How do YOU deal with tailgaters?

[Bad Brains]

I sometimes get a little passive-agressive and I just gradually slow down. I've gotten down to 10 mph on a road where I can't be passed. It all could have been avoided if they had just maintained a safe distance behind me. It seems to me that if they choose to be that close, they must want to go slow to maintain the proper safe distance. I'm just helping them out.

This is exactly how I look at the situation.

 

[Bad Brains]

Driving on a public road should be a constant interaction between you and what is around you. If you think you can just get on the road and do what you want, you are sadly mistaken. Show some common courtesy. Yes, nobody likes a bumper three feet from their rear, but if you were to just show some courtesy and not drive in the far left lane slower than somebody else, you would create a lot less tension for yourself and others on the road. Just curious, but how old are you? You conveniently left that info out of your profile.

It is definitly a constant interaction between you and what is around you.

And as long as I'm going the speed limit, which is set by LAW, I don't have to accomidate someone else who decides they want to speed and break that law.

I do the speed limit at least, in all cases (usually 10-15 over mind you). If you're the one who wants to speed, do it at your own conveinance. Don't expect others to accomidate what "you" want.

And I'm 24.

 

[DblG]

When I'm in the fast lane, I'm usually going faster than the other one or two lanes but no more than 10-12 over the speed limit. If someone comes up on my (butt) and gets right on me, I'll eventually move over for them. I won't speed up to move for them though...when I get a chance to get in another lane safely, then I will move. But if they are really aggressive, I make sure to wash my windshield before I kindly move over for them.

 

[jrthebassguy]

There is always the good break-tap too. I only use this when I'm really annoyed.

Doing that is FAR more dangerous than person driving 85 on a freeway ever will. That's a pretty dumb (and possibly deadly) move on your part.

 

[Bad Brains]

Then there are those like the original poster who believes he owns the road.

Please provide a source for this statement.

You obviously must feel you own the road as well, since you expect people to "get out of your way".

Legally, you don't have to get out of anyones way. Like the other poster said, you hit someone, it's you're fault.

 

[jrthebassguy]

I sometimes get a little passive-agressive and I just gradually slow down. I've gotten down to 10 mph on a road where I can't be passed. It all could have been avoided if they had just maintained a safe distance behind me. It seems to me that if they choose to be that close, they must want to go slow to maintain the proper safe distance. I'm just helping them out.

In a lot of areas, that's called "obstruction of traffic" and carries a pretty hefty fine.

 

[Foamy]

Move out of the way. What someone else does, as far as speeding, has no effect on you providing you can safely move to the right. Just pay attention, and move to the right when you see another car approaching.

 

[Jeff Moote]

And as long as I'm going the speed limit, which is set by LAW, I don't have to accomidate someone else who decides they want to speed and break that law.

I do the speed limit at least, in all cases (usually 10-15 over mind you). If you're the one who wants to speed, do it at your own conveinance. Don't expect others to accomidate what "you" want.

If someone wishes to break the lawful speed limit, it is still your duty to move right to let them by. Failing to do so, regardless of either vehicle's speed is...

In a lot of areas, that's called "obstruction of traffic" and carries a pretty hefty fine.

...which means you're breaking a law too




Get out of the way!

 

[Bad Brains]

Doing that is FAR more dangerous than person driving 85 on a freeway ever will. That's a pretty dumb (and possibly deadly) move on your part.

They bring the danger on themselves. If they were at a safe distance from your car, a slight break tap wouldn't matter.

 

[Selta]

Move out of the way. What someone else does, as far as speeding, has no effect on you providing you can safely move to the right. Just pay attention, and move to the right when you see another car approaching.

Wrong. My grandmother was hit in her car and got serious injury due to an ******* doing 10MPH over the speed limit. They didn't see her vehicle, somehow, and slammed into the back of it. The resulting collision caused her car to go off the road. From there, had the median been any smaller, she would've been forced into oncoming traffic, and could possibly be dead now.

A good friend of mine was T-boned by a driver doing 20 MPH over the speed limit. He's no longer with us due to this.

If you're speeding and you come up on me, don't expect me to pull over for you. The speed limit is that, a limit. It's the law. You follow it, or hopefully you get your license taken away. If you come up on me, and are speeding, expect me to go excatly the speed limit. And, if you do get around me, expect me to follow you long and close enough to get your license plate.

 

[Sundogue]

I just ignore them.

Haven't seen one since.

 

[nad]

Used to spike the brakes.

Now I just gradually slow down until they move.

Unless I'm in the fast line, in which case I get the hell out of their way just like I should.

 

[Tony G]

Unless I'm in the fast line, in which case I get the hell out of their way just like I should.

This is the only point of this whole thread that I am trying to get across. I you are on a single lane road, or in any lane but the far left lane on a highway, and you are going the speed limit or greater, than I have no problem. If you are in the far left lane of the highway and you are going slower than somebody else, it is common courtesy to move over. Not doing so as the thread starter insists on doing is just as rude as obnoxious as the person tailgating.

 

[Phalex]

If I'm in the fast lane on the highway, I'll move over.

If I'm doing 40 in a 35 I slow down to about 30 until they figure out a way to get around me.

 

[Bryan316]

I was traveling home from an event with four passengers with me. A driver merged onto the freeway, and cut across all three lanes to get to the fast lane, and was still going considerably less than the speed limit, and CERTAINLY far slower than the flow of traffic. He cut right in front of me, and I had no option but to try to slow down. He then decided that I was a tailgater, and started braking. I slammed into the back of him. He slows down all the way to a complete spot, obviously thinking he's gonna confront me. He pulls off the road and onto the left-hand median, and I BLEW RIGHT BY HIM. And so did probably 20 other pissed off drivers behind me who were also inconvenienced like heck because of his arrogance and driving snobbery. I'll bet that idiot was trapped there for 20 minutes waiting for that lane to clear long enough for him to merge back in. Heh heh heh. "I'll show him! I'll slam on my brakes!" He didn't have the last laugh.

 

[Kibuddy]

Why does all of this have to take place on the highway, though?

This morning, for example, I was in a school zone doing 20, and some lady was about 2 feet away from my bumper. What would you do there?

I just ignored her and kept doing my own pace, but man was that annoying.

 

[Bryan316]

If I'm in the fast lane on the highway, I'll move over.

If I'm doing 40 in a 35 I slow down to about 30 until they figure out a way to get around me.

Yeah, I love that feeling. You're already speeding, but not speeding enough for HIM. Jeez.

But I still get out of their way anyways. Except for the really aggressive guys who GOTTA speed in the middle or right lanes. They get snubbed.

 

[Bad Brains]

This is the only point of this whole thread that I am trying to get across. I you are on a single lane road, or in any lane but the far left lane on a highway, and you are going the speed limit or greater, than I have no problem. If you are in the far left lane of the highway and you are going slower than somebody else, it is common courtesy to move over. Not doing so as the thread starter insists on doing is just as rude as obnoxious as the person tailgating.

Sometimes you can't get over right away because there are other cars in that lane.

 

[Joe Gress]

If you're speeding and you come up on me, don't expect me to pull over for you. The speed limit is that, a limit. It's the law. You follow it, or hopefully you get your license taken away. If you come up on me, and are speeding, expect me to go excatly the speed limit. And, if you do get around me, expect me to follow you long and close enough to get your license plate.

+1

Last night I saw a pretty nasty rollover accident, and it kinda reminded me of what the speed limit is for.

 

[Bryan316]

Why does all of this have to take place on the highway, though?

This morning, for example, I was in a school zone doing 20, and some lady was about 2 feet away from my bumper. What would you do there?

I just ignored her and kept doing my own pace, but man was that annoying.

School zone?

Okay, then you're justified in slamming on the brakes and screwing with her.