Getting rid of tailgaters?

[DragonHunter]

I also only indicate when the car in front actually has a suitable space to move into, so as to not force him over into a situation where he has to brake to get in behind another car.

If the roads that bad (unless we just happening to be alongside a few cars at the time) i'll usually just hang back at my usual driving distance. If he's gonna pull over, he'll no-doubt do it of his own accord. But then again, in situations where the car infront can't easily pull over, i'll pull over myself at the back of the middle lane. I tend to favour the middle lane. All the loonies go in the fast lane, and trucks / coaches in the slow, so the middle sems nice and cosy.
Not to mention i like the idea of being squashed like a bug should a pile-up happen and i've got no-where to run to

 

[Overlag]

You should not do the following:

Slowing down on purpose to prove a point is a very bad thing to do. Presumably the reason that the person is tailgating you is because they wan't you to go faster.

that is the exact opposite of what i was told to do while learning.

i was told if someone is right up my backside, that i should increase distance to car infront.... allowing me more time to react to anything happening infront, which will allow me to brake smoother and avoid the moron on my backside hitting me.

 

[DannyDan]

I normally slow down a bit. Mainly because I don't feel safe driving at 30 in a built-up area with someone 2cm from my bumper.

I'd pull over and let them past if I thought they were likely to attempt a silly overtake.

 

[ShakenNstirred]

I read on that police forum that was linked on here once, that if you take the number of the tail gater and report him to the police they will visit him. They will then take action against repeat offenders.

cant see them going to see them about something like that, its hard enough getting cops out for anything these days

 

[mrk]

However, when the motorway is extremely busy and idiots in Audi/BMW's drive so close you can see their big bald head, flashing the brake lights may sometimes help. If they still carry on, ramming them off the road usually sorts them out.

HEY!

I'm not like that

cant see them going to see them about something like that, its hard enough getting cops out for anything these days

Cops are always doing the rounds in my town these past few weeks to make sure anti social behaviour is kept in check, guess they got fed up with the amount of complaints from townsfolks about those damn chavs and people kicking car wing mirrors down the road!

 

[Duke]

I normally only get tailgaters in a 30 zone where people find it difficult to keep to the limit (within a few mph). I continue as normal.

On the flip side, I come up behind the "40mph crew" (typically women drivers in MPVs who find 40mph is their comfy speed, no matter if the limit is 30, 40, 50, NSL) quite often which is annoying. I drift up behind and sometimes they wake up, if they don't I just hang back or over take when safe.

 

[Glaucus]

Not advised!!!!!

Slam your breaks on. Normally gets some nice reactions, hehe.

Other is to slow down as much as possible (only works if they can't get back)
Or
just speed up or pull over.

 

[Muban]

The only time I ever get tailgaters is going to and from work. It's a single carraigeway and there is constant traffic in both directions. If any overtaking oppertunities do arise there are normally only one or two small ones, overtaking means you will only gain one or two places in a 25 minute journey. So I just tend to leave a safe gap sit back and drive at the speed every other car is doing (which is normally 55-60). If I get a tailgater (normally 2 out of every 5 mornings) I flip the mirror, ease off a little to create a bigger gap and then carry on at the same speed as before. It gives me more room in case I need to brake and if a very rare oppertuniy arises where the person behind me wants to overtake they will have a safe gap in front of me to pull in to.

The journey in the morning already takes nearly twice as long as it normally does when the road is clear. I could pull over and let them past where there are laybys etc. but if I did I would have great difficulty getting back onto the road again (the traffic really is constant at that time of day). Of course if it was at any time where the traffic allowed me to stop and lt them past and be able to get back on the road again I would let them past no problem. But as I said earlier the only time I ever get tailgated is when I am stuck in a queue of traffic (well that or if some Barry boy is trying to challenge me to a race ).

 

[nutcase]

Best way I've got rid of a tailgater, and you have to be on the right road for this, and get lucky -

Approaching a speed camera start to slow down to about 15mph (assuming 30 limit). If you're lucky the idiot behind doesn't know the camera is there, gets so cheesed he floors it past and sets the camera off Had that happen once.

Also had some idiot so desperate to get past that when it came to a two lane traffic light he sat in the outside lane as as soon as the light went to orange off he went. Flash went the traffic light camera

 

[Well Splattered]

I just flick my mirror up so they ain't blinding me and ignore them,

I also slow down more gradually where i can. If the person behind wants to overtake so bad, he will find a way.

Most entertaining recently was with the recent high winds and local flooding. I was a passenger in my fathers car, he didnt see a heeuuggge puddle in the road until the last moment due to it being dark and partially blinded by tailgater with his fogs on.

Whoosh!!! We went through this puddle / lake in the road. Spray all over our window, over the next carriage way and in the the ditch and presumably all over the car behind by the way he wiggled, swerved then hit the same puddle and then backed off.

Funniest thing i have seen in a while.

 

[Conscript]

Throw a load of caltrops out of the window onto the road behind you. Ninja style f.t.w. \o/

Bonus points if you mod your car James Bond style to be able to eject some from the car at the touch of a button.

 

[Ollie's Gadgets]

If the roads that bad (unless we just happening to be alongside a few cars at the time) i'll usually just hang back at my usual driving distance.

This is exactly what I have said I do "If you do it as soon as you come up behind them and they have nowhere to go they will be very aware that someone wants to get past. Again this could intimidate them as they can't move over. Whats the point in asking them to move over if they have nowhere to go? I hang back untill they do and if they don't move over themselves I will then proceed to indicate to ask them to."

If he's gonna pull over, he'll no-doubt do it of his own accord.

Well yes, I give him the chance to do this. If he just sits in the outside lane with no traffic in the middle then I will use the indicator.

But then again, in situations where the car infront can't easily pull over, i'll pull over myself at the back of the middle lane.

The doesn't really help me. If I am in the right hand lane, I want to overtake what is in the middle lane. Pulling over to the middle doesn't get this done....

that is the exact opposite of what i was told to do while learning.

i was told if someone is right up my backside, that i should increase distance to car infront.... allowing me more time to react to anything happening infront, which will allow me to brake smoother and avoid the moron on my backside hitting me.

Please go to the effort to actually read my post, it took some time to write!

I said that slowing down to prove a point/annoy the driver is not the thing to do. I also said that slowing down to increase his chance of overtaking is the correct thing to do. The effect is the same, the motivation is different. I also went on to say that just going slow the whole time blindly, which is what someone proving a point would do, is not sensible. There is no point going slowly if there are no possible overtaking spots e.g. pottering around a blind bend at 15mph is going to do no good. Go round the corner at the speed limit/speed you want to travel and then slow when on a straight.

You can increase the distance between you and the car infront without changing your speed! You ease off, increase the distane and then maintain the speed you were going before.

If you slow down then the distance ahead will continue to get bigger and bigger which is unhelpful.

 

[NickXX]

Cool to hear someone else using the indicate right trick.

Yup - I use this too, usually works very well. I picked it up on French motorways a while back.

 

[Ollie's Gadgets]

Never understood why it is not taught here. Abroad indicate, here tailgate! What a country.

 

[Cuchulain]

If I'm doing the speed limit, which in normal conditions I would be and there's a fool tailgating me I'll just ignore him, I certainly wouldn't pull over for him (or her) as they'll just assume that driving as far up someone's arse as possible will get them priority on the road. The only people you should be pulling over to let past are the emergency services.

 

[Ollie's Gadgets]

If I'm doing the speed limit, which in normal conditions I would be and there's a fool tailgating me I'll just ignore him, I certainly wouldn't pull over for him (or her) as they'll just assume that driving as far up someone's arse as possible will get them priority on the road. The only people you should be pulling over to let past are the emergency services.

Yeah, I have never actually pulled over for someone myself, but if I was in a situation where I genuinly thought that their tailgating was putting me in serious danger, then I would. Obviously not a "look theres a tailgater lets pull over instantly attitude" because as you say this could encourage a tailgater.

 

[Cuchulain]

Yeah, I have never actually pulled over for someone myself, but if I was in a situation where I genuinly thought that their tailgating was putting me in serious danger, then I would. Obviously not a "look theres a tailgater lets pull over instantly attitude" because as you say this could encourage a tailgater.

If they're putting you in danger and you've got a passenger with a camera phone, tell them to lean in the back and take a quick snap for the cops.

 

[Ollie's Gadgets]

Hmm, not sure the police would chase it up though...