Tail Gaiter Scenarios

[subaron]

Just looking for how people deal with the following situations on the road.

What do you do when someone tailgates you inches from your car on the highway?

Scenario 1: Say you are already driving over the speed limit and any faster would get likely get pulled over (or for whatever reason you are not comfortable speeding up more). At the same time there is enough traffic on your right to make it inconvinient to switch lanes for you and other highway users.

Scenario 2: The weather conditions are bad enough and you are following the flow of the traffic maintaining a safe distance and don't want to speed up further or change lanes unnecessarily. But worry that the tailgaiter may hit you.

[kamil]

Nothing you can really do.
1. keep going untill you pass vehicle on right and merge right rightaway. let him tailgate. Please do not wait till you have gap long enough for 3 cars to fit in and than decide to merge to right lane. Because I am already in that right lane passing you and you just cut me off :]
2. if I understand correctly, I would change the lane, the guy has probably reason for hurriing. Like I always said, left lane is for passing the vehicles {it even says it on traffic signs along the highways}; I pass the vehicle and move over back to right lane always. No continues driving in the left lane if the right is empty. Never. I appreciate other people time just as well as I apreciate mine. That is how I was taught back in Europe. I know that you worry about your vehicle, but there is really nothing you can do. Nobody boders with too close driving in Europe. Maybe people just need to be taught better in driving schools.

[GreenCar]

There's a polite period of time to tailgate somebody. Just enough time to let the guy ahead of you know you would really like to get beyond him. Then lay off, they should get the message. That being said...

If somebody hangs on my ass for too long I just roll off the throttle. Slow down enough and they usually back off.

If they still stay on your ass, brake-check 'em.

This would apply for situations 1 & 2.

[subaron]

if I understand correctly, I would change the lane, the guy has probably reason for hurriing.

Right should have explained that I am in the lane passing others in the right (hence going faster than the limit), but don't want to go over the limit by 30 to 40km.

Hurring maybe there but not at risking others in the process!

[subaron]

If they still stay on your ass, brake-check 'em.

I think if I applied the breaks even a bit the guy would have rear ended. Anyways, I ended up using the hazzards and he backed off and maintained the distance.

lol, makes me think of installing a switch to stimulate breaking, by having the break lights go on at the press of a button, without reducing any speed.

[Urlik]

I've pulled over before. Brings a great sense pf peace to just let the problem drive away.

[birdman829]

Right should have explained that I am in the lane passing others in the right (hence going faster than the limit), but don't want to go over the limit by 30 to 40km.

Then get out of the way! Here's what I do if I'm in the left lane passing people but its painfully obvious that someone behind me wants to get by: I find a little gap to my right, slow enough to merge right and let them through and on their merry way, then get back out in the left lane if need be. You're not a pace car. Just because you don't want to go any faster doesn't mean you can't allow others to go faster. Don't be a left-lane-lurker. Nothing wrong with a bit of a brake-check once in a while too. You should be able to press the pedal lightly enough to activate the lights without doing too much braking if they're that close.

[vuvision]

In either case, if there are cars in front of and you're going with the flow, the tailgater can pound sand. However, if you're the front runner, doesn't matter how fast over the speed limit you're, I would speed up or do all I can to change lane to let the tailgater pass you.

I had similar scenario happened to me last month, I was on the right lane minding my own biz doing speed limit and an M6 was approaching my R8 GT from behind at a pretty high speed then decided to stay on my bumper even though the left lane was wide open. I decided to press on the gas just a hair then tapped the down shift twice to let the nice M6 driver hear my don't f*ck with me Satan down shift blow off exhaust sound (just installed the Capristo exhaust system a few days prior ) ... M6 driver quickly backed off and kept the distance. Just thought I'd share .

[ZachB5.5]

In either case, if there are cars in front of and you're going with the flow, the tailgater can pound sand. However, if you're the front runner, doesn't matter how fast over the speed limit you're, I would speed up or do all I can to change lane to let the tailgater pass you.

I had similar scenario happened to me last month, I was on the right lane minding my own biz doing speed limit and an M6 was approaching my R8 GT from behind at a pretty high speed then decided to stay on my bumper even though the left lane was wide open. I decided to press on the gas just a hair then tapped the down shift twice to let the nice M6 driver hear my don't f*ck with me Satan down shift blow off exhaust sound (just installed the Capristo exhaust system a few days prior ) ... M6 driver quickly backed off and kept the distance. Just thought I'd share .

Bad ass

[swcrow17]

the tailgater can pound sand..

This. They want to go faster and are too stupid to know how to pass, it's on them to sit in my spray and wait it out.

I also don't have a cool car/engine/exhaust like Robert does, otherwise I'd have quoted his whole post. I still can't see an M6 trying that with an R8....silly uneducated motorist.

[vuvision]

I also don't have a cool car/engine/exhaust like Robert does, otherwise I'd have quoted his whole post. I still can't see an M6 trying that with an R8....silly uneducated motorist.

Scott, to be fair, it's not everyday that you run into an R8 let alone an R8 GT . The M6 driver could have intentionally wanted to stay back to admire the view ... lol .

Anyhoo, fast forward to 1:00 on the vid below to hear the down shift blow off rumble on the Capristo. Can't imagine how frighten the M6 driver felt hearing this from less than a car length away. Dude got edumacated all right ... God, I'm such a hoon .



OP, sorry for the OT.

[swcrow17]

Mmmmmmmmmm.......he probably wanted to see what his M6 could do against an R8 to post on some M6 forum, but then heard that and thought better of it.

[NEWMAN'SOWN]

Scott, to be fair, it's not everyday that you run into an R8 let alone an R8 GT . The M6 driver could have intentionally wanted to stay back to admire the view ... lol .

OP, sorry for the OT.

Poor guy was probably trying to record a video with his cell phone...

[kamil]

I think if I applied the breaks even a bit the guy would have rear ended. Anyways, I ended up using the hazzards and he backed off and maintained the distance.

lol, makes me think of installing a switch to stimulate breaking, by having the break lights go on at the press of a button, without reducing any speed.

That is what rear fog lights are used for in Europe. They are mandatory there. Turn them on, but your car keeps going, not slowing down. Here it is only the GLX version which has this option. Not many people do realise this optional use here.:}K

[birdman829]

While we're on the topic this reminds me that I actually had a road rage run-in with the driver of an S5 a couple years ago.

I was home from college for the summer and was driving home from work in my sister's car, an absolutely horrific 1999 Kia Sephia. The driver of a blue Audi S5 behind me began tailgating me very closely. I brakechecked him lightly and he began to go crazy getting very aggressive and swerving in the lane behind me while tailgating. After a 1/4 mile or so the road opened up to two lanes on an overpass and he zipped out to the left as if to pass. Only he stopped level with me and the middle aged driver and his two teenage sons were all screaming and gesturing with the windows down. I gave a cheery wave and a little friendly toot toot of the horn.

That set him off even further apparently. He floored it away from me and I saw him turn into a street on the right about 1/4 mile past the overpass. He jumped out of the car and came almost out into the lane as I drove past, arms outstretched as if he wanted me to stop and fight him right there in the street. I just looked dead ahead and continued on my way (I was only about 1/2 mile from my house at the time. I drove home where my friend was waiting for me in my driveway (because we were supposed to go to a Gov't Mule concert right after I got out of work). I began to tell him about this crazy incident when he looked up behind me towards the end of my driveway. There sat the Audi with the father and two teenage boys. The one in the passenger seat pointed out the window and yelled "THAT"S HIM!"

The father stormed down my driveway (with one son following) and screamed that I had been tailgating his wife. She apparently had been driving one car ahead of me and he thought I got close to her so he aggressively tailgated me. He bellowed that he should either kick my ass or call the police. I responded that I was way ahead of him and proceeded to pull out my cell and dial 9-1-1 while he was right in my face. For a split second I thought he was going to punch me but instead he backed up a step as the dispatcher answered the call. The guy stood and heard my end of the call:

"Yes I'm at blah blah address where another driver has followed me home after a road-rage incident"

"Yes he's here right now; he's standing right in front of me"

At this point the guy seemed to realize that he had put himself in a pretty compromising position. He turned and walked back up the driveway as his son yelled that I was a little c-word. The guy whacked his kid on the shoulder and told him to watch his mouth. I continued to talk to the dispatcher:

"He's now walking back to his car"

"He's driving away down blah blah street towards blah blah street in a blue Audi S5"

The dispatcher said they were sending an officer so I went inside to wait. I lived in a small town of about 8000 people and by chance the officer who came had been the resource officer for the local school system while my mother had taught first grade. Another officer had pulled over the Audi and was getting his story the officer told me. He asked me my story and I told him everything that had happened. He went out to his car and got on the radio. After a couple minutes he came back and said that the other guy remarkably told the same story, essentially admitting that he was the aggressor.

He told me the other driver's name and asked if I knew him because he was from town. I didn't. The officer advised me to pull over rather than brake check in the future because you never know how the other guy will react to something that seems innocent enough. I told my parents about the incident later and the name and my mom said that she had taught one of the kids in first grade. She said that she never met the father but that the mother was a sweet lady. I ended up just feeling bad for her and those kids since this guy was obviously some kind of unstable asshole.

Sorry for the long story but I thought I'd share one of the most absurd confrontations I've ever been involved in because it seems relevant. So yeah, on second thought, maybe don't brake-check

[JayTheSnork]

as long as we're sharing tailgating stories...

many years ago, I was headed to work in my Datson 200SX in the right hand lane of I-95. Two guys in a pickup truck came flying up on me in very light traffic. the driver must have thought it funny to ride one car length off my tail, and I gave him the obligatory light brake check without slowing down, to let him know I wasn't comfortable with his position relative to mine.

he then roared around me, cut over after getting one car length past me, and slammed on his brakes - enough to get me to lock my wheels/tires up. I had backed off the accelerator already prior to his stunt, so I wasn't completely unprepared. the passenger was looking out the rear window as this ocurred and laughing. even so, I barely missed hitting the pickup.

I think the moral is, don't do this at speed on an interstate. all it takes is for one driver to be the perfect asshole to totally screw up everyone's day.

[PZ]

Road rage in Texas recorded on a 911 call "You brake checked me asshole, bang" . Guy died at the scene.

[hu vw]

I don't understand the difficulty in letting people by on a multi-lane road.

[kamil]

I don't understand the difficulty in letting people by on a multi-lane road.

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