Best way to stop tailgaters?
Discussion
I had a lorry tailgating me through the J6-10 roadworks section of the M1 a few months ago. Blanket 50mph limit through the works enforced by many SPECS average speed cameras.
I was in lane 2, 50mph on the speedo cruise control on. Lane 1 was pretty much at a standstill.
Had a huge lorry accelerate right up my backside. He flashes. I ignore it. I'm overtaking lane 1 traffic so tough.
He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just).
Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
Had there been a gap in lane 1 I would have pulled over and let him past. Its not my place to stop someone getting a speeding ticket after all!
I was in lane 2, 50mph on the speedo cruise control on. Lane 1 was pretty much at a standstill.
Had a huge lorry accelerate right up my backside. He flashes. I ignore it. I'm overtaking lane 1 traffic so tough.
He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just).
Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
Had there been a gap in lane 1 I would have pulled over and let him past. Its not my place to stop someone getting a speeding ticket after all!
DJ_AS said:
He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just).
Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
Sorry, but it sounds as though you slowed below what you thought was a safe, legal and suitable speed 'to teach him a lesson'.Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
It worked in this case, but it might have caused dangerous rage - and meanwhile it would appear that you caused unnecessary frustration to all the traffic further back in your lane.
I cannot give an opinion on whether your speed was suitable in the light of the differential from the adjacent lane. But if it was, and you had a good gap ahead, I cannot see why you slowed down.
An alternative approach which sometimes persuades the driver behind to show more patience is to put out the right indicator - it shows that you know he is ready to pass, but that you consider you have a good reason to stay where you are.
waremark said:
DJ_AS said:
He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just).
Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
Sorry, but it sounds as though you slowed below what you thought was a safe, legal and suitable speed 'to teach him a lesson'.Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
It worked in this case, but it might have caused dangerous rage - and meanwhile it would appear that you caused unnecessary frustration to all the traffic further back in your lane.
I cannot give an opinion on whether your speed was suitable in the light of the differential from the adjacent lane. But if it was, and you had a good gap ahead, I cannot see why you slowed down.
An alternative approach which sometimes persuades the driver behind to show more patience is to put out the right indicator - it shows that you know he is ready to pass, but that you consider you have a good reason to stay where you are.
DJ_AS said:
I had a lorry tailgating me through the J6-10 roadworks section of the M1 a few months ago. Blanket 50mph limit through the works enforced by many SPECS average speed cameras.
I was in lane 2, 50mph on the speedo cruise control on. Lane 1 was pretty much at a standstill.
Had a huge lorry accelerate right up my backside. He flashes. I ignore it. I'm overtaking lane 1 traffic so tough.
He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just).
Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
Had there been a gap in lane 1 I would have pulled over and let him past. Its not my place to stop someone getting a speeding ticket after all!
The only thing to bear in mind here is that Lorry speedos (yes, I know they're tachos) are normally much more accurate than a cars, and are calibrated every couple of years. Your speedo reading 50 might have been more like a true 47 or 48. Might be insignificant to you, but can also be frustrating to the other driver as he/she might want to drive at the speed limit.I was in lane 2, 50mph on the speedo cruise control on. Lane 1 was pretty much at a standstill.
Had a huge lorry accelerate right up my backside. He flashes. I ignore it. I'm overtaking lane 1 traffic so tough.
He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just).
Eventually the retard at the wheel put 2 and 2 together and backed right off. Hey presto, we're back to 50mph!
Had there been a gap in lane 1 I would have pulled over and let him past. Its not my place to stop someone getting a speeding ticket after all!
Doesn't excuse them tailgating you at all, just in case you get that impression.
1950trevorP said:
I think you may have missed a key reason people follow too close to the car in front on busy motorways (esp. in the South-East of England) - if you leave a decent sized gap to the car in-front, someone (from lane 2) will take it. So you drop back to leave a decent sized gap to the car in-front and someone from lane 2 takes it...ie when lanes 2 and 3 are both v. busy, you don't want to leave enough room for someone to feel they can pull-out in front of you to overtake.I have taken to lanes 1 and 2 at 60mph on my to/from work on the M4 to avoid this myself; I have caught myself doing it too many times....
Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 18th December 14:49
Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 18th December 14:50
Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 18th December 14:51
1950trevorP said:
I think you may have missed a key reason people follow too close to the car in front on busy motorways (esp. in the South-East of England) - if you leave a decent sized gap to the car in-front, someone (from lane 2) will take it. So you drop back to leave a decent sized gap to the car in-front and someone from lane 2 takes it...ie when lanes 2 and 3 are both v. busy, you don't want to leave enough room for someone to feel they can pull-out in front of you to overtake.I have taken to lanes 1 and 2 at 60mph on my commute to/from work on the M4 to avoid this myself; I have caught myself doing it too many times....
/Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 18th December 14:49
Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 18th December 14:50
Edited by bluetone on Tuesday 18th December 14:52
bluetone said:
if you leave a decent sized gap to the car in-front, someone (from lane 2) will take it. So you drop back to leave a decent sized gap to the car in-front and someone from lane 2 takes it..
OK - so your answer to your possible perceived problem is to drive closer to the vehicle in front?Think about that for a moment.
1950trevorP said:
OK - so your answer to your possible perceived problem is to drive closer to the vehicle in front?
That's certainly my approach. If you maintain a slightly compromised gap in front (say ~1.5s) you deter most people from entering that gap. If you leave a larger gap (~2s) then there's always some b*gger pulling in front and leaving you with a much less than ideal ~1s gap. If everyone left a more sensible gap there wouldn't be a problem, but unfortunately very few people do.I'd be interested to know what I should be doing?
DJ,
"He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just)."
My wife sometimes says, when we are being tailgated "The closer you get, the slower he'll go"...I suspect she noticed this over the years when she sussed that I was creating a much bigger gap than 2 seconds to allow for enough braking distance to let the arsehole behind avoid hitting us if we had to brake unexpectedly.
On the other side, as mentioned above, truck drivers have limiters, we are sharing the roads with them, you get some quite nice 'Thanks' signals when you help them out by looking a mile ahead and anticipating what is likely to happen (not in the case you describe, of course).
BOF
"He flashes again. I knock 5mph off. He flashes again. I knock another 5mph off. Etc etc until we're creeping along at 25mph (still faster than Lane 1, but only just)."
My wife sometimes says, when we are being tailgated "The closer you get, the slower he'll go"...I suspect she noticed this over the years when she sussed that I was creating a much bigger gap than 2 seconds to allow for enough braking distance to let the arsehole behind avoid hitting us if we had to brake unexpectedly.
On the other side, as mentioned above, truck drivers have limiters, we are sharing the roads with them, you get some quite nice 'Thanks' signals when you help them out by looking a mile ahead and anticipating what is likely to happen (not in the case you describe, of course).
BOF
<None of this is an attempt to justify tailgating>
I drove heavies for nine years, and vans for the next 20...
I started to leave *extra* room to the car in front as drivers appeared to be nervous - a truck/van looms very large in the mirrors and possibly looks closer than it actually is.
Remember also that the truck driver is (or rather should be) looking over your roof at the flow of traffic ahead.
On the minus side, truck/van stopping distances are usually greater and the potential consequences horrendous!
I find that the gentle speed up-slow down routine soon dislodges the numpties, and only resort to warp speed if I have to re-pass them several times.
</None of this is an attempt to justify tailgating>
I drove heavies for nine years, and vans for the next 20...
I started to leave *extra* room to the car in front as drivers appeared to be nervous - a truck/van looms very large in the mirrors and possibly looks closer than it actually is.
Remember also that the truck driver is (or rather should be) looking over your roof at the flow of traffic ahead.
On the minus side, truck/van stopping distances are usually greater and the potential consequences horrendous!
I find that the gentle speed up-slow down routine soon dislodges the numpties, and only resort to warp speed if I have to re-pass them several times.
</None of this is an attempt to justify tailgating>
Slowing for space must be accompanied by the right mindset, and attitude is everything. If you are going to slow, then look to get him past asap - don't try to teach him a lesson. It's easy to get sucked into.
I had a pathological case where someone objected strongly to my slowing to 50 for a camera on the A3 and got disturbingly close. I backed off, and then found I had nowhere to go as he was so close I had no view into the inside lanes where traffic was now passing us. It was terrifying - not least as his car weighed six times what mine does. When I managed to get in and get him past, the then cut across me and tried to brake-tested me (revenge for slowing in front of him?), although it was a bit predictable and I'd already got myself into a different lane when he hit the brakes. I reported him.
Today, I made space as a white van driver got up my backside in 20 and 30 residential streets. Drove as consistently as I could whilst he charged up and braked behind me. We were in a steady stream of traffic. After a couple of miles, as I stopped for a red light and he overtook me on the left and turned right across me.
I was kicking myself afterwards for not going once round a roundabout or similar early on as my drive was considerably less stressful after he had gone off.
Funnily enough 5 mins later I saw him just a few vehicles in front as we queued in traffic.
I had a pathological case where someone objected strongly to my slowing to 50 for a camera on the A3 and got disturbingly close. I backed off, and then found I had nowhere to go as he was so close I had no view into the inside lanes where traffic was now passing us. It was terrifying - not least as his car weighed six times what mine does. When I managed to get in and get him past, the then cut across me and tried to brake-tested me (revenge for slowing in front of him?), although it was a bit predictable and I'd already got myself into a different lane when he hit the brakes. I reported him.
Today, I made space as a white van driver got up my backside in 20 and 30 residential streets. Drove as consistently as I could whilst he charged up and braked behind me. We were in a steady stream of traffic. After a couple of miles, as I stopped for a red light and he overtook me on the left and turned right across me.
I was kicking myself afterwards for not going once round a roundabout or similar early on as my drive was considerably less stressful after he had gone off.
Funnily enough 5 mins later I saw him just a few vehicles in front as we queued in traffic.
A couple of peeps have mentioned about the fact that our car speedos are less accurate than lorry speedos / tachos / limiters. I've heard this before and do bear that in mind. I normally lock my cruise control at about 53/54mph-ish which is 50mph according to my sat nav. Can't remember what I had set at that incident though.
Unlike some other members of these forums, I don't think lorry drivers are hell-spawn - I normally find them quite courteous actually - but this peep was the exception. Even if I did have the space to move over there was a car a whole of two or three seconds in front of me so it wasn't like I was going slower than anyone else.
Anyway - going back to the original thread - I would've moved over had an opportunity to do so safely presented itself. It didn't so I had to try and mitigate any potential collision. Best to let them go and have crash as far away from you as possible.
Unlike some other members of these forums, I don't think lorry drivers are hell-spawn - I normally find them quite courteous actually - but this peep was the exception. Even if I did have the space to move over there was a car a whole of two or three seconds in front of me so it wasn't like I was going slower than anyone else.
Anyway - going back to the original thread - I would've moved over had an opportunity to do so safely presented itself. It didn't so I had to try and mitigate any potential collision. Best to let them go and have crash as far away from you as possible.
1950trevorP said:
One way of viewing your approach is that you deliberately reduce your Safety Margin - in case someone else reduces it for you.
That is exactly how I view it, it's absolutely deliberate. I percieve the gain to be greater than the loss, which is why I asked the question? I'd be very interested to know how others deal with that situation.waremark said:
An alternative approach which sometimes persuades the driver behind to show more patience is to put out the right indicator - it shows that you know he is ready to pass, but that you consider you have a good reason to stay where you are.
Not sure I understand this...are you presuming the indicator is on during the manoeuvre, which is very rare? Cancelling the indicator wouldn't necessarily tell me anything except that it had stopped blinking. People change lanes and stay there...Lorries tailgating is intimidating but I have a lot of time for truckers. Something I've spotted recently is a little wave as I pass after letting a truck out. Never used to get that in my experience...makes me more inclined to let the next one out
I'd also be tempted to gently slow down if I was being heavily tailgated by a truck, it is likely to upset their average. Braking sharply in NOT a good idea due to the size and weight involved!
wrinx
I hate the feeling. If the follower is a certain (safe) distance back and wants to form a convoy, that's fine, but if they get too close I usually slow slightly until they go past, or dash through a lane 3 gap so I get another car between us. Then I make some distance and go back to my 'comfortable speed'.
I can't believe the number of times someone will hurry to catch up with me then drop back to tailgating. And I hate people who overtake and then slow down and make me overtake back.
I have to say cruise control causes some problems, because people normally speed up downhill and slow down up the hills. Cruise control doesn't, so you do get some anomalies (good word eh? Triple letter score on the W too).
Or I just dab the brakes from time to time until they realize I'm a nutter and clamp themselves onto someone else's bumper...
I can't believe the number of times someone will hurry to catch up with me then drop back to tailgating. And I hate people who overtake and then slow down and make me overtake back.
I have to say cruise control causes some problems, because people normally speed up downhill and slow down up the hills. Cruise control doesn't, so you do get some anomalies (good word eh? Triple letter score on the W too).
Or I just dab the brakes from time to time until they realize I'm a nutter and clamp themselves onto someone else's bumper...
wrinx said:
[Something I've spotted recently is a little wave as I pass after letting a truck out. Never used to get that in my experience...makes me more inclined to let the next one out
wrinx
That's something I normally do, regardless of the vehicle I'm driving, especially if the person anticipates it before I make the signal. Always assumed no-one noticed though. wrinx
japhilip said:
wrinx said:
[Something I've spotted recently is a little wave as I pass after letting a truck out. Never used to get that in my experience...makes me more inclined to let the next one out
wrinx
Always assumed no-one noticed though. wrinx
Gives me a warm feeling all over
wrinx
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