How do you handle tailgaters?

[thisguy]

It's not always possible to increase speed or change lanes.

[campbeam]

Essentially, I ignore them. I do take a deep breath and stay cool, calm and collected. I drive safe and smart i.e. defensively with about twice the braking distance so it is a relaxing non.stressful drive. Most definitely, I am NOT going to brake-check them. Eventually, the tailgater is going to overtake you and more than likely in less than desirable circumstances.

Before my time, the girlfriend was driving and being tailgated. I understand that the roads were wet and she was driving below the speed limit for the conditions. The tailgater overtook her vehicle in a blaze of speed and disappeared into the curves ahead. Probably 5-10 minutes later, she came across their vehicle off the road and in a ditch with the occupants standing beside it . As she went passed them, she would the window down and said to them "Happy Motoring".

[KAA]

I totally agree with you Ashley, I also try and ignore the idiots behind me and allow for the fact that they will try and rush past me and possibly have to dive in front of myself and the car in front of me..Brake testing them could end in tears for you.

So remain cool calm and ready for anything..

KAA

[ZZT86]

I stay in the left lanes to try avoid this but if it happens cos someone is so impatient & desperate to pass I just take my foot off the accelerator & let the car slow down on it's own, they soon get the message & overtake. Stress disappears.

[magneticpop]

I ignore them too. Don't want to waste my time getting angry at ill-mannered drivers. 

[mistertj301]

I do my best to ignore them. 

[Rukus Son]

I dislike Tailgater's myself, especially in my baby since it is a limited edition. What i do & i highly recommend to everyone is letting the impatient & the not so considerate pass, if safe to do so stay in the left hand lane if you are not over taking as i see many times watching Dash cam videos & Taking a interstate road trip myself of late. Driver's driving in the right hand lane & not overtaking. I am seriously wanting a rear dash cam video as everybody is now having one. Funny thing I took an interstate road trip 3 weeks ago Travelling from Cairns Far North Queensland to Hervey Bay QLD, to Singleton NSW to Crookwell / Goulburn NSW & to tell you the truth, I wasn't leaving Cairns QLD, without my " BLUES ON BOARD STICKER ON THE REAR BUMPER " 😉

[Tony Prodigy]

Tailgaters along with "keep left unless overtaking" are the bain of all existence. 

I can handle most tailgating morons but the keep left thing gets my goat, especially when they are totally oblivious to the outside world and snail crawling and NOT overtaking. 

I also avoid the brake test thing too. This tends to infuriate and cause more problems than needed. I just love to watch them stew as they have nowhere to go, then watch them blast past wasting more fuel only to see them stopped at the upcoming Traffic lights with me pulling up grinning at them.

Morons..

[ZZT86]

The thing is most people don't actually know the rule - in the "arctic state" at least the law states that you do not need to keep left on a multi lane road if the limit is 80km/h or less or if the other lanes are congested on a fwy. For me it's too stressful so I just stay in the middle or left lane.

There's also confusion over divided lanes that merge into one lane with & without dashed line markings - there are two rules for those also. Laws can be so dumb sometimes.

Edited April 2, 2020 by ZZT86

[campbeam]

There is a similar thread on the USA ToyotaNation Forum. One post that caught my attention included a diagram of how the tailgater is so close that they cannot see the road ahead. Suggestion involved an upcoming bend in the road and to make a last second steering to go around the bend. The tailgater then has to do some drastic steering to avoid going off the road.

Sounds very deliberate but it does highlight how the driver being tailgated could get distracted so not watching the road ahead then have to do some last minute steering themselves. This is the reason why I ignore tailgaters.

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, campbeam said:

There is a similar thread on the USA ToyotaNation Forum. One post that caught my attention included a diagram of how the tailgater is so close that they cannot see the road ahead. Suggestion involved an upcoming bend in the road and to make a last second steering to go around the bend. The tailgater then has to do some drastic steering to avoid going off the road.

Sounds very deliberate but it does highlight how the driver being tailgated could get distracted so not watching the road ahead then have to do some last minute steering themselves. This is the reason why I ignore tailgaters.

Natural Attrition.. hahaha.. I like that.  

[Tony Prodigy]

2 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

The thing is most people don't actually know the rule.

Well, they have idiot proofed the freeways with great big signs every few kays "KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVERTAKING" and they still don't get it ?

How on earth do they get a driver's license ??

I had to overtake a Moron from the left who was in the fast lane and as I drove by I always get that Moronic brainless Stair as if to say "HUH" ?? Idiots.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Tony Prodigy

[KAA]

Agree Tony, they are out there somewhere, usually i can see them coming up in my mirrors..i am doing the speed limit and they always want past me..i just ignore and make sure there is room between myself the car in front, and allow for them to overtake me and then have to slam into that gap..as a huge dam truck is coming the other way..IDIOTS..or as i call them temporary Australians.

Keep Safe Stay Safe and enjoy the escape on the drive you take to relieve the stress 

[ZZT86]

Here's the rule as it applies in Vic, presume same elsewhere . . . so if the left lanes are congested no-one in the RH lane needs to move ! If not congested then the keep left rule applies. The way I see it is that most people do not know the rule & think they have every right to hog the right lane regardless of the law & the actual speed limit. This is why I have dash cams front & rear with onboard GPS & I keep the video on external hard drives for at least 6 months - it's my insurance policy 😉

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by ZZT86

[Tony Prodigy]

6 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

 

I couldn't agree more. I'm sure this is generally the same for all States as it's pretty much common sense.

Overtaking slower vehicles in the left or if the left lanes are congested is kind of the same as it means that one needs to overtake THEN get back into the left, middle or far left. The idea is to keep the over taking lane strictly for "overtaking" or for emergency vehicles. Common sense isn't all that common anymore I'm afraid.

Our driving standards has gone to crap, especially with the new age of drivers and that "sense of entitlement" garbage which is incessantly ingrained in them.

God help us all.

I do enough driving to and from work and I love being at home anyway, so I won't be going for a drive to relieve any boredom. I'm very busy at work and sometimes have to work weekends so my free time doesn't exist all that much. Easter is coming up and it will be a welcome relief. I can catch up on some personal projects.

I hope everyone stays safe these coming months and especially this coming winter...

[campbeam]

9 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Our driving standards has gone to crap, especially with the new age of drivers and that "sense of entitlement" garbage which is incessantly ingrained in them.

Explains why the Police appear to target the younger drivers to re-educate them into driving sensibly to stay alive.

Took the experience of 2 accidents in a row for me to adopt a defensive driving attitude.

Aggressive driving of which tailgating is a sign will eventually result in a smashed up vehicle. Quite happy to get out of their way so they can rush off for their destiny with KARMA. After they come to grief, I just keep driving safely to my destination.

[Divergent]

Torn whic Torin Jacks I will be purchasing https://theeffectiveguide.com/best-floor-jack/best-jack-stands/torin-jack-stands-review/. I am really in need of this and I think I must read it carefully to know what's best for my needs.

Edited June 2, 2020 by Divergent

[Tony Prodigy]

4 hours ago, Divergent said:

I also ignore them and if possible let them pass. Tailgaters are so annoying.

There's some psychology to tailgaters, but the most likely one is anxiety. People just need to slow down and take a deep breath and try to be patient on the roads. Some regard it as their own and forget that we all have to share the road and be as courteous as possible. Who am I kidding ?? In a perfect world this would be nice, but unfortunately we have to put up with it. 

The best way to rid a tailgater would be to slow down a little. This would only have the affect of them wanting to overtake you even more. I say, be my guest. I then say, see you at the next traffic light.

[campbeam]

5 hours ago, Divergent said:

Tailgaters are so annoying.

What is also annoying is being stopped at traffic lights and the vehicle behind stops really close behind. It is one time that I am paying closer attention to what is happening in the rear view mirror.

1 hour ago, Tony Prodigy said:

see you at the next traffic light.

We learn that most of the time impatience has adverse effects. It certainly demonstrates to normal patient drivers that the other driver has gained little or nothing. Karma [or big grin on my face] is being able to drive past them while they are stuck at the lights in a slower moving lane.

[Terry Jeisman]

My driving instructor gave me some sound advice many years ago, "always assume you are the worlds worst driver and that everyone on the road is a worse driver than you are" Having said that I always earnestly try to keep my 3 car lengths from the vehicle in front of me, but I was somewhat taken back last week when stopped on traffic light to have the woman in front of me come back and abuse me for being to close to her car at the lights! I could quite clearly see the whole rear end of her Tarago, so obviously she need to learn when the 3 car rule applies.

.

[campbeam]

You will have to clarify the application of your 3 car rule. When stopped at traffic lights, I leave enough distance so I can see the rear tyres of the vehicle in front and thus I am able to change lanes, if required. It is certainly not 3 car lengths i.e. 15 metres

I have also made a note of the sign on the back of a truck/bus which said if you cannot see my rear vision mirrors then I cannot see you.

When on the move, I am usually leaving twice the braking distance of most other drivers. It makes for a more relaxing drive and reduces considerably the risk of a rear end collision.

[Tony Prodigy]

18 hours ago, Terry Jeisman said:

Having said that I always earnestly try to keep my 3 car lengths from the vehicle in front of me, but I was somewhat taken back last week when stopped on traffic light to have the woman in front of me come back and abuse me for being to close to her car at the lights! I could quite clearly see the whole rear end of her Tarago

Hi Terry and welcome to the forum.

Unless you are within a metre of the car in front, I too would get annoyed if there was someone persistently behind my tail doing that, but if you can see the whole back of the car including the tyres then this is ok I guess. 3 car lengths at a traffic stop is excessive. If I left a gap like that you'd have two other Morons sneak in totally defeating the 3 car gap. I just leave enough room to be able to get out the way if the car in front can't get away or I need to make a lane departure.

I suspect that woman was probably having a bad day or has no clue how to judge distances.

I agree with what Ashley said too. The "mirror" sign on the back of trucks is very important. Always place yourself in a position where you can see the trucker's mirrors that way you won't get cleaned up as he's maneuvering.