How should you react if someone is tailgating me?

[Blakewater]

R_U_LOCAL said:

One of the advantages of a correct following position listed in Roadcraft is something like "to extend your braking distance to make it safer for following vehicles."

In other words, if you're following a vehicle at a safe distance and the vehicle in front suddenly brakes without warning, you've got the stopping distance of the car in front plus the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front in which to stop, so theoretically you wouldn't have to brake as hard as the vehicle in front, which means there is less likelihood of the car behind running in to you.

So if you're being tailgated in traffic, the safest option is to extend your following position from the car in front of you to perhaps three or four seconds.

I always like to maintain as much space as possible around my car to give myself plenty of visibility, plenty of time to react to anything that happens and plenty of room to manoeuvre. That means keeping well back from the vehicle in front and, on a multi lane road, not driving side by side with vehicles in the other lanes. To short tempered souls who think good driving is about barging through and getting into the personal space of other drivers, it looks like lane hogging and not keeping up with the traffic.

[Poison Tom 96]

I had a case yesterday of somebody severely tailgating me (Being in a car all dolled up in AA garb may not help, but I digress)

30MPH section of v.busy road (Woodseats, if anyone knows Sheffield, heading towards Meadowhead roundabout with the tailgating starting before the KFC) I was travelling either at 30 or below, depending on traffic in front and I had a Mitsubishi L200 hanging stupidly close behind. I decided the best course of action was to drive steadily and brake earlier and more gently. I eventually turned off into a housing estate.

Was I in the right? Or what was I doing wrong?

[abbotsmike]

Poison Tom 96 said:

I had a case yesterday of somebody severely tailgating me (Being in a car all dolled up in AA garb may not help, but I digress)

30MPH section of v.busy road (Woodseats, if anyone knows Sheffield, heading towards Meadowhead roundabout with the tailgating starting before the KFC) I was travelling either at 30 or below, depending on traffic in front and I had a Mitsubishi L200 hanging stupidly close behind. I decided the best course of action was to drive steadily and brake earlier and more gently. I eventually turned off into a housing estate.

Was I in the right? Or what was I doing wrong?

I assume learner car? Shouldn't your instructor be telling you this?

Either way, it's more or less what I would have done if I wasn't in an antagonistic mood.

[Poison Tom 96]

He did tell, but I wanted to ask for a wider range of opinions because why not?

[MatrixXXx]

if your at the speed limit , don't slow down, don't hit the brakes that's is like waving a red flag at a bull, just leave a gap for them to overtake.

if your doing 40 in a 60 pull over and let the three mile tailback get past you, then carry on at you normal speed.

the person may be an idiot, or may be late for a flight or someone's just been taken into hospital etc, once they are past you your safe.

[cjb1]

slippery said:

What happens when you pull over to let the local nutter past and they just pull in behind you though?

Get out of your car calmly, speak to him in a gentle low voice explaining clearly your opinion of the error of his ways, if that doesn't work tt the fker! Drive off calmly and reach your destination satisfied in the fact that you explained in your own way why tailgating is dangerous and socially unacceptable.;)

[pedromorgan]

When I got my new car, I put a badge in the back window with "new Driver" on it. My idea was that other drivers would give me a few extra inches for the first few weeks.

Infact precisly the opposite was true. They sat even closer. I guess people dont like being stuck behind a lerner driver!

I have been amazed at the difference since I took it off!

Peter

[Blakewater]

pedromorgan said:

When I got my new car, I put a badge in the back window with "new Driver" on it. My idea was that other drivers would give me a few extra inches for the first few weeks.

Infact precisly the opposite was true. They sat even closer. I guess people dont like being stuck behind a lerner driver!

I have been amazed at the difference since I took it off!

Peter

That's precisely the reason I've always advised people not to bother with those, or green L or P plates. People see it as an instruction to get past at all costs rather than a request to give you more time and room. You can be driving smoothly and swiftly and they'll still assume you're holding them up and so will take any risk, both to you and themselves, to get past. It's the motoring equivalent of stabalisers on a bicycle, people think you're a ninny.

[MatrixXXx]

Muffsy said:

rasher1940 said:

If it was happening to me, i would slow down and come to a stop. Then you will find out what it is all about. If they pass you follow them and take their registration number and report it to the police. Don't get upset it will not do you no good. Regards Rasher

Report it to the Police????
You mean like a good Citizen...
They wouldn't want to know...Too much paperwork to make complaints and no proof...

Stopping is very dangerous, the person may get out, come over to you open your door or smash your glass and stab you, if some one is tailgateing you they are already high on adrenaline, you pissing them off will push them over the edge.

[abbotsmike]

Blakewater said:

That's precisely the reason I've always advised people not to bother with those, or green L or P plates. People see it as an instruction to get past at all costs rather than a request to give you more time and room. You can be driving smoothly and swiftly and they'll still assume you're holding them up and so will take any risk, both to you and themselves, to get past. It's the motoring equivalent of stabalisers on a bicycle, people think you're a ninny.

It's the same with anything that people consider to be 'slow'. I get people tailgating along country road straights looking to overtake whenever I drive a minibus for uni or tow my little trailer. Those same people then disappear off into the distance (behind me) whenever a bend comes up, because even in a minibus or with a trailer, you can still drive more quickly than most people will on country lanes!

[Thirsty33]

BOF said:

Roadru77er said:

Increase your distance from car in front (to allow for their lack of safety gap) when the car in front brakes show your brake lights and slow gradually to allow for their ignorance.

When safe allow them to pass.

THIS...

BOF

Ditto that.

The only other thing you can then do if you still can't let them past is make as if you adjust your rear view mirror. If you have a latish model car of an appropriate type that the police may use it can be effective in a fair number of cases, especially if you are bang on the speed limit. No exaggerated movements - just a hand to the mirror in mock adjustment and a good clear look at them. But let them past when you can, and then double your following distance!!

[Thirsty33]

pedromorgan said:

When I got my new car, I put a badge in the back window with "new Driver" on it. My idea was that other drivers would give me a few extra inches for the first few weeks.

Infact precisly the opposite was true. They sat even closer. I guess people dont like being stuck behind a lerner driver!

I have been amazed at the difference since I took it off!

Peter

That's really depressing.

[Thirsty33]

What I mean is that I think P plates are a really good idea - I suppose I expect too much of drivers to actually take account of things like this. And in any case, tailgating is pointless, it does not get you there faster. Overtaking the car does that and it's better not to tailgate if you want to overtake. Sorry, preaching to the converted here.....