passing speed. I believe that they think they're driving a Model T.

 

[MossRoad]

Whomever is obstructing traffic is the problem. You never know if the person behind you is in a hurry for a reason.

The police rarely enforce speed unless 10+ over (except in school or construction zones). Who authorized you to enforce it? Impending traffic is also illegal.

Just let them pass. Around here, most locals will get over to the shoulder if they are holding up multiple vehicles. We tend to think of it as being courteous.

I'm pretty sure that if you're going the speed limit, or even over the speed limit, on a one lane each way road, and there is traffic behind you, you're not impeding traffic. At least in Indiana, the impeding only applies on 2 or more lanes in your direction. Then, you have to move over for faster traffic, even if you are speeding yourself.

 

[MossRoad]

I've noticed that some people are content to follow on the bumper of a lead car instead of passing when there is an opportunity to do so. This makes it necessary for another driver to pass multiple vehicles. I think some people don't trust their vehicle to accelerate to passing speed. I believe that they think they're driving a Model T.

It doesn't make it necessary. It's a choice.

That isn't to say I don't agree with you wholeheartedly! Drives me nuts. So I usually look at the speed, look at the clock, look how much further I have to go, and do a quick calculation in my head....

passing these Bozos going 5 under the speed limit, and me wanting to go 5 over the speed limit means an increase of 10mph, with only 20 minutes left in my drive, I'll save about 3 minutes, so I'll just sit here and cuss for a while VS passing multiple vehicles in one pass.

 

[shooterdon]

Whomever is obstructing traffic is the problem. You never know if the person behind you is in a hurry for a reason.

The police rarely enforce speed unless 10+ over (except in school or construction zones). Who authorized you to enforce it? Impending traffic is also illegal.

Just let them pass. Around here, most locals will get over to the shoulder if they are holding up multiple vehicles. We tend to think of it as being courteous.

If they in a hurry for a reason, they should put on their four ways. The vast majority of speeders have no reason to speed but need to make up for some deficiency in their character. So, they do not put on their four ways as they may get pulled over and questioned...why??

I have pulled over on a two lane road when carrying a heavy load and was doing 5 mph under the speed limit. If I am cruising at 5 mph over the speed limit, I am not pulling over. I might be impeding traffic at 5 mph under, but not at 5 mph over.

I have no empathy for people who drive significantly over the speed limit. They are a hazard to others. On a two lane, where passing may be difficult, the difference in ETA between 55 mph (speed limit) and 65 mph (10 over the limit) is 5 minutes on a 30 mile trip.

A tailgater is making a poor decision. The "victim" in front of him is not going to speed up to what the tailgater believes is the correct speed. Most will ignore him or slow down even more.

 

[MossRoad]

... On a two lane, where passing may be difficult, the difference in ETA between 55 mph (speed limit) and 65 mph (10 over the limit) is 5 minutes on a 30 mile trip.

....

And that's ONLY if they can average 65 over the entire trip, which they can't.

 

[bigtiller]

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is against the law.
We should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws we obey.

 

[tradosaurus]

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is against the law.
We should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws we obey.

I'm sure we have all broken the "law" concerning the speed limit. Just passing someone will make you a "criminal".