Tailgating to become an offence
Discussion
In the Mail today - a senior police officer is advocating that tailgating become an an offence. Police cars will have cameras installed that capture the offence. The technology is not quite ready, but will be soon, so we will all be forced into adopting the 2 second rule.
Fine - I hate being tailgated...
HOWEVER, rather that prosecute motorists for this offence, why not educate motorists to use the slow lane, rather than hog the middle lane, therefore forcing those that want to make progress into the outside lane. In addition, enforce a minimum speed limit on motorways of 40 or 50 mph and emsure that buses and trucks occupy the inside and middle lanes only.
Fine - I hate being tailgated...
HOWEVER, rather that prosecute motorists for this offence, why not educate motorists to use the slow lane, rather than hog the middle lane, therefore forcing those that want to make progress into the outside lane. In addition, enforce a minimum speed limit on motorways of 40 or 50 mph and emsure that buses and trucks occupy the inside and middle lanes only.
HOWEVER, rather that prosecute motorists for this offence, why not educate motorists to use the slow lane, rather than hog the middle lane, therefore forcing those that want to make progress into the outside lane. In addition, enforce a minimum speed limit on motorways of 40 or 50 mph and emsure that buses and trucks occupy the inside and middle lanes only.
Minimum speed limits have been considered before and won't
work.
Consider a thousand tonne special load that sometimes gets
transported by low loader at 10 mph down the motorway.
Also, UK has Europe's lowest limit for motorways (70 mph).
Put a minimum of 40 mph on, and that gives a very narrow band
to operate in.
Further, even though there are laws about HGV not allowed
in lane 3, it is widely ignored.
I've seen twenty tonne trucks in lane three when they feel like it.
I thought the technology was available years ago? I seem to recall reading something on a speeding website about one of the box of tricks that the cops use. They type that they just unpack and sit at the side of the road waiting to earn their revenue. I am sure it said this system was easily changed to detect tailgating and was in use in Japan.
Anyone heard something similar? Or am I just going slightly insane
?
Anyone heard something similar? Or am I just going slightly insane
?it's just another example of curing the symptom not the cause. I would fully welcome 2nd and 3rd lane numpty cameras but the chances of getting something sensible in Bliar's "regulate to the lowest common numpty" state is pretty slim.
If people don't want to make good progress on motorways they shouldn't be there in the first place i think. a minimum speed limit would be great. sadly common sense the Joolz way isn't widely accepted, but I live in hope.
If people don't want to make good progress on motorways they shouldn't be there in the first place i think. a minimum speed limit would be great. sadly common sense the Joolz way isn't widely accepted, but I live in hope.
true, true, I think treating the cause negates any chance of earning wonga, it's the only reason I can think of to explain the glaringly obvious reluctance to tackle issues head on. A bit like Western medicine, if you get rid of headaches there's no money to be made from flogging Nurofen
robp said: I thought the technology was available years ago? I seem to recall reading something on a speeding website about one of the box of tricks that the cops use. They type that they just unpack and sit at the side of the road waiting to earn their revenue. I am sure it said this system was easily changed to detect tailgating and was in use in Japan.
Anyone heard something similar? Or am I just going slightly insane
It's actually an Israeli system, didn't know it was going to be approved for use in the UK though.
MoJocvh said:
robp said: I thought the technology was available years ago? I seem to recall reading something on a speeding website about one of the box of tricks that the cops use. They type that they just unpack and sit at the side of the road waiting to earn their revenue. I am sure it said this system was easily changed to detect tailgating and was in use in Japan.
Anyone heard something similar? Or am I just going slightly insane
It's actually an Israeli system, didn't know it was going to be approved for use in the UK though.
Do they use it then?
I'd certainly like to see buggers who are determined to tailgate stopped and given a ticket.
But not just on the motorway...I'd like the numpty-bunnies who insist on doing it in town to cop it as well.
As always though I'd like a copper to decide if an offence was committed not some damn computer.
There's my slogan! Coppers Not Computers.
But not just on the motorway...I'd like the numpty-bunnies who insist on doing it in town to cop it as well.
As always though I'd like a copper to decide if an offence was committed not some damn computer.
There's my slogan! Coppers Not Computers.
Yeah although I don't like enforcement as such, it is fascinating to observe the general public suddenly behaving themselves in the proximity of a traffic car !!! almost enjoyable to drive without some twerp filling that 1.5 second gap I leave on the motorway... 'cos 2 seconds is too big usually.
You don't get the same effect from a scum camera now, do you? More coppers, less cameras!!
Carl
You don't get the same effect from a scum camera now, do you? More coppers, less cameras!!
Carl
What happens if, just before you get to a tailgate camera, someone goes from lane 2 to lane 3, neatly fillin your 2 second gap? You'd probably get a ticket, you'd probably panic brake, meaning the car behind you would also panic brake to maintain his gap, ad infinitum.
Also, cars have a device which tells the driver how fast they are going. They do not have a device that tells them how far away from the car in front they are. (Apart from the drivers brain, but we all know how prone this is to suddenly locking up . . . ) Very easy to make a misjudgement in heavy traffic that would get you (or the person behind you) a ticket.
I think it's a great idea, but there are some hang ups which would need to be overcome before you just started taking pictures of everyonewho was less than two seconds behind the guy in front!
Also, cars have a device which tells the driver how fast they are going. They do not have a device that tells them how far away from the car in front they are. (Apart from the drivers brain, but we all know how prone this is to suddenly locking up . . . ) Very easy to make a misjudgement in heavy traffic that would get you (or the person behind you) a ticket.
I think it's a great idea, but there are some hang ups which would need to be overcome before you just started taking pictures of everyonewho was less than two seconds behind the guy in front!
robp said: I thought the technology was available years ago? I seem to recall reading something on a speeding website about one of the box of tricks that the cops use. They type that they just unpack and sit at the side of the road waiting to earn their revenue. I am sure it said this system was easily changed to detect tailgating and was in use in Japan.
Anyone heard something similar? Or am I just going slightly insane
The system has been in use in Germany for over 15 years now! Is used mostly on the Autobahn and consists of a camera that takes a series of piccies. Normally these are pleced under a bridge and 500m before the bridge are a series of white lines of differing lengths intruding into the outside lane. As these are a fixed known distance and a series of piccies are taken it's easy to calculate what speed and distance between 2 cars is present.
It's a VERY expensive thing to tailgate here, 5-10 points and up to 2000 EUR fine! depending on the speed/distance. The only way to escape these is to keep the distance as follows to the car in front, half of your own speed (kph) in meters to the other car (i.e you're doing 200kph divide by 2 = 100m distance to numptie in front!). And BTW if another car jumps into the gap this will be obvious and on the piccie so you won't get done, as long as it's in the captured piccie distance...... so you can't say he forced his way into the lane a mile beforehand, as you should have braked!!!!!
Regardless of what is happening in other lanes, ther should be no excuse for driving up someones ass whether they are doing 50 or 80, People should keep their distance. I agree the problem is made worse by motorists using the wrong lanes, etc. This is no excuse for it, which in most cases is probably aimed at bullying them out of the way.
PetrolTed said: I'm surprised at that. German drivers seem happy to sit literally inches from your bumper in a manner that makes UK tailgaters seem amateur.
Agreed, its just to get those slow morons to realise that there's possibly someone behind who wants past. But get caught and you risk a CRIMINAL charge of threatening behaviour as well!
Do something about the cause. I encounted several middle lane morons yesterday who don't seem to understand what's going on.
Agreed, but there are not Traffic Plod nowadays, it's all left to electronic highwaymen, therfore normal Ovlov Numpty can stick to seventy in the outside lane without fear of prosecution! This justifies Numpties deed in his tiny mind as well!
edited due to dyslexic fnigers!
>> Edited by JMGS4 on Monday 7th April 10:49
Agree on many points here, firstly tailgating is bad. There are many ways to try and solve this: more visible traffic police, more 'keep 2 chevrons apart' sections (always seem to work well), more driver education, motorway driving tests, a ban on all Vecdeo's/Montra's etc etc But as Apache said, if you cure the headache or the cold what happens to Smithkline Beechams...(or something like that)
Suffice to say one way to exact revenge on the tailgaters is in slow moving traffic. When I'm stuck in a jam if its going no where fast but still moving then I increase my distance from the car infront, dip the clutch, slip it into first, foot off the pedals and I move forward gradually under engine tickover. This has several great advantages: Firstly guy behind (tailgater) gets annoyed cos he thinks that because theres a huge gap that he's not making progress (he is but the traffic just isn't going anywhere), Secondly, less wear/tear on your brakes/clutch through continual stop/start movement, Thirdly, nice car everyone coming the other way sees how nice. Fourthly, see how far you can get before needing to apply brakes (well it breaks the monotomy). Time your approach to the end of the queue/lights/roundabout just right and you have a much better rolling start and can leave tailgater standing whilst he's still stop/starting. This method of handling traffic jams is also great where stop/start people see your the nice gap and cut it, only to find you amble past them 1/2 mile down the road, having still not used you brakes/dipped the clutch/wear you car out some more.
Suffice to say one way to exact revenge on the tailgaters is in slow moving traffic. When I'm stuck in a jam if its going no where fast but still moving then I increase my distance from the car infront, dip the clutch, slip it into first, foot off the pedals and I move forward gradually under engine tickover. This has several great advantages: Firstly guy behind (tailgater) gets annoyed cos he thinks that because theres a huge gap that he's not making progress (he is but the traffic just isn't going anywhere), Secondly, less wear/tear on your brakes/clutch through continual stop/start movement, Thirdly, nice car everyone coming the other way sees how nice. Fourthly, see how far you can get before needing to apply brakes (well it breaks the monotomy). Time your approach to the end of the queue/lights/roundabout just right and you have a much better rolling start and can leave tailgater standing whilst he's still stop/starting. This method of handling traffic jams is also great where stop/start people see your the nice gap and cut it, only to find you amble past them 1/2 mile down the road, having still not used you brakes/dipped the clutch/wear you car out some more.
zoom_jones said: Agree on many points here, firstly tailgating is bad. There are many ways to try and solve this: more visible traffic police, more 'keep 2 chevrons apart' sections (always seem to work well), more driver education, motorway driving tests, a ban on all Vecdeo's/Montra's etc etc But as Apache said, if you cure the headache or the cold what happens to Smithkline Beechams...(or something like that)
Suffice to say one way to exact revenge on the tailgaters is in slow moving traffic. When I'm stuck in a jam if its going no where fast but still moving then I increase my distance from the car infront, dip the clutch, slip it into first, foot off the pedals and I move forward gradually under engine tickover. This has several great advantages: Firstly guy behind (tailgater) gets annoyed cos he thinks that because theres a huge gap that he's not making progress (he is but the traffic just isn't going anywhere), Secondly, less wear/tear on your brakes/clutch through continual stop/start movement, Thirdly, nice car everyone coming the other way sees how nice. Fourthly, see how far you can get before needing to apply brakes (well it breaks the monotomy). Time your approach to the end of the queue/lights/roundabout just right and you have a much better rolling start and can leave tailgater standing whilst he's still stop/starting. This method of handling traffic jams is also great where stop/start people see your the nice gap and cut it, only to find you amble past them 1/2 mile down the road, having still not used you brakes/dipped the clutch/wear you car out some more.
I do this as well but on dual carriageways find everyone moving into the gap in front of me because they think I left it for them. I think continually washing your windscreen is a good way of getting your message across to the driver who seems to think it's acceptable to sit 2 feet off your bumper at motorway speed.
>> Edited by CRAPLOGINNAME on Monday 7th April 21:52
It could have serious repercussions. I for one have driven for 30-40 mile stretches of both the M4 and M6 without once seeing more than about 8ft between any of the cars in the outside lane. How many tickets would that be???
Does sound like just another reason to lobby for improved driver training, and compulsory 5 year retests for drivers, not that the Gov't will want to embrace that as it would reduce accidents and cause a drop in traffic-fine income...
John
Does sound like just another reason to lobby for improved driver training, and compulsory 5 year retests for drivers, not that the Gov't will want to embrace that as it would reduce accidents and cause a drop in traffic-fine income...
John
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