Advice: How do you stop people from tailgating you?

[RobM77]

I know this has probably been covered before, but does anyone have any tips?

This morning I was driving into work in my Elise in the rain and was doing a speed that I felt was safe for my car, the road I was on, hazards around me and the conditions (averaging about 50mph). I wasn't going that slowly at all, and was definately making reasonable but safe progress. However, I had a girl in a Peugeot 106 sat about 15-20 feet from the back of my car. Now, there was no road rage, no frustration from her, she just seemed to have a comfort zone that involved following me that closely. There was no way she had any stopping distance or any thinking distance at all and I felt that it was dangerous. Thing is, what can you do? Any tips?

[RobM77]

TonyHetherington said:

It's odd you say that - I find a disproportionate amount of people tailgate me more in my Elise than any other car. I think part of it is that, in some cases, I tend to go slower in my Elise (yes, you read that right) because you're SO aware of the conditions - water, ice, lack of grip etc.

I used to get this in the Caterham a lot. I think it is because people can see over the top of you, so they feel safer driving closer as it isn't a mystery what's coming up ahead. This is why lorries tailgate more than cars.

[RobM77]

I've tried hanging back but they just get closer whilst I decelerate and then settle into the 15-20 foot distance again!

[RobM77]

EmmaP said:

Most important thing though, I believe, is to not get annoyed.

Good point. If the person is that close, then they clearly don't realise the dangers; so if you wind them up they're likely to get even closer in retaliation, oblivious to the risks.

[RobM77]

Backing off is certainly a good plan, and yes, I do leave more of a gap in traffic if this happens. What bothers me though is the number of animals and birds we get running into the road around here (see my post on the Elise forum.. my Elise ate a partridge just two days after I bought it!). So if a deer jumps out in front of me and I utilise the eye-popping braking abilities of the Elise, I'm going to get toegueP stamped on the back of my car; or even worse, revoR egnaR stamped on the back of my skull..

[RobM77]

llamekcuf said:

TonyHetherington said: llamekcuf said: Otherwise gradually slowing down and then booting it back to the speed you were originally doing usually gets the message over, after a few times! Very inflamatory though, and you would only serve to anger the person behind. That is the only problem, and why I dont use it that often, and if I do it is the last resort. Usually just back off and leave space, as I posted above. Although nothing like as good as an Elise, I get loads of tailgating in the '2, probably because again of the height of it, meaning other cars can see over. Seems to happen the most when the roof is down..hmm

MR2s are great cars!

I think the seeing over you thing is definately an issue; but there's also the common misconception that people like us buy fast cars to drive quicky, coupled with jealously because people can't afford to run one or can't run one because they have children - people like that see you in the car doing 60mph and have the same thoughts that we have when we see a spotless Land Rover in the centre of London... Thus they tailgate because they're a) frustrated at being held up and b) annoyed that you have a nice car and they don't.

[RobM77]

willibetz said:

try and find an opportunity to safely let the following driver pass

I've tried that, doesn't seem to work! Once I was being tailgated by a big white van so I indicated left on a long empty straight, dropped my speed to about 20mph and pulled over to the left hand edge of the road. The chap just slowed down as well! People don't overtake because they're not frustrated at your speed and want to go faster - they just naturally sit that close to cars in front...

[RobM77]

GreenV8S said:

If people are too close behind you, then they have to overcorrect when you change your speed. You can use this to make life very difficult for them, just slow down enough to get past their 'comfort zone' and make them react by slowing down, as they slow down you accelerate and open up the gap. If they accelerate again to close the gap, slow down again as they approach so they have to overreact again. The closer they are the more effective this is. When they are really close you may only need to vary your speed by a few mph while they end up all over the place. I've only resorted to this a couple of times, but it has been extremely effective. You do need to be careful not to put either of you in danger, but I would offset this with the safety benefits of making them concentrate on the car in front of them and also the fact that they quickly drop back to a much safer gap.

That's a thought. They way I drive tends to involve very gradual changes of speed, especially on the roads that I know. If I know there's a hidden driveway coming up, I'll back off 200 yards before it and gradually ease my speed down. If I constantly varied my speed it would make the tailgater's life very difficult indeed!

[RobM77]

gridgway said:

I just use very gentle slowing down and speeding up as imperceptably as possible. It's not aggressive for the car behind. I envisage it as keeping the space between the car behind and the car in front as big as I want it and then aiming to 'patrol' it by moving backwards and forwards in the space. It seems to work and often stop the tailgating without enraging the car behind (I have lots of much better ways to enrage the car behind, but that's another story). Graham

Yes, this sounds like an interesting technique. I'll try it (subtley, of course) and see what happens!

Thanks for all your thoughts.

[RobM77]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Good idea. I've done this in the past and it works a treat, though it can be tricky to get going again in traffic, and often it is a case of finding somewhere safe to pull over, which is tricky on my twisty route to work.

[RobM77]

Well, let them past it is then!

It's quite a good solution actually, because it gets them off your back, no-one would give you road rage for doing this, and finally it does actually make them think about their actions so they might not do it in the future.

[RobM77]

I always used to let tailgaters past in the Caterham - basically because I sat six inches from the rear of the car and I felt very exposed! and yes, you usually catch them up again and find them going slower on their own than they were following you.

The other thing is the 42mph club. I have no problem with people doing 42mph in a 60 if that's the speed they feel safe doing, but it winds me up when the same people view the same speed as safe past a school

[RobM77]

Don said:

RobM77 said: I always used to let tailgaters past in the Caterham - basically because I sat six inches from the rear of the car and I felt very exposed! and yes, you usually catch them up again and find them going slower on their own than they were following you. The other thing is the 42mph club. I have no problem with people doing 42mph in a 60 if that's the speed they feel safe doing, but it winds me up when the same people view the same speed as safe past a school ...and insist on tailgating you because you're doing 30mph and despite steam coming from their ears they're too chicken to overtake...

I usually find that the 3.2 seconds after passing the national speed limit sign shows them why you were doing 30mph!

[RobM77]

jacko lah said:

What kind of road ? Motorway ? Move over ! B Road ? Accelerate hard and leave them in the next ditch ! I never get tailgated when in my Mk2 Cavalier. Never. Nobody ever tries to overtake either. Must be the pikey style of car.

My commute is 10 miles of twisty Nurburgring like B road with a few straights.

[RobM77]

gdaybruce said:

Lots of good and wise advice on this thread but I'll add one further observation. When being tailgated for no obviously apparent reason, other than because the tailgater just isn't thinking about what he or she is doing, I find that a good open bend wakes them up. I generally seem to emerge on the other side with a much bigger gap between me and the following vehicle than we had on the way in! Sometimes they then re-attatch themselves to my back bumper, but sometimes not!

Yes, on my way to work there is a well sighted 90 degree left hander that I take in 2nd or 3rd gear (depending on my mood) at about 35mph, rear dug in firmly and on the power hard for the exit. It can be an eye widening moment for someone in a FWD box!

[RobM77]

havoc said:

7db said: havoc said: My only concern is a psychological one. if you have a class-2 aggressive-tailgater, and you reward their aggressive attitude with moving out of their way, they will perceive that attitude as being successful, and so it will reinforce in their minds. I have a basic rule that I'm not going to change someone's driving from outside of their car. This breaks that rule. Let them past. Someone else can change their driving - either catastrophically or didactically. Probably true. Interestingly, I'm far more likely to get out of someone's way when I'm in a car that I'm really proud of...which probably suggests that I instinctively know there's a risk in NOT moving out of the way. Hmmm, self-analysis, PH-stylee!!!

Yes, that's true This question has suddenly come about because I've bought a car that I truly care a lot about! In memory I've only ever moved over and let people through in my Caterham, my Elise and my Mk1 MR2. Mmmm

[RobM77]

flurbyjim said:

Here's an idea... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dl Suggested phrases: "BACK OFF" "BACK OFF YOU !" "MY OVERTAKE WAS PERFECTLY SAFE AND WITHIN THE LAW SO QUIT FLASHING ME" "HEY CUTIE FANCY PULLING OVER AT THE NEXT LAYBY?"

Excellent!! For overtake flashers, I've often considered a large spotlight mounted on the rear parcel shelf

[RobM77]

Safety Engineer said:

Hazard lights for three or four flashes, less demanding than trying to dip brake lights without braking and seems to be seen as less aggressive - they seem to be taken as a warning nad most back off.

Actually illegal (or at least contravening the Highway Code), but I'm sure it works.

Safety Engineer said:

As an aside I find I get tailgated less in winter than summer, probably because in winter I just jump in the car without taking my site jacket off, from the back they see a driver in a blue car with a hi viz jacket on, not sure if it would work for an Elise though.

[/quote]
Interesting that. A friend of mine is 6'4" and claims that he never gets road rage. He reckons I get road rage because not only am I 5'10", but I always sit with the seat on the lowest setting.

Thanks for the tips!

[RobM77]

I guess I need a new Highway Code I wasn't aware of that amendment. Thanks for that Don.

With regard to car companies introducing them, yes - several cars do this. I've noticed this as I frequently get hire cars and often use the opportunity to get used to the feel of doing an emergency stop (on an empty road, of course). A few of the hire cars over the last few years have flashed the hazards as I'm braking hard. I'm not quite sure how safe this is if I'm braking for an emergency and someone is relying on a signal I'm giving to make a rapid accident avoiding decision! Ergo I'm against the idea. I much prefer the idea of progressive brake light activation, as featured on some german saloons now.

[RobM77]

I must admit that I've never been surprised by the retardation of traffic in front of me. Most of the time I don't actually use my brakes, I just back off and slow down gradually. Maybe it's the type of driving I do - usually just flowing A and B roads.