Revenge of the tailgated!

jaydeeuk1

verybigchris wrote: »

I'm amazed at what some of the people on here are admitting to.

Careless or Inconsiderate Driving - fine of up to £2500, 3 to 9 penalty points
Dangerous Driving - up to 2 years imprisonment, unlimited fine, disqualification

Isn't this all a bit like having people on the Freebies board trying to defend shoplifting

Tailgating affects people in different ways. Some people are quite submissive, and will happily move over to allow said tailgator to blast past and do the same to the next car (and in fact encourage it), other people like me, prefer to try certain methods of reducing the effect of tailgating. Either way, you're irresponsible for allowing it to happen, or trying to prevent it.

cyclonebri1

somech wrote: »

ok here goes
a tailgator is an overconfident k@:b who thinks he/she is the best driver in the world truth is most could'nt control a pedal cart.

those that react to tailgators are putting other road users in danger by using their car as a weapon.

personally i think tailgators and those that react to them should have their license revoked and be made to resit their test again.

personally i dont tailgate i drive to the limit (sometimes above conditions permitting) could'nt give a stuff if some ones up my chuff if they want to kill themselves by trying to overtake carry on.
think that covers my opinion;)

And mine too, but your earlier post jabs at everyone, keep it specific, I know I sound patronising but there is so much !!!!!!!! posted on here that we all need to qualify to ensure readers can folow???

goldspanners

fredted40x wrote: »

I just take this to the extreme and do half the speed llimit until the next roundabout, then i just go round the roundabout to let him past, but the mile or so of half the speed limit are fun.

well done fred, the only thing your missing here is moving over to the left of your lane to allow the vehicles behind pass you. you've slowed to 15 mph in a 30 and are leaving a huge gap in front, that gives everyone behind you a better chance to overtake you as they think you're either slowing to stop or you have possibly just died.

MrsE_2

Lukey_lukey wrote: »

Pulling into the first lane between two cars is hardly "causing an accident". You make pulling into the first lane seem like a matter of life and death. They'll be past you in under a second so you can skip back out into the right-hand lane.

Tailgaters give you a choice (what you call bullying) Either move out the way, or don't.
You give tailgaters no choice, you're going to sit infront of them holding them back. Speeding or not, we all pay road tax (if on GB roads).

Like I said before, i tailgate. I've also been tailgated and it's dam easy just to take my eyes off the mirror and concentrate on my own driving.

Another thing that sucks: People that slam their brakes on as soon as they see blue lights coming up the road. That's the WORST thing you can do.

Tailgaters don't frighten me, I got a 4x4 - chances are they will feel the bump much more than me;)
And if you go into the back of someone you are always "at fault" so no worries about the insurance either;)
How much do you pay out for whiplash when you hit people:D

Jon_Tiffany

Sometimes putting the rear foglights on and off looks very much like brake lights and removes the risk of some numpty driving in the back of you because they were too close. I have two different ways of dealing with tailgaters, depending on my mood. I either put my foot down and leave them behind, or just pull over and let them pass...

cyclonebri1

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

Sometimes putting the rear foglights on and off looks very much like brake lights and removes the risk of some numpty driving in the back of you because they were too close. I have two different ways of dealing with tailgaters, depending on my mood. I either put my foot down and leave them behind, or just pull over and let them pass...

The problem is that is exactly what they want you to do, it simply perpetuates the issue

The issue that no one has mentioned and I think is the greatest danger from tailgating is the fact that not only will the car behind be too close, it will hold out closer to the centre of the road.
This has 2 effects, firstly it stops you seeing what is behind the car behind, but the most dangerous aspect is that if you are signalling for a right turn any speed jockey ploughing up from behind who actually does intend to overtake will be unable to see your signal. I was a witness to such an accident some years ago, caused by just such an issue.

DaveMacD

I have noticed over the years that tailgaters are not just those in big executive saloons. I was once tailgated by someone driving a 1970's vintage MG (in orange) Bearing in mind I was driving a L200 pick up at the time, he was totally within my blind spot (apart from an occasional glimpse of one of his mirrors). The road ahead must have been a complete mystery to him, yet he wouldn't back off. If I'd been forced to stop quick, he'd have been wearing my tow bar on the way underneath me, and I'd be saddened at the loss of such a tidy little car.

Flearoy

Lil306 wrote: »

OK, and you think the brain of an "alert" driver can't react faster than that ?

Have you never heard of a cognitive / stimulus response?

This basically allows a person to react ridiculously fast in an emergency situation. An "alert" driver, seeing someone stamp on the brakes would have an congnitive reaction thus allowing them to apply breaks automatically without even realising in a split second.

How many times have you suddenly had to do an emergency stop (excluding breaking dist).

Exactly how quick did your body reaction to the intial "shock"?
Your body stimulus would have reacted to it instantly (probably a thousandth of a second) and maybe another 1/10th of a second to stamp on the brakes.

--

I think the poster was trying to make the point that driving 2m behind someones car is perhaps unwise at anything above a crawl. While I commend your grasp of neurophysiology and indeed mathematics, erring on the side of caution is perhaps best for the layperson, rather than judging separation distance by use of cigarette papers between bumpers...

cyclonebri1

Flearoy wrote: »

--

I think the poster was trying to make the point that driving 2m behind someones car is perhaps unwise at anything above a crawl. While I commend your grasp of neurophysiology and indeed mathematics, erring on the side of caution is perhaps best for the layperson, rather than judging separation distance by use of cigarette papers between bumpers...

Hheeeermmmm, I think thats gravely, (no pun intended), in doubt here.

It's not just thye human issue, the car has to be slowed and that is outside the response time :think:

mikey72

Lil306 wrote: »

OK, and you think the brain of an "alert" driver can't react faster than that ?

Have you never heard of a cognitive / stimulus response?

This basically allows a person to react ridiculously fast in an emergency situation. An "alert" driver, seeing someone stamp on the brakes would have an congnitive reaction thus allowing them to apply breaks automatically without even realising in a split second.

How many times have you suddenly had to do an emergency stop (excluding breaking dist).

Exactly how quick did your body reaction to the intial "shock"?
Your body stimulus would have reacted to it instantly (probably a thousandth of a second) and maybe another 1/10th of a second to stamp on the brakes.

What if I'm on the phone, with the cruise control on, and my feet behind the pedals?
Is it still ok to tailgate at 2m or should I drop back to 4?