Damn tailgaters.....

So, I commute an hour each way, every day. In a given week, I probably see at least 8 accidents, and ALL are caused by the same thing...people driving too close to each other, not paying attention, and so they rear-end the person in front of them. Often, 3 or more cars can even be involved!

Why the hell do people insist on doing this!!!??? So far, I've found the best solution to be driving 60-65mph. It is still fast enough for traffic, but slow enough to where people want to go around me, instead of stay behind me. Still, it is like people FORGET everything they learned when getting their license about distance, speed, and stopping distance. If somebody rides my rear, they're getting some break taps. If they still don't get the picture, and choose one of the OTHER THREE LANES of traffic besides mine, then I'll slow down all the way to 50 if I have to.

I'm lucky, I basically drive a steel tank (an F-350 dual wheeled pickup), so anybody hitting me is toast, but still, I have no wish to deal with an accident. Just takes a LITTLE bit of common sense folks. There is NO need to ride someone's rear in traffic. Accomplishes nothing.

reply to post by Gazrok


I drive an hour each way every day as well and what really really fires me up is people who weave in and out of bumper to bumper traffic and tailgate like you can speed up in spite of the 800 cars in front of you crawling along at 5 mph. I really hate when they weave around you from behind trying to see what is in front of you..trust me if I could go faster I would.

OH and dont even get me started about those that drive 60 mph in a 70 mph zone and refuse to get over in the middle lane or the far right lane so the faster cars can go. They would rather drive side by side the other slow drivers and cause two mile long traffic jams.

reply to post by Gazrok
I am one of those people who utilize the cruise control function on my car and always drive the speed limit on the Interstate (75 mph). I get irate when jerks fly up behind me and ride my backside, especially when they can easily use the passing lane to go around- that's what it is there for! Riding my bumper is NOT going to make me drive any faster, but it does cause me to express myself using sign language quite frequently.

The closer to the car you are increases your penis size/breast size in direct relation to the number of atoms between you and the car infront

and i'm not sure about US cars but the use of fog lights to mimic break lights so the person behind craps themselves is a good training aid in not trying to get too close over here (depends on the car of course)

Perhaps get a light up sign for the back of your car with a troll face and a message "the closer you get the slower i go"

reply to post by Gazrok


Ah! Jeez...my pet peeve. When I get a tailgater I start of with some windshield washer fluid. One good burst. I do that a couple time if they don't Back off. If that doesn't work I tap the brakes. If that doesn't work then I slow down to about half the speed limit. If that doesn't work, which it usually does, I'm sorry to say but I slam on the brakes for half a second. Just enough to make their hearts skip a beat. That works every time. A bit harsh and a little dangerous but so is tailgating.

I really think a lot of this is people driving as only one of many things they are doing at a given time. They're also multitasking and so, giving only partial thought to holding lane and distance.

I say this because I'd get the same thing in the truck, day in and day out. It didn't change a thing for what part of the nation I was in or anything like that. Someone, at least a couple times on an average driving day would suck in behind me like I was an idiot magnet and they were drawn by natural attraction.

Given security concerns on loads and freight, I tended to be real sensitive to this and had a routine for dealing with it. I'd drop 5mph and wait a mile or so before dropping another 5mph and so on until they either hit me or got the heck around me. I never had one actually hit me, but I did get all the way down to 40mph a couple times with one hand on the speed dial to a Government response number for law enforcement when they FINALLY jumped out to go around. It was humorous to see how pissed they'd sometimes be...but then, remember, they willingly stayed right behind me on an otherwise clear highway...dropping to absurdly low speeds. Kinda self adbuse and they asked for it. lol...

Tailgating is one of my HUGE pet peeves for how many people are killed or injured and 100%...one HUNDRED percent..avoidable.

I wonder if people just don't give themselves enough time to get where their going? Bottom line...Tailgaters are Asshats period!

I do 8 to 11 hours a day in a 13'6" tall 8'1/2 wide 75'long behemoth!

Do to insurance my truck dose 68, and no more! They want to ride right behind me instead of passing. I can't see them back there I don't know what there doing, and if I need another lane it is pretty scary because if they come out from behind me I could hit them with the rear of my trailer, and because I have a CDL guess who gets in trouble? I'm suppose to be some all seeing god,I guess.

Also this gripes my butt, when getting on the interstate a truck driver SHOULD get over a lane (I know there are some jerks) but if there are cars on our left this can't be done, we can't come to a stop on the interstate for you what we do is slow down 5 or so mph if you would accelerate you can merge right in,I promise I'm watching you always.

Also while I'm on the subject do NOT pass on the right please. Believe it are not, but when another big rig pulls up to the back of the cab of another truck on the right that whole truck disappears, now imagine how long you can't be seen.

Keep your space don't pass on the right, and don't slow down with me, and stare at me when merging into traffic just get out there.

I agree, totally un-needed habit many people seem to use. I had a guy driving on my bumper on my way to work the other day, I always slow down when people do it to me too, in the possible event of an accident or if I had to brake hard, I'd rather be hit at a slower speed by the car too close behind me.

I recently went on a driver aware course and they guy taking the course asked if anybody knew the difference between tailgating and driving too close to the vehicle in front. Nobody knew the answer, then he said, in the case of a fatal accident, the difference is 9 years. 5 years in prison for a fatal accident caused by driving too close, 14 years in prison for a fatal accident caused by tailgating.
And the difference is usually down to witnesses to the accident and whether they classed them as tailgating or just driving too close.

reply to post by terriblyvexed

I'd just add something from the land of trucking...

This is why tailgating trucks is bordering on suicidal...and just playing the odds like a Vegas gambler. Eventually, it will roll 'blowout' and a car within 3-4 feet won't likely survive the experience if it blows the wrong way.





I once had one come off intact. The whole tire literally rolled off the rim and landed in the interstate as a full tire. That would have been catastrophic to run over in a car. Another time I actually had 3 of the 4 tires for one side of the trailer set blow in quick succession. 1 more blow out would have flipped the trailer onto whatever was in the lane next to me. Chain blowouts are rare and I only had one in a career....but something to consider when tailgating.

Tailgaters used to bug the heck out of me until I started driving log trucks.
I would get nervous if I could not see the car behind me in my mirrors until I Realized that if they ran into me, I may not even notice.
My solution was to constantly vary my speed, 5k over to 5k under the posted limit.
They would either back off or pass asap.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


absolutely! Wish I could post things, that's some good imagery.

reply to post by terriblyvexed

I wish I could find my images for the triple blow out.. Oh that was WILD.. I was just going from Ontario truck stops to El Monte to deliver at the Safeway there. No biggy...when on I-10, one blows..Okay, NOWHERE to stop. Cars behind me back off... Good so far. Then #2 and #3 blow almost as one. All this, inside maybe 10-15 seconds. Umm... 44,000 lbs of groceries in the back and riding on ONE tire to that side of the trailer. You know...I was low, slow and praying it didn't flip since, as you likely know, there flat is NOWHERE to pull over on that stretch of I-10 in the city itself ......I still had tailgaters for most of the trip. My trailer is at a 10 degree list, at least...I'm at 20mph or less..and I still had tailgating.

Some people... You wonder how they make it out their front door each morning without a fatal accident.

*I hope the OP doesn't mind my finishing what I started for the line of thought of dangers specific to tailing trucks. I found my image set of the blowout report I'd had to make about this. It was one even dispatch and our shop didn't fully believe without pics. lol.... Talk about pucker factor though. The inside rear tire was also blown. It just didn't deflate and come apart like the front two. The rear outer tire was the only thing holding all the weight for that side of the loaded trailer.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Wow, I'd freak if that ever happened to me. I've had two blowouts only been driving since 2006, so plenty of time for scary moments to happen left to me, but that, that has to be a one in a million chance.

Looks like the wrabbit has a lucky foot....


I'm sending this to a friend hope you don't mind.

OH and dont even get me started about those that drive 60 mph in a 70 mph zone and refuse to get over in the middle lane or the far right lane so the faster cars can go

I always drive in the middle or right, and NEVER pass trucks on the right, or ride in their blind spots (my wife's father used to be a trucker, and with a horse trailer attached to my truck, it's like driving a semi).

Remember, if you can't see a trucker's head in his mirrors, he can't see you either!

Not paying attention = multi-tasking.....same thing in my book. Either way, their eyes aren't where they should be...on the road....especially in heavy traffic that could stop quickly.

As for the fog lights, nah, I just tap on the brakes to send the message, or if they really aren't getting it, slow down quickly and give them a little scare.

What really grinds my gears are people who go soooo slow that I have to ride their bumper.. Kidding of course.

I'll usually find a vehicle in the other lane, going slow, then match my speed to theirs. If that doesn't make them fall back (usually doesn't) I'll down shift.

reply to post by ChuckNasty


If only one lane, then yeah, that can be annoying. But, if more than one lane, shouldn't matter, just pass them.

reply to post by k21968


The speed limit is the maximum speed you are allowed to drive. It is not the minimum speed. Even in the FAST lane.

Early on in my driving 'career' I would use the brake-tap technique, but learned that the chances of accidents were hieghtened... my chosen tactic now is slowing gradually to a stop...roadway, laneway, freeway...if I am fullfilling the requirements of posted speed limits, I have no compulsion to move out of any jerks way for any reason...other than emergency vehicles with flashing lights...the car is you, by extension, and hence them, by extension...all it takes is a little intelligence to win a stupid road game...if thats what they want to do...

Å99

I drive with my windows down with metal music blasting essentially every time i'm driving,
if they want to get that close that's fine with me lol

I don't speed I just chill when i'm driving so that I can listen to my music and I couldn't give less of a shi if someone wants to get by

basically I drive at what I feel to be safe and anyone driving faster then me is an idiot