The Student Room Group

Advice on tailgating

I passed my test about 2 years ago and only get to drive about 6 times a year but for about 3 days at a time in rental cars.
how do people deal with tailgaters please in general?
I know u r meant to increase the space between u and the car in front.........but when you are doing the speed limit ....dead on.....and there are lorries,literally less than 1 or 2 car lengths behind you doing 50, which was the limit at that point on dual carriageway....(.there had been some roadworks on Thames gateway /A13)
I would normally do the speed limit if conditions are right...its not as though Im doing 30 or 40
Honestly sometimes I feel as though Im in that film Duel

Do you just try and ignore them as its so dangerous?
Do you just get used to people driving too close for stopping distances?

Cheers

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Ignore them, get used to it. If its a dual carriageway you could slow down and force them to overtake you. Don't speed up as they will just do the same and then give you no space to slow down.

Remember, if they hit you, it'll be their fault. But I've noticed lorries are extremely guilty of driving 6 inches behind you at those speeds. I try to keep away from the damn things whenever I can.
Get in the slow lane (on the far left). Stick to the speed limit and make sure your speed doesn't drop below the maximum permitted speed unless absolutely necessary. As long as you're doing that, not a single person can complain and you'll be completely justified. You don't even have to look back at the tailgaters, let them tailgate, let them do their thing, you do not need to increase your speed (unless you felt like doing so out of your own free will).
Reply 3
Original post by dhr90
Ignore them, get used to it. If its a dual carriageway you could slow down and force them to overtake you. Don't speed up as they will just do the same and then give you no space to slow down.

Remember, if they hit you, it'll be their fault. But I've noticed lorries are extremely guilty of driving 6 inches behind you at those speeds. I try to keep away from the damn things whenever I can.




Thanks for the advice from both people
I just don't understand why they do that !

Im always in the left lane unless Im overtaking or briefly not when getting into a correct lane when it splits up etc

I was doing the speed limit near enough maybe by 1mph less on some occasions but mostly bang on
Ive got a dashcam as well, and ive looked at the footage its the right speed for the area I was on

Its just feels intimidating... I suppose I will just have to get used it and look after my own driving

Thanks for the advice !
Reply 4
Original post by Nightskymoon
Thanks for the advice from both people
I just don't understand why they do that !

Im always in the left lane unless Im overtaking or briefly not when getting into a correct lane when it splits up etc

I was doing the speed limit near enough maybe by 1mph less on some occasions but mostly bang on
Ive got a dashcam as well, and ive looked at the footage its the right speed for the area I was on

Its just feels intimidating... I suppose I will just have to get used it and look after my own driving

Thanks for the advice !


They do it because they aren't paying attention, are arrogant, don't like slowing down, think it will get them where they are going faster and don't want to give anyone space to pull in in front of them.

You will simply have to get used to it. You'll notice most people don't give enough space, if you do give 2 seconds gap you'll have a constant stream of cars pull in in front of you sadly.

It is a bit disconcerting having something that close, with its headlights illuminating the inside of your car like a search light in the dark and in the wet, but you just get used to it eventually.
Reply 5
Original post by dhr90
They do it because they aren't paying attention, are arrogant, don't like slowing down, think it will get them where they are going faster and don't want to give anyone space to pull in in front of them.

You will simply have to get used to it. You'll notice most people don't give enough space, if you do give 2 seconds gap you'll have a constant stream of cars pull in in front of you sadly.

It is a bit disconcerting having something that close, with its headlights illuminating the inside of your car like a search light in the dark and in the wet, but you just get used to it eventually.


Again thanks.....at least I know how the REAL WORLD drive now rather than the fantasy textbook style, which I was trying to do !

Cheers
Just ignore them. Don't do what I do and slow down as if inviting them to overtake, then speed up as they start overtakibg to make it hard for them, I'm a dick like that sometimes :rofl:
Ah, the A13. You'll see me speed past you at some point around 7 AM and 4PM in the N/S zones. Yeah, unless there are no average speed cameras, I usually go around 10MPH over. Lorry's seem closer because of their size, and don't forget, your mirrors will alter that actual distance to what is actually behind you. Unless you are that guy that does 45/50 in the middle/outside lanes of motorways, dual carriage ways ect, then don't worry.
If you can still see the number plate of the car I front then you're not close enough
Reply 9
I aggravate them to the point that they actually stop. You see cars are designed in such a way(most anyway, including my Nissan Patrol :love:) that the moment you depress the brake pedal by like 1 cm, before the brakes actually deploy, the brake lights come on.

So I just let the tailgaters get really close and then scare them off by pretending to brake :toofunny:

Alternatively, I just look in my rear view mirror and wave with a huge smile leaving the poor chap extremely confused :lol:
Reply 10
i have cruise control and leave it at 70
Original post by WoodyMKC
Just ignore them. Don't do what I do and slow down as if inviting them to overtake, then speed up as they start overtakibg to make it hard for them, I'm a dick like that sometimes :rofl:


Lol ..I think I will give your a technique a miss for now...thanks
Original post by Martinez96
Ah, the A13. You'll see me speed past you at some point around 7 AM and 4PM in the N/S zones. Yeah, unless there are no average speed cameras, I usually go around 10MPH over. Lorry's seem closer because of their size, and don't forget, your mirrors will alter that actual distance to what is actually behind you. Unless you are that guy that does 45/50 in the middle/outside lanes of motorways, dual carriage ways ect, then don't worry.


On the A13 when I can do the 70 I do.It was in the areas where they had roadworks when it was down to 50. Thanks about the mirrors, but I thought the central inside mirror gave the true distance and the wing mirrors were not the correct distance.
I only use the middle/outside for overtaking.... I will just have to get used to it

I just dont want to end up in an accident caused by their stupidy and selfishness
Original post by Hamoody96
I aggravate them to the point that they actually stop. You see cars are designed in such a way(most anyway, including my Nissan Patrol :love:) that the moment you depress the brake pedal by like 1 cm, before the brakes actually deploy, the brake lights come on.

So I just let the tailgaters get really close and then scare them off by pretending to brake :toofunny:

Alternatively, I just look in my rear view mirror and wave with a huge smile leaving the poor chap extremely confused :lol:



Sounds like a lot of drivers may do that to deter the tailgaters
Its the big lorries which get on my nerves the most esp since they have lower speed limits.
I shall just try and chill about it now ive heard its very common
Cheers
You ignore them, simple


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by paul514
You ignore them, simple


Posted from TSR Mobile


Will do....thanks
Thanks to all the replies. As a non regular driver it was just bothering me.But now having everybodies opinions I know this is sadly normal...esp the big trucks..
I'll just ignore them and do the speed limit as I do
Cheers!
Reply 17
Oh god thanks for reminding me of that movie Duel, I was looking for it the other day but couldn't remember haha
Depends how confident you are and how good your judgement is because showing your displeasure if you choose to do so is a calculated move (ie dont be a t!t and cause accidents).

The best advice is ignore them and focus on what you're doing, my instructor always said if they're as good at driving as they think they are then they should be able to overtake. Dont be pushed along or feel under pressure because thats when you'll have an accident. Too many idiots go flying into corners without the faintest idea how to judge them and a lot of this is caused by nerves when more experienced drivers get impatient so dont be a statistic.

You can lightly tap the brakes or - if the persons a bit less switched on - flick your lights on and off to mimic braking. Dont brake check EVER because that is a recipe for disaster but a brief press to bring the light on might serve as a warning that they're too close.

You can let them go past then, depending on their speed, accelerate to keep pace with the front of their car until you hit slow moving traffic at which point you slow so they cant get out until the traffic behind you catches up then accelerate to not be in the way leaving them trapped (this is my go to for people who undertake or weave lanes to make a few seconds up).

You can slowly reduce your speed (if you're on the inside lane) which will especially annoy lorries as they have a ton of gears to go through (note dont do this unless the driver is being insufferable as driving lorries is a pain in the arse especially if people do fifty or less in front of you) and this works especially well for tailgaters on tight country lanes as they cant get past and have to put up with it.

btw just because these can be done doesnt necessarily mean you should lol
White van/lorry drivers are awful for this, seriously just because you're a loser who has the worst (traditionally male) job in the world who only ever has sex when he manages to scrape together his ****ty wages to pay for a hooker, does not mean you get to be even more of a knob than you already are.

Apparently if you slightly press the brake down, the light comes on but you don't actually slow down, so I keep doing that to **** with them.

Quick Reply