How Do You Deal With Tailgaters?

[ultrarunner]

Some of the mountain highways like 50 have passing lanes but are also highly traveled by vacation goers.

It never fails to have a lead car with a dozen or more held up behind.

However, it is increasingly rare for the slow lead car to maintain speed once a passing lane opens up… then it’s often pedal to the metal.

I just don’t get it but then I remember my state is reported to have improperly issued as many as 60,000 CDL licensed so anything is possible.

 

[rontaki]

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is against the law.
We should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws we obey.

I once broke the speed law in Arizona - the minimum speed law on a section of highway. At the time, I was driving an old VW van, and trying to get up to the minimum speed. Fortunately, the road was fairly empty.

 

[Bad Boy Biker]

GET OUT OF MY WAY!

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

My family is from Eastern Kentucky, and I started my driving education there. Lots of hills.

When I was a teenager living in Florida, my family got a cabin in North Carolina in the mountains. Tons of people from Florida were infesting the place, so they were all over the roads. They can't even drive in Florida on flat roads, so you can imagine how they drive in the mountains. Rode their brakes all the time, especially down hills. Moved at a snail's pace.

They piled cars up behind them. One old yankee doing 20 with 35 Southerners cussing behind him.

They drove my mother nuts. She taught me to use the engine to brake.

 

[Hay Dude]

One way to get someone off your tail on a back road is just drive real close to the shoulder, where all the little pebbles are. Kick up a few of those and they back off REAL fast.

I don’t condone this or recommend anyone do it. I have never participated in such a rude and inconsiderate tactic.

 

[Hay Dude]

If I am doing 5 mph over the speed limit and there are cars behind me, I am not the problem. They are the problem.

I agree.

On the PA Turnpike, the speed limit is 70. Most people do 90.
If you were doing 70-75, you’ll be lucky not to get rear-ended.

 

[steve tym]

Yes, I"m an impatient speeder, but it is MUCH less stressful to be the slow one. Not a care in the world, don't care what anybody else has to do.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Not true. If I'm in the fast lane going 15 mph over the limit, one idiot or another rides my bumper and expects me to move over. If I'm in the middle lane, same thing. If I'm in the slow lane, everyone goes 10 mph under, and I'm stuck behind them.

 

[WinterDeere]

I agree.

On the PA Turnpike, the speed limit is 70. Most people do 90.
If you were doing 70-75, you’ll be lucky not to get rear-ended.

If one guy is tailgating you, he's the problem. But if there are 5 piled up behind you, then you are the problem!

Like you said, most on the Turnpike around here are doing 90, so stay the hell out of the left lane, if you've got a trailer!

I'm usually the guy blowing past you over 90 mph, but I don't tailgate, as I don't want the stone chips. I'll hang back a respectable 4 - 5 seconds distance and flash you to move over, then blast past you once you do. I hate riding as a passenger with any driver who tailgates, which really describes most IMO, so I nearly always end up the designated driver wherever we go.

Anyone remember learning the "5 second rule" in driver's ed class? Basically, you start counting when the car ahead of you passes a landmark, whether that be a telephone pole or sign post. If you reach that landmark before "five Mississippi", then you're following too close, it's time to back off. I believe this roughly corresponds to the "1 car length per 10 mph" rule, that some others prefer. I adhere to this everywhere except the Shure-Kill Deathway (I-276), where allowing even 1 car length gap in front means being constantly cut off.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

People have always been stupid.

 

[Gregster613]

Just finished 1800 miles mostly at night and big pickups were the only tailgaters and most had piercing headlights enhanced by lift kits.

If someone wants to pass it’s the sooner the better… always say to myself maybe a medical emergency?

The extremely bright headlights on many newer vehicles are a hazard in my book…

I read some OEM may actually be too bright.

Oh Man, I agree with this -- some OEM lights are just blinding at night! I absolutely hate whenever I am either approached or followed by one of those things!! Yet this is an area that the police seem to be short-sighted on. I've never seen nor heard of anyone being ticketed because of their lights being too bright!

 

[Hay Dude]

Just finished 1800 miles mostly at night and big pickups were the only tailgaters and most had piercing headlights enhanced by lift kits.

If someone wants to pass it’s the sooner the better… always say to myself maybe a medical emergency?

The extremely bright headlights on many newer vehicles are a hazard in my book…

I read some OEM may actually be too bright.

We call those idiots in lifted trucks “supertruckers”.
Obviously using their trucks to intimidate people on the road because in real life, they usually can’t intimidate anyone.

 

[WinterDeere]

We call those idiots in lifted trucks “supertruckers”.
Obviously using their trucks to intimidate people on the road because in real life, they usually can’t intimidate anyone.

Do smokestacks in the bed help?

 

[Jstpssng]

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is against the law.

You never know if the person behind you is in a hurry for a reason

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is also against the law in an emergency

We should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws we obey.

We are citizens, not subjects.
Rules were made to be broken, as long as it doesn't risk anybody else and you are willing to accept the consequences.

 

[WinterDeere]

Driving faster than the posted speed limit is against the law.
We should not be allowed to pick and choose which laws we obey.

So is throwing snowballs, in your beloved Davenport Iowa. Are you going to insist they arrest each 8 year old who gets into a snowball fight?

 

[QRTRHRS]

One way to get someone off your tail on a back road is just drive real close to the shoulder, where all the little pebbles are. Kick up a few of those and they back off REAL fast.

I don’t condone this or recommend anyone do it. I have never participated in such a rude and inconsiderate tactic.

It's quite effective with a semi. I admit to doing that when someone was up my butt, lights on high and over to the left so their lights blinded me. Hey, it's better than one "old boy" claimed to have done. He said that he had old lug nuts in his cab and would drop a few out of the window. I dunno', he said that the offender would back off?

 

[Jstpssng]

Anyone remember learning the "5 second rule" in driver's ed class?

Not at all. I learned the 2 second rule, which has since been bumped to 3 seconds. If you compare them to the stopping distance tables of one cat length per 10 mph which we also learned, it calculates to 2 1/2 seconds.
The last time I had to avoid a moose I outbraked both methods, based on dash cam footage and measured distance.

 

[WinterDeere]

Not at all. I learned the 2 second rule, which has since been bumped to 3 seconds. If you compare them to the stopping distance tables of one cat length per 10 mph which we also learned, it calculates to 2 1/2 seconds.

You're right! No wonder I never rear-end anyone. Maybe that rule came from when cars were longer.

I usually find myself running at least 3-4 seconds back, more out of wanting to avoid stone chips, than anything else.

 

[Jstpssng]

You're right! No wonder I never rear-end anyone. Maybe that rule came from when cars were longer.

I usually find myself running at least 3-4 seconds back, more out of wanting to avoid stone chips, than anything else.

I tend to hold back also, especially in a line of several cars. I blame that on my claustrophobia though.

 

[John0829]

I hold back also and in spite of everything there will some idiot that will wedge himself into the space I leave. Usually by passing in a curve.