How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[Gregster613]

Just finished 1800 miles mostly at night and big pickups were the only tailgaters and most had piercing headlights enhanced by lift kits.

If someone wants to pass it’s the sooner the better… always say to myself maybe a medical emergency?

The extremely bright headlights on many newer vehicles are a hazard in my book…

I read some OEM may actually be too bright.

Oh Man, I agree with this -- some OEM lights are just blinding at night! I absolutely hate whenever I am either approached or followed by one of those things!! Yet this is an area that the police seem to be short-sighted on. I've never seen nor heard of anyone being ticketed because of their lights being too bright!

 

[Hay Dude]

Just finished 1800 miles mostly at night and big pickups were the only tailgaters and most had piercing headlights enhanced by lift kits.

If someone wants to pass it’s the sooner the better… always say to myself maybe a medical emergency?

The extremely bright headlights on many newer vehicles are a hazard in my book…

I read some OEM may actually be too bright.

We call those idiots in lifted trucks “supertruckers”.
Obviously using their trucks to intimidate people on the road because in real life, they usually can’t intimidate anyone.

 

[WinterDeere]

We call those idiots in lifted trucks “supertruckers”.
Obviously using their trucks to intimidate people on the road because in real life, they usually can’t intimidate anyone.

Do smokestacks in the bed help?

 

[Jstpssng]

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is against the law.

You never know if the person behind you is in a hurry for a reason

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is also against the law in an emergency

We should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws we obey.

We are citizens, not subjects.
Rules were made to be broken, as long as it doesn't risk anybody else and you are willing to accept the consequences.

 

[WinterDeere]

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

So is throwing snowballs, in your beloved Davenport Iowa. Are you going to insist they arrest each 8 year old who gets into a snowball fight?

 

[QRTRHRS]

One way to get someone off your tail on a back road is just drive real close to the shoulder, where all the little pebbles are. Kick up a few of those and they back off REAL fast.

I don’t condone this or recommend anyone do it. I have never participated in such a rude and inconsiderate tactic.

It's quite effective with a semi. I admit to doing that when someone was up my butt, lights on high and over to the left so their lights blinded me. Hey, it's better than one "old boy" claimed to have done. He said that he had old lug nuts in his cab and would drop a few out of the window. I dunno', he said that the offender would back off?

 

[Jstpssng]

Anyone remember learning the "5 second rule" in driver's ed class?

Not at all. I learned the 2 second rule, which has since been bumped to 3 seconds. If you compare them to the stopping distance tables of one cat length per 10 mph which we also learned, it calculates to 2 1/2 seconds.
The last time I had to avoid a moose I outbraked both methods, based on dash cam footage and measured distance.

 

[WinterDeere]

Not at all. I learned the 2 second rule, which has since been bumped to 3 seconds. If you compare them to the stopping distance tables of one cat length per 10 mph which we also learned, it calculates to 2 1/2 seconds.

You're right! No wonder I never rear-end anyone. Maybe that rule came from when cars were longer.

I usually find myself running at least 3-4 seconds back, more out of wanting to avoid stone chips, than anything else.

 

[Jstpssng]

You're right! No wonder I never rear-end anyone. Maybe that rule came from when cars were longer.

I usually find myself running at least 3-4 seconds back, more out of wanting to avoid stone chips, than anything else.

I tend to hold back also, especially in a line of several cars. I blame that on my claustrophobia though.

 

[John0829]

I hold back also and in spite of everything there will some idiot that will wedge himself into the space I leave. Usually by passing in a curve.