Advice: How do you stop people from tailgating you?
Discussion
The leaving more gap in front thing works!
A couple of months back I came up to the back of a large queue of traffic doing about 45 in NSL all way to close for comfort (Possibly still safe but I like to leave a bit extra just in case).
Then cars approach from behind and sit very close behind so I slow a little and leave an exaggerated gap. Not sure why but the cars in front suddenly brake emergency stop style so I brake quite hard not excessive but enough to wake my sister up in the back. Car behind Panics & Locks up which I hear glance in mirror and see car gaining on me so ease off brakes a bit (using up that bit of gap I don’t really like to use) so he doesn’t hit me. He keeps foot on brake skids partly off the road and the dozy blond behind goes into the back of him. (only a few seconds but stuck in my mind)
I stopped and made sure there was nobody hurt, got back in my car and drove off chuckling to myself.
A couple of months back I came up to the back of a large queue of traffic doing about 45 in NSL all way to close for comfort (Possibly still safe but I like to leave a bit extra just in case).
Then cars approach from behind and sit very close behind so I slow a little and leave an exaggerated gap. Not sure why but the cars in front suddenly brake emergency stop style so I brake quite hard not excessive but enough to wake my sister up in the back. Car behind Panics & Locks up which I hear glance in mirror and see car gaining on me so ease off brakes a bit (using up that bit of gap I don’t really like to use) so he doesn’t hit me. He keeps foot on brake skids partly off the road and the dozy blond behind goes into the back of him. (only a few seconds but stuck in my mind)
I stopped and made sure there was nobody hurt, got back in my car and drove off chuckling to myself.
Don said:
They'd be 100% liable. No ifs, no buts, no excuses. If you need to "Emergency Stop" for any reason at all - including one you imagined - they guy behind is not supposed to hit you.
This is my understanding: Any Police Drivers, Insurance types know better I'm happy to be corrected - but this is what I have always been told.
In my embarrassing experience of having hit the back of a vehicle on more than one occasion (not tailgating, I hasten to add - ice and other distractions affecting my braking and reaction times), I was always found to be at fault and the claim for repairs went against my insurance.
With regard to what to do, then allowing plenty space in front and paying attention to what is happening well up the road so that you do not have to react to anything suddenly should avoid a rear end situation.
Perhaps at the next set of lights, if you pull into the left lane (the other driver is almost bound to sit in the outside lane if going straight on) you might be able to speak with him/her and pint out the error of their ways!
This is developing into an interesting thread.....
As has been said over and over the best tactic bar none is to pull over and let them past but this is not always practical/possible.
In which case the gentle accelerate/decelerate technique comes in.
If this is unsuccessful I would try the same tactic but lighting my brakelights while accelerating (without actually braking).
I had an occasion a few years ago while driving through Preston town centre. I was travelling down a narrow one way street with houses and cars parked on either side. I was doing about 15mph (as I thought there was a considderable chance of somebody running out or a car door opening). Next thing a black cab comes flying up behind me at approx 30 and starts flashing/hooting me to speed up. There must have been less than a foot between our cars! There was nowhere to pull over and I tried gentle acceleration away before returning to my normal speed but still the lights were flashing and the horn was going. In the end I decided I was unprepared to put myself and pedestrians at risk by driving in front of the idiot so I took my foot off the gas completely until he backed off. I ended up coming to a complete stop with him behind me lying on his horn with his full beams on! I waited until he stopped (well he actually got out of his car, closed the door and started walking towards my car before pulling off and returning to 15 mph again (and luckilly enough I got through a set of lights just before his cab caught up).
The moral of the story was that he would have got where he was going a lot faster if he had just allowed me to drive at the speed I felt appropriate and waited until I had a chance to pull over or he had a chance to pass. I don't think I necessarilly did the best thing but it was a lose/lose situation and he put me there.
Thankfully this has only ever happened to me once
As has been said over and over the best tactic bar none is to pull over and let them past but this is not always practical/possible.
In which case the gentle accelerate/decelerate technique comes in.
If this is unsuccessful I would try the same tactic but lighting my brakelights while accelerating (without actually braking).
I had an occasion a few years ago while driving through Preston town centre. I was travelling down a narrow one way street with houses and cars parked on either side. I was doing about 15mph (as I thought there was a considderable chance of somebody running out or a car door opening). Next thing a black cab comes flying up behind me at approx 30 and starts flashing/hooting me to speed up. There must have been less than a foot between our cars! There was nowhere to pull over and I tried gentle acceleration away before returning to my normal speed but still the lights were flashing and the horn was going. In the end I decided I was unprepared to put myself and pedestrians at risk by driving in front of the idiot so I took my foot off the gas completely until he backed off. I ended up coming to a complete stop with him behind me lying on his horn with his full beams on! I waited until he stopped (well he actually got out of his car, closed the door and started walking towards my car before pulling off and returning to 15 mph again (and luckilly enough I got through a set of lights just before his cab caught up).
The moral of the story was that he would have got where he was going a lot faster if he had just allowed me to drive at the speed I felt appropriate and waited until I had a chance to pull over or he had a chance to pass. I don't think I necessarilly did the best thing but it was a lose/lose situation and he put me there.
Thankfully this has only ever happened to me once
If I can't get out the way then I've tried:
Using washer jets, given that it's only water not sure why they back off but they do.
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.
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.
Safety Engineer said:Actually illegal (or at least contravening the Highway Code), but I'm sure it works.
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.
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.
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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: "Actually illegal (or at least contravening the Highway Code), but I'm sure it works." True but I think Highway Code is going to be amended to take into account the fact that some modern cars when under emergency braking automatically activate hazards and also the hazards tip was given to me by a BiB, I live in Essex and worked at the time in Herts and have spoken to traffic divisions in both, they both pointed out that it the Highway code is like in H&S terms an ACoP (Approved Code of Practice) and that given the potential to avoid an accident activating hazards is as good as if not a better method of preventing an accident than the ACoP (Highway Code) describes.
All I can say is it works for me and is less stressfull than messing about getting the brake lights on without actually braking.
I think the hi-viz jacket has more to do with it in winter being a 5'7"ish short arse !!
>> Edited by Safety Engineer on Thursday 30th March 01:59
All I can say is it works for me and is less stressfull than messing about getting the brake lights on without actually braking.
I think the hi-viz jacket has more to do with it in winter being a 5'7"ish short arse !!
>> Edited by Safety Engineer on Thursday 30th March 01:59
Errr. Hazard Lights.
Hazard lights should be used in two cases only:
1) When you are stationary and need to warn other drivers that your car is in a hazardous position through n fault of your own.
2) On the motorway when all traffic is slowing to a standstill to warn drivers behind that there is stationary or very slow moving traffic.
(2) was introduced only recently in response to general driving behaviour. This common sense use of lights had previously been against the Highway Code - but motorists all did it (very sensibly) - so the Highway Code was changed.
I would not recommend use of the hazard lights with a tailgater. A I mentioned before there are two types - dozy and angry. Whilst the hazards may wake up a dozy one they will certainly infuriate an angry one. They may turn a dozy on into an angry one.
Get them past you. If you can't - unobtrusive subtle techniques may help - until you can. Anything obvious runs the risk of turning the
behind into an utter .
Hazard lights should be used in two cases only:
1) When you are stationary and need to warn other drivers that your car is in a hazardous position through n fault of your own.
2) On the motorway when all traffic is slowing to a standstill to warn drivers behind that there is stationary or very slow moving traffic.
(2) was introduced only recently in response to general driving behaviour. This common sense use of lights had previously been against the Highway Code - but motorists all did it (very sensibly) - so the Highway Code was changed.
I would not recommend use of the hazard lights with a tailgater. A I mentioned before there are two types - dozy and angry. Whilst the hazards may wake up a dozy one they will certainly infuriate an angry one. They may turn a dozy on into an angry one.
Get them past you. If you can't - unobtrusive subtle techniques may help - until you can. Anything obvious runs the risk of turning the
behind into an utter .Don said:
I have a Citroen C4 that does it, some Renaults and apparently some of the newer mercs do it.
Interesting. Thanks for that! Do they stay on once you've stopped? Or do they go off once the braking is over?
>> Edited by Don on Thursday 30th March 10:22
I would think it might be sensible to have them remain on for a few seconds after the braking finishes, and then automatically switch off.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
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.
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 said:
I guess I need a new Highway Code
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!
It's a useful warning though if you know to look out for it. There are occasions where, due to lighting or other conditions - possibly lack of other visual cues - where it's difficult to tell how hard the car in front is breaking. Even at a safe distance underestimating the cahp in front's breaking can put you in a slightly alarming position. This would be useful to let you know they're at full anchors.
Progressive lights are also good but, with differing cars having varying brightness of break lights, how do you calibrate a brightness against an amount of breaking force?
I do get worried by people driving too close to my bumper when I'm in the rex - it, like many powerful and light cars stops very quickly. Much shorter distance than most or all saloons/hatches. I tend to leave a bigger gap in front to mitigate this and have only had to really slam on hard in one occasion - I ended up steering past the back end of an IS200 when I underestimated how hard he'd breaked (on a long slip road). I ended up half a bonnet past his bumper. Car behind me ended up a bonnet past mine!!!
My first action tends to be to ignore them. If they've been there for a while then I'll gently brush the brake pedal with my left foot, enough for the lights to come on, but not to slow the car at all; if this fails & they seem to be at all agressive, then indicate left, slow and let them past.
Unless I know I have better performance, in which case wait for the first decent stretch of road, drop it down a gear, touch the brake pedal gently (as above) and simultaneously accelerate away...
Unless I know I have better performance, in which case wait for the first decent stretch of road, drop it down a gear, touch the brake pedal gently (as above) and simultaneously accelerate away...
Just a thought re hazards.
If it is increasingly common that hazards are activated by hard braking, would use of them open you up to the suggestion that "He must have really tried to brake test me because the hazards came on." ??
Firmly sitting in same corner as Don, let them get by, or even turn off, or make a 360 round an island. Get the enemy in front without turning them into a raving loony monster.
Until you get an opportunity to make way, the gentle speed variation works.
If it is increasingly common that hazards are activated by hard braking, would use of them open you up to the suggestion that "He must have really tried to brake test me because the hazards came on." ??
Firmly sitting in same corner as Don, let them get by, or even turn off, or make a 360 round an island. Get the enemy in front without turning them into a raving loony monster.
Until you get an opportunity to make way, the gentle speed variation works.
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