Tailgaters

[PinkSuadeSoho]

Most of you guys are NUTS!! Do you REALLY want to risk someone slamming into your car?? Sure, the A-hole behind you has to pay for the damage to your car, but no amount of money is going to recoup what a rear-end collision will do to your body. A lot of you that have replied to this thread are young, but when you get older, your health is far more important that "proving a point".

You guys that are flipping off people really need to grow up! Sorry, but that's how I feel about it. What's the point of that? Whose immaturity is being shown by doing that? Why on EARTH would anyone risk their personal safety by flipping off someone that already has CLEARLY demonstrated that they have issues or they wouldn't be sitting on your ass anyway. No one knows what's under the seat of someone that puts public safety at risk by scraping the bumper of the car in front of them.

Slowing down to 2MPH? Again, inappropriate and ridiculously dangerous along with you guys that gleefully think confrontation is the way to go.

Driving is serious business. Get serious! If you've got a tailgater, maintain your speed and let them go around you. If they are clearly into road rage, then by God, pull the hell over and get out of their way, try to get their license plate number and call 911. Who wants to DIE to make a point about traffic laws??

And those of you who do tailgate: SHAME ON YOU!!

Rant over.....

Excellent post. I have been in 2 very major car accidents.

I see no point in trying to teach anyone manners or a lesson learned on the road. Again, I would rather let them pass me, and be on their way....

 

[~KT~]

I agree 100%.

I value the lives of my family and other families on the road too much to act like an idiot (and break the law) by slamming on brakes unnecessarily or slowing down to a crawl. I think the last time I flipped someone off I was 11.

To the poster who said she didn't care about her car getting hit. WOW. Have you ever been in a car accident before? Even seemingly minor ones can be life-changing.

I completely agree with both of you! Not only can being hit hurt you or someone else but it also lowers the value of your car not to mention the headache of getting it fixed. Thats why I always find it funny when people say "someone else will pay for it!" thats the least of your worries.

 

[caitlin1214]

The only guns I need are these!

*kisses biceps*

Haha!

 

[HubbaWubba]

Slowing down to 2MPH? Again, inappropriate and ridiculously dangerous along with you guys that gleefully think confrontation is the way to go.



Rant over.....

Well I don't like to be bullied no matter what the situation is. But you know what, the retard, (and I do mean retard because they had a horn problem), behind me kept beeping for about 3 city blocks. They could of turned down one of the avenues if they wanted to avoid me, the person stayed behind me. Have you been to NYC looking for parking? The speed limit is about 20 mph on most streets. There was a light about 50 feet ahead. Me making the person more miserable than me and me stopping at the light and getting out and confront the %$$@@ is what I did. I never saw someone roll up their window so fast after hearing them yell from their car for me to move. Then I proceeded to report them to the police for drunk driving with a child in their car. I happen to be a person that calls out other people IRL. Whether you agree with it or not, that's anothe story. Maybe it's a NY thing. :boxing:

 

[rainrowan]

There was driver tailgating the car in front of him and honking to move faster, even though we're at a 4-way intersection and one should not be forced to rush past oncoming cars! The car at the front had one of those stickers that alerted other drivers "this vehicles stops at all railroad crossings" in huge letters -- it was our school district stationwagon to transport children and/or parents in special situations -- so, the car was carrying a child!! The tailgater didn't even have the decency to stay back. That tailgater was an idiot! It's one of the reasons why I hate driving so much, all the lunatics on the road!

 

[maria28]

LOL I mean really slow. I remember I was looking for parking in Manhattan once and this person behind me kept beeping. I went like 2 mph and they couldn't go around me. Then when I got to the light, I got out of the car and asked them what their problem was. The woman thought I was crazy and rolled her window up very quickly and went around me when the light changed. Then I started following her and she sped off. Then I called 911 and reported her for speeding, that they had a baby in the car and saying she was swerving and I felt they were drunk. Try that next time. :devil:

i don't like people tailgating either. i especially dislike it when i follow the speed limit of 30km/hr in a school zone and have impatient drivers horning me from the back. the good thing though is that a lot of the time there're police patrolling the school zones....so, my best experience was when this car (yes, with children in it) got stopped by the police (waiting at the end of the school zone). the car kept horning me, then undertook me, sped up, and got stopped by the police.

 

[chaz]

I HATE IT WITH A PASSION!!!!! I nearly always have my 18 month old,Sophie in the car with me,I have a warning sign on my back screen saying BABY ON BOARD, people ride on my bumper,far too close to stop it there was a sudden incident in front.I get tailgated and flashed to move over on the motorway,when there is plenty of space to go round,if there is a bit of a queue and the furthest they would get is one space?!! I am no slouch as a driver either,but I am not prepared to race around like some idiot just to stop people getting pissy with me, I have had one guy sit behind me so close I swear I could make out the details of his eyelashes!! I could'nt go any faster,could'nt move over and he kept flashing etc,everytime I looked in the mirror at him and gestured I could'nt move so back off he got worse!!!,Next thing we were coming up to junction,some cars nipped off over the lights as they were changing leaving a space next to me so i thought 'good he can go that way and leave me alone' next thing he's got his window down and screaming abuse at me for being a crappy woman driver!!! I turn into a lioness when Sophies with me and I feel either of us threatend,so I put down my window and said ;what the f**k did you expect me to do,levitate out of your f***ing way? I've got a child in the back,learn some manners and learn to read!!' He then screams at me to stay home with my f***ing kid where I belong!!!! I can't put what I said,Sophie fortunately just seemed bemused by the whole situation.Anyways he speeds off like a lunatic,to be nabbed by an unmarked police car that was sat behind and saw the whole thing!!!! I don't know what happened to him and I damn well don't care,I hope the threw the bloody book at him!! I could'nt stay angry for long,the whole getting nabbed in front of me just made me laugh!! The only thing is,I wish there was someone in my car to share it with!! Justice at its finest!!!

But there should definately be a law introduced that can do something about it,its dangerous beyond belief,and so annoying it gets hard to stay cool and ignore it and keep from making bad judgements when you are getting so harrassed,easier said than done to ignore it when you can't get out of the way and you have your whole world sat on the back seat innocent to all of this.

 

[Prada Psycho]

Here's the law from the NC DMV driver's handbook:​

Following
Following too closely is a leading cause of
traffic crashes. Maintain plenty of space between
your vehicle and the one ahead. If the vehicle
ahead stops suddenly, you will need time to
react. On the open road, keep enough distance
between you and the vehicle ahead so that a
passing vehicle can safely move into and occupy
the space. Remember to follow the “two second
rule".​

The Two-Second Rule

The “two-second rule” says that you should
allow two seconds between the time the vehicle
ahead of you passes a given point and the
time your vehicle reaches the same point.​

Personally, I use the three second rule (recommended by the NC Highway Patrol). It's seriously impossible not to hit the car in front of you if you get slammed from behind if you're only using 2 seconds. ​

 

[Sudy]

Thank god I haven't had too many experiences with tailgaters. I don't drive too often in ny and most of my highway driving is done in florida so it's not so bad. Though I do remember when I first started driving and I was stuck with a tailgater on a busy expressway at night. The speed limit was 55 mph and I was already going 15 to 20 over on the left lane. For a good while the driver wouldn't get off my back and kept high beaming me. Of course I tried to move out of the way for him but the middle lane had a steady line of cars going pretty fast and there wasn't enough room for me to cut in safely. So me being a relatively new driver I didn't want to risk changing lanes when I thought it wasn't safe. Thinking about this makes me so angry because the tailgater clearly knew I tried to get out of the way and I couldn't. So I tried to remain calm and kept a steady speed to keep him off my back while being conscious of the expressways notoriety for lots of cops. So I consider mysellf lucky that the tailgater got pulled over! Lol I was never so happy to look in my rearview mirrow and see those flashing lights.

I really think this is a dangerous situation on the road and I agree with Chaz's comments about it being easier said than done to keep cool.

 

[chaz]

Here's the law from the NC DMV driver's handbook:​

Following
Following too closely is a leading cause of
traffic crashes. Maintain plenty of space between
your vehicle and the one ahead. If the vehicle
ahead stops suddenly, you will need time to
react. On the open road, keep enough distance
between you and the vehicle ahead so that a
passing vehicle can safely move into and occupy
the space. Remember to follow the “two second
rule".​

The Two-Second Rule


The “two-second rule” says that you should

allow two seconds between the time the vehicle
ahead of you passes a given point and the
time your vehicle reaches the same point.​

Personally, I use the three second rule (recommended by the NC Highway Patrol). It's seriously impossible not to hit the car in front of you if you get slammed from behind if you're only using 2 seconds. ​

We have the same thing in the UK Highway code,I always try to give myself plenty of distance out front,only for some stupid ass to go into it,slam on their brakes coz they've zoomed in and as not to hit the car in front,then I have to slam my anchors on,all the while the tailgater behind me is completely oblivious until I slam on,sh*ts themselves and the give ME sh*t!!!!!

I am no dope behind a wheel,and am an extremely confident and capable driver,since I have had Sophie I never realised how many thoroughly sh*t and useless drivers there out there.I live rural at the mo,so I really do need a car,end of Jan we're moving back to the city and civilisation and I am seriously considering letting my faithful old SAAB go.

 

[Odette]

I try to leave at least one car length between myself and the car in front of me. If I'm being tailgated on the highway, I move to the right lane (if I'm not there already). Sometimes I'm on a one-lane road or there isn't a place to pull off, and I just brake check them (lightly) and usually that is enough to get them to back off.

It really freaks me out when I'm being tailgated...it happened last October on my way to work, it was raining, I had to stop suddenly because of an SUV pulling out in front of me, and I got rear-ended. Luckily I had very slight whiplash only, the damage to my car was about $3500, and the woman didn't even seem to care. She actually got upset when I called the police immediately after I was hit.

I don't condone brake-checking but when there is literally nowhere else for you to go, I do it slightly just to prove my point. If that doesn't work, I find the first road to turn on just to get away from them.

 

[article3]

I always suddenly brake/go slower in front of tailgaters. No matter what, I'M the one that's in the clear re: the DMV - THEY need to leave enough room, even if I stop at a green light. I MAY have been tempted to do that before.........

 

[Prada Psycho]

I always suddenly brake/go slower in front of tailgaters. No matter what, I'M the one that's in the clear re: the DMV - THEY need to leave enough room, even if I stop at a green light. I MAY have been tempted to do that before.........

Enjoy your stay in the hospital while you nurse your whiplash from getting rear-ended while you enjoy being "in the clear" with the DMV.

Or as I tell my husband: I'd rather yield my right away than yield my health......

 

[Glamfoxx]

If I get a really aggressive tailgater and do not have the option of changing lanes or pulling in a driveway, I put on my hazard lights and pull as far to the right as possible to let them pass. If it's a normal tailgater I just go the speed limit and ignore them. I don't flip people off as my husband and I were in a bad situation with a scary guy after the husband gave him the bird. Trust me you do not know who on the road is looking for trouble and picked you. Just avoid it!!!

 

[Prada Psycho]

Trust me you do not know who on the road is looking for trouble

Or what they are packing, or what they've been drinking/smoking/shooting/snorting or what sort of issues they have they have.

I have to wonder about all the folks here that seem to enjoy tweaking the noses of these dangerous drivers. Would you guys also confront a bank robber waving a gun in your face because he/she is breaking the law and you aren't? It's no different.....