Tailgating - Why the f***?!
Discussion
I've not lived in the UK for some time now so I can't really judge British drivers very well as I'm only back a few times each year, so my views are based on Spanish traffic, but what the hell is it with tailgaters.
I mentioned it in a previous post regarding "granny" driving, but I get it all the time. Going fast or slow, stuck in traffic, unable to change lanes safely....it happens!
Do these t
ts not realise the danger they're putting themselves in (or mine). Quite frankly, I couldn't give a st about the car or life of the person tailgating me, but I do care about my car and my own life and that of the people in my car.
I've had times where I've even been doing 140km/h and had cars right up my tail....on the outside lane, refusing to back off, even when I slow down or even speed up. The same when I'm boxed in heavy traffic, yet they (mostly women in foreign plated cars - a lot of them shamefully British plates), tend to feel they can attach the front of their car to the back of mine.
I usually deal with it by putting my hazard lights on along with my rear fog lights, or simply letting my foot off the accelerator until they get the hint but I've been tempted to get one of these scrolling signs telling the driver to "back the fk off my arse"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HYYERZY/ref=...
How do other people deal with this behaviour and is it as common in the UK as it is in Spain?
I mentioned it in a previous post regarding "granny" driving, but I get it all the time. Going fast or slow, stuck in traffic, unable to change lanes safely....it happens!
Do these t
ts not realise the danger they're putting themselves in (or mine). Quite frankly, I couldn't give a st about the car or life of the person tailgating me, but I do care about my car and my own life and that of the people in my car.I've had times where I've even been doing 140km/h and had cars right up my tail....on the outside lane, refusing to back off, even when I slow down or even speed up. The same when I'm boxed in heavy traffic, yet they (mostly women in foreign plated cars - a lot of them shamefully British plates), tend to feel they can attach the front of their car to the back of mine.
I usually deal with it by putting my hazard lights on along with my rear fog lights, or simply letting my foot off the accelerator until they get the hint but I've been tempted to get one of these scrolling signs telling the driver to "back the f
k off my arse"http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HYYERZY/ref=...
How do other people deal with this behaviour and is it as common in the UK as it is in Spain?
In my experience, as a general rule it tends to get worse in Europe the further south you go. In the UK, most people follow too close (as in closer than the recommended two seconds) but relatively few follow really close unless you're being an idiot and blocking a lane unnecessarily. The complete idiots are certainly rare enough that you can just get out of the way and let them go and be a menace to someone else without slowing your own trip down too much.
Edited by kambites on Thursday 19th June 09:27
This has been done before on here (just a bit!).
Tailgaters are either -
Thick tts with no idea how to drive who aren't interested in driving and are doing it because they have given it, like the rest of their driving, zero thought.
Agressive tts who have some misguided idea it will miraculously create an opportunity for them to go faster, often despite glaring evidence to contrary.
Neither group is going to suddenly become more reasonable if confronted by a sign in the car in front.
They can be annoying, but they are a sad fact of life.
Tailgaters are either -
Thick t
ts with no idea how to drive who aren't interested in driving and are doing it because they have given it, like the rest of their driving, zero thought.Agressive t
ts who have some misguided idea it will miraculously create an opportunity for them to go faster, often despite glaring evidence to contrary.Neither group is going to suddenly become more reasonable if confronted by a sign in the car in front.
They can be annoying, but they are a sad fact of life.
kambites said:
In my experience, as a general rule it tends to get worse in Europe the further south you go. In the UK, most people follow too close (as in closer than the recommended two seconds) but relatively few follow really close unless you're being an idiot and blocking a lane unnecessarily.
Also depends where you are in the country. IME drivers in places like the south west and Norfolk tend to have a more relaxed style and rarely cause you aggro. London... not so much! Its rare to look at the outside lane of the M25 and not see a bunch of German execs inches away from each other, slamming the brakes every few seconds. It must cause so many crashes and disruption, I just can't understand why it isn't clamped down on.
SuperHangOn said:
kambites said:
In my experience, as a general rule it tends to get worse in Europe the further south you go. In the UK, most people follow too close (as in closer than the recommended two seconds) but relatively few follow really close unless you're being an idiot and blocking a lane unnecessarily.
Also depends where you are in the country. IME drivers in places like the south west and Norfolk tend to have a more relaxed style and rarely cause you aggro. London... not so much! Its rare to look at the outside lane of the M25 and not see a bunch of German execs inches away from each other, slamming the brakes every few seconds. It must cause so many crashes and disruption, I just can't understand why it isn't clamped down on.
kambites said:
hman said:
move over and let them pass, you are not going as fast as them.
One day they'll either crash because of it or do it to an unmarked police car and get prosecuted. Until then, let me be someone else's problem. t go faster.I very rarely drive below the speed limit so if somebody is up my arse, it's because they want to speed. I'm fine with that (I speed when its safe to do so too), but you have to respect the rest of the traffic on the road and if the traffic wants to obey the speed limits, tough s
t on them. To my shame I was so overcome with joy at the arrival of my firstborn, that I purchased one of those 'baby on board' signs for the rear window. Underneath, in smaller text I wrote 'now back off nob head'. My theory being that if they could read it they should indeed back off. After a brief chuckle at my little witicism, I removed the sign.
Twice in my driving career I have made way for one of these types to watch them cause a crash just down the road, where they met themselves in another car who got riled up at them.
The point of driving a car is roger from a to b, and hopefully enjoy the experience if you are a PHer. And arrive there at the other end with the same number of fingers toes eyes and teeth as you started.
Getting competitive / aggressive on the public highway with someone who has clearly demonstrated they have a poor grip of safety zones and is like going head to head with Maldonado into a tight corner. Its just not worth it...
The point of driving a car is roger from a to b, and hopefully enjoy the experience if you are a PHer. And arrive there at the other end with the same number of fingers toes eyes and teeth as you started.
Getting competitive / aggressive on the public highway with someone who has clearly demonstrated they have a poor grip of safety zones and is like going head to head with Maldonado into a tight corner. Its just not worth it...
beanbag said:
The point I'm raising here is I do pull over, but only if it's safe to do so. I'm not in the practice of cutting up an innocent drive in the outside lane to let some tt go faster.
Yeah, I know what you mean - if there's no obvious gap to pull into, I just slow down slightly to increase my safety margin to the car in front and ignore them until I do find a gap. t go faster.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff