How should you react if someone is tailgating me?

[JiyuuA7X]

Assuming I am driving at the speed limit on a single lane road.

Do I?

A)Slow down to make it easier for them to pass.
B)Pull over.
C)Other.
X)Slam on the brakes and take out the shotgun?

edit- yes, the title is worded weird.

[DaveH23]

Id say pull over as somebody stupid enough to tailgate will see you slowing down as an attmpt to piss them off.

[croyde]

If it is freaking you and it is dangerous, for you and them, just pull over when you can and let them carry on. On the other hand race the bugger (Not recommended)

[GrumpyTwig]

Generally slow down more making it less likely you'll need to slam the brakes on for any hazards etc. avoiding getting the tool behind crashing into your rear.

[0a]

Slow down and/or pull over, being "right" doesn't matter in an accident, or when your insurance premium goes up following a claim.

[Captain Cadillac]

Rear Fog Lights.

Slow down, let them pass, then get right up their ass with high beams on.

Throw stuff out the sunroof at them, like nails.

[User33678888]

slow to about 10mph

[anonymous-user]

Pull over and let them past, every time. Not worth the accident or the risk you have inadvertently just found the local nutter/psychopath/anger management class failure etc.

[JiyuuA7X]

Thanks for your replies.

The general consensus so far seems to be that it's best to just pull over, so that is what I will try and do in future - albeit I must admit Captains response is the most tempting :P

What I used to do was to just speed up, overtake a few cars (assuming it was safe to do so! - I didn't go mental)and I'd loose them. I don't want to make a habit of breaking the speed limit though.

[Roadru77er]

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.

[BOF]

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

[slippery]

How should I react if someone is tailgating you?
Good question. How would I know if someone was?

[Don]

MercScot said:

Pull over and let them past, every time. Not worth the accident or the risk you have inadvertently just found the local nutter/psychopath/anger management class failure etc.

This.

What's fking annoying, though, is the one who isn't tailgating because they want to go faster.

There are two sort of tailgaters.

Type 1: Aggressive idiot who wishes to go faster and isn't brave or smart enough to overtake conventionally.
Type 2: Idiot who thinks that rights up the arse of the car in front is the proper place to position their car.

Type 2 doesn't even want to overtake. Hence, very often, if you pull over they simply drive in front of you at a slow speed!

In either case the right course of action is to be somewhere they aren't.

[Changedmyname]

If it they have a powerful car ,let them pass.
You shouldn't be goaded into driving any faster than the speed limit.

[slippery]

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

[Changedmyname]

slippery said:

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

You will have go local nutter on him if he starts.

[Dr Jekyll]

Don said:

Type 1: Aggressive idiot who wishes to go faster and isn't brave or smart enough to overtake conventionally.

Or to be more precise, imagines that by going too close to the car in front, they will somehow get where they are going significantly sooner.

[crugbun]

Let him go past.
1 you've no idea why he's in a rush. So just let him go
2 when you come round a corner to find a broken down tractor in the road would you rather have the tailgater in front of you or behind you
3 if you're looking in your mirror getting distracted, you're getting distracted.

[lipadier]

B roads: Do a full circle on the next roundabout.
A roads: Let him overtake. Even if it means getting off your chosen speed for a short moment.

• Shrug*

[daveparry]

A and B are the correct answers!