Safe Speed Forums

Hi all,

First post here - I've been 'lurking' for some time but thought I'd finally register and post up about my main pet hate of driving - tailgaters.

I've been driving for over five years now and didn't really have any problems with tailgaters for the first two, but when I started driving round the country for an old job I had I started having problems.

I thought it might be something I'd grow out of, but it doesn't show any sign of going away. I guess it's just a fact of life with motoring and something that we all have to live with; I've just really had enough of it now though and it's completely taking the enjoyment out of driving for me

I find myself regularly checking my mirrors, but most of the time this is purely to check if someone's on my bumper. Even now I get nervous of a car just behind me, it doesn't even have to be that close anymore. It's almost like I'm paranoid about it.

I've had a few non-fault accidents in the past where cars have rear-ended me (one was me on a motorbike, throwing me over the handlebars). I think this has probably strongly attributed to how I am today.

I've read the tailgating section on this site (which is excellent) a number of times and have tried the techniques explained.

Rant over - thanks for listening, and keep up the great work on this site.

Thanks,

Neil

Hi Smurf,

Some years ago, not long after I moved on from motorbikes to cars, I was rearended on the A1 by a van that had been following too closely when the traffic came to a halt. I hadn't at that time learnt about driving for the tailgater. Anyway, the driver became quite aggressive when I suggested that he'd have been able to stop had he not been following so closely - as far as he was concerned it was one of those totally unavoidable things that happens (an attitude many people seem to carry about totally avoidable car accidents).

After that I used to get realy pissed with tailgaters and would flash my brake lights at them. That of course usually invoked a furious reaction; totally the wrong thing to do and I grew out of it.

Now I try to avoid getting myself into the position of being tailgated - really difficult on busy motorways I agree. But when it does happen, I calm myself, increase the gap between myself and the vehicle ahead, and get out of the way as soon as possible. This goes against the grain because it rewards the tailgaters aggresiveness, but I figure it's better than geting rearended again

Don't let it spoil your enjoyment of driving though - if you still ahve any that is

As a truck driver, tailgaters really get up my nose, most drivers don't realise that quite often, even a fully laden 44ton truck can stop pretty damn quick, often quicker than a car.
Sometimes I get a feeling that someone is on my tail, even if I can't see them hiding behind me, probably slipstreaming to save fuel.
What I do on these occasions, I slowly veer to the left, then steer sharply out to the right, that enables me to have a look close behind me, when I see the ***** close behind me, I slow down, very slowly to force them to overtake me.
I only do this on dual carriageways and motorways, because on single carriageways, I know there will usually be someone close behind.

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Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

Thanks for the replies and sharing your experiences

I seem to go through phases where a tailgater won't annoy me much one week but then the next week I get really wound up about it - bearing that in mind it might well be that it's something I'll grow out of - I hope so.

I've considered going on an advanced driving course. Not just to help me deal with tailgaters, but to make my own driving better so I can concentrate fully on it rather than worrying what the person behind me is doing. I did a Drive & Survive course a few years ago and if anything that highlighted tailgaters and it was only really since then that I noticed them! Maybe going on another course will remedy that.

Hi all,

this is my pet hate, I would really love to wait until the offender is closest and looks away for a second then lock the wheels although this is not a very professional road behaviour it is proof of how much they really annoy me.

I actually done it one day to give a lad a bit of an eye opener as I had had enough, driving to Aberdeen on the A90 dual carriageway at a good speed for conditions (dry, medium traffic) and some guy latched on to my bumper about 2-3 car lengths away and would not leave no matter how much I slowed down or accelerated away so I settled down to my normal speed, waited for him to glance away for a second and jammed the anchors on for a split second so as when he looked back he would see the back of my car approaching the front of his quite rapidly. He seemed to get the message thereafter as he stayed about half a mile from my bumper the rest of the journey. No it isn't very good practice but I felt there was no other way to get through to him.

Andrew

Been tempted many times, but never tried it in case the gormless prat went straight into the back of me. For some reason the tailgaters I get seem to be mostly in ancient poverty-spec Novas and Escorts whose stereos have more power than the engines. It doesn't seem to occur to any of them that the car they're tailgating might have bigger brakes.

Once or twice I've dropped a gear and then flicked the side lights on. Gormless prat sees a pair of red lights come on and gets on the brake, and then I floor it briefly to open up a big gap and send him a little message. However, haven't done it for years as I decided it might wind the donuts up so much they'd try something even more stupid than tailgating, like maybe an overtake on a blind bend . Besides, I now have a very obvious high level brake light, and even the terminally thick won't be fooled anymore.

These days I try to shake 'em off at roundabouts. If it looks like they're going the same way as me I'll deliberately miss my exit and go round again, or on roads I know well I'll sometimes take an alternative route if I think a tailgater is going my way. The downside of doing this is looking like a prat. The upside is safely allowing the cretins past so they can have a crash elsewhere.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

You know, of course, that this sort of driving is considerably worse than tailgating?

Tailgaters are not usually hard to avoid. See the tips on:

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/tailgate.html

We should always be trying to defuse dangerous situations, but this "brake testing" behaviour is likely to cause escalation. Not recommended!

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Since i've been on a bike i'm a lot calmer then when i was in a car... now when i get tailbaiters (those trying to push bait me to go faster) i simply slow down, where as if i was in a car i'd have been getting pretty annoyed!

Usually the person then either overtakes or leaves more room and if not, then i simply slow down again... most of the time people leave more room, in which case i'll resume the previous speed (not speeding though mr plod )

Paul,

I appreciate it is not the right way to do things. I have never done it since as this guy was really taking the biscuit, he was fixed on my tail for about 10 miles. How thick can one person be to do this although he's got it in him to keep the distance almost perfect. I could have stopped but why should I; in this case I felt this was the quickest option of getting rid of him before it got really nasty.

Andrew

Has anyone got any stats relating severity of injuries to different types of accident. What I am thinking is this - a rear-ending or a motorway pile-up that does not involve HGVs may have on average much less dire consequences than other types of accident such as head-on collision, side-on collision, loss of control at inappropriate speed? I appreciate that tailgating can lead to all of these situations but nevertheless only hard numbers can tell one way or the other.

arthurdent

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DO NOT PANIC

I've read the article. You seem to miss one category which I probably fall into: the green-light tailgater. Will leave a small gap until clearing a green light.

Actually, I usually expect the traffic in front of me to "make an effort" to get as many as they can through the light.

By the way, if you leave a 2-second gap on most roads in London someone will jump into the gap.

It's re-assuring to read of others experiences on the road.

I've been looking further into an advanced driving course and there's an IAM group near me in Newbury which I'll try and get in touch with.

My only concern is that because of being tailgated quite often (or at least thinking I'm being tailgated, in reality sometimes the person's a safe distance away), I think I've adopted an attitude on the road which I think will be sensible for me to try and get rid of before going for the IAM certification. If I can't shift it myself maybe taking the course will help anyway.

Hi Smurf!



You find that you tend to find them at peak rush hour and in very busy large town areas. Seem to notice more tailgaters in large towns - Preston, Manchester. Oh - and Paris! ARRGH! In fact - they cannot drive - full stop! L'Etoile? Priorite a droite? Right! Frogs, Belgians - attach themselves like leeches to you rear tow bar! (Going through France on my jollies next month - off on family trek to Switzerland - erm!)



I am sure your problem has more to do with your previous rear-end shunts and fact you have only been driving 5 years or so. Any crunch will be shock to your system - whether your fault or not. It is a natural reaction. Glad you are seeking some extra training. It will help you regain your confidence. Hope that and your proposed IAM go well for you. It is always encouraging to hear that people are enthused and mature enough to seek out some training to help overcome a perceived problem.

My wife had serious rear-ender some time back - (long story and mentioned on here!). She still does not like being last car in a queue - and you see her look, watch and visibly relax when car decelerates in good time! Even now!

However, she has novel way of dealing with persistent tailgater if opportunity arises. If all normal ways fail - increasing space in front, positioning to aid an overtake, detour around the roundabout, etc., fail - she keeps them with her and then, when possible, engineers the safe pull in on Gatso approach - and purrs with satisfaction when she sees the two flashes! She has a couple of favourites in the area which are ideal for this!

Been with her when she has done this - so have the our family BiBs. She does have to fine art now! Would not recommend this without practice though - and she does set the b2 at max detection setting if and when she decides to do this in unknown area!

I pulled out of a junction into a 30 zone, with a clear view back over the hill, and no-one was there.

I'd got about 20yards up the road and when I looked in my mirror I saw a prat coming over this hill at what must have been about 70 or more!
Furthermore he ended up inches from my bumper, flashing and hooting his horn.

My approach, was to slam on the brakes, jumpp out, ran back to him and told him id punch his F***** lights out if he carries on being a w******

He wound his windows up and roared off.

Not advisable action I must say

Definitely not adviseable!

If he had complained - you could have been the one done for a "road rage offence" - (Yes - Know only too well that law is ass! ) And fully appreciate that he was the initail " road rager" - but apart from road raging yourself by stopping and ranting off at him (surprised he stopped actually) - he may have been dangerous personality - who may have attacked you. Speak from experience of pulls in past - and mentioned in one reply to "willcove" - when we stop someone- we have no idea what reaction we will get. have had knives and even a gun pulled on me in the past.

Safest bet if ever in that situation - keep as calm as you can, pull over as soon as safe to do so, let him pass and dial 999 - because someone driving that way could be in stolen car, driving getaway car from some crime or other. Possibly even uninsured, untaxed and disqualified, on drugs or drink - if really at that OTT speed in a 30mph zone!

Just some friendly advice - Jules. You could have placed yourself in very great danger by stopping and giving him piece of your mind, and further enflaming a situation. You were very lucky he just drove off!

Hi again all.

Was thinking about the subject of 'tailgating' and got to wondering how, like 'speeding' we define it.
Every day, travelling home along the M54, the same scenario is played out:- a few vehicles in lane 1 being passed by a nose to tail conga of vehicles in lane 2. This conga can consist of many vehicles travelling at 70-80 mph with just a cars length or two between them, certainly much closer than the 2 second rule would permit anyway. I wouldn't say they were aggresively tailgating each other - probably more like driving on autopilot.
Instinct tells me that if anything happened up ahead there would be carnage, the conga would have no chance of stopping and numerous vehicles wold pile into the back of one another.
Only it doesn't happen does it? There was no carnage on the M54 today, or yesterday for that matter. Sure there are a few incidents but most involve one or maybe two vehicles at most.
So does the '2 second' rule advice apply or is it, like 'speeding' providing an enormous margin for the rare instances when it may apply?

If I'm rambling here let me know and I'll call a taxi

I think what you're observing is there are enough brains in situ to deal with most eventualities. This distributed brainpower is what makes our road safety systems fairly error tolerant.

But that doesn't mean that the tailgaters aren't at much higher than necessary risk. With a 2 second gap (and proper observation) on a motorway in good conditions you can deal with just about anything that might happen to the car in front. With "a couple of cars' lengths" you can't.

I see speeding as very different because a speed above the limit can be chosen as being safe and appropriate for the conditions. When the speed is safe and appropriate no risk arises from the speed.

By contrast it's rare for a close following position to be deliberate and appropriate (let alone safe) - and never on motorways. The only justifiable instance of close following I can think of is in preparation for overtaking, and even then, I don't like to get closer than 1 second.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I suppose as long as nothing happens up ahead they're okay, but it seems pretty iffy as you just can't tell when something will happen up ahead. Sure, accidents are rare, but I'm not sure about only one or two cars being involved when it does go pear shaped. Some pretty nasty pile-ups have hit the headlines over the years, complete with senior coppers telling the TV cameras that drivers were following too close. Admittedly a couple of the biggies were made far worse due to fog, but all that says is that there are people daft enough to tailgate in poor conditions too.

Autopilot? Stupidity? Lack of driver training? Whatever the cause, finding a solution doesn't seem to much of a proirity at the DfT. I mailed the THINK! mob a while ago to ask about it and was toldWell, **** me, look what's at the top of their list. Oh, they gave me some other guff as well, just to make it look like they do really take it seriously. Apparently the two-second rule is mentioned on their website and in a leaflet that you can phone up for. And if the TV companies have got unsold airtime they have a two-second rule filler they can run.

Dunno why I was worrying. A leaflet hardly anyone knows about, a website that few drivers will look at, and an advert once in a blue moon shown in the middle of the night. What a difference that must be making.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

Note Gatsobait that they listed "child safety" there. Other than the hedgehogs appearing in advert slot between a kiddy's programme on Channel 5 (Our youngest liked Max Steel - it was the slogan "GOING TURBO" that he latched on to! - His little voice pops out that one every time we are on the motorway - especially when out with his Mama! )


As for two second rule - they should re-run the advert. It demonstrated how to calculate those important two seconds.

We are rigid in our driving styles on this. We always leave good space when we pull up behind in queue as well. Wildy would not be here now - annoying BiBs and Scam Prats on-line if she had not left that space!

But leaving space - gives you good view of road ahead and potential hazards. I was taught to observe antics of carat least two cars ahead.

Apart from that - it gives you the space to spot the hiddden talivan or the concealed gatso! Wildy says this is how come she has 95% success in getting the persistent tailgater pinged! They drive tooo close and miss the scam sign and the scam by doing so!

Oops, see below.