Tailgating - What do you do ?

craichoe

So your on the Motorway and theres a guy right up your ass with Xenon headlights so blinding you have to dip your Rear View mirror. He won't overtake and won't back off.

What the best thing to do in this case.

Myself, if they gets too close i tap the brakes so the brake lights come on but the brakes don't engage. Everytime they do it again I tap the brakes. Thats what i've done in Ireland anyway.

I've moved to holland now and the same thing happened last night, except the guy seemed to be well pissed off/driving aggresively.

What do you do in this case ?

Owen

craichoe wrote: »

So your on the Motorway and theres a guy right up your ass with Xenon headlights so blinding you have to dip your Rear View mirror. He won't overtake and won't back off.

I presume when you say he won't overtake, that means you're not in the right hand lane (In an Irish situation, I see you're in Holland, but for the purpose of the thread, I'm sure you understand). If there's room on a lane to your right for him to overtake and he's not bothering, then everything you did was correct. Patience should be the tool then at that point to let him get bored and make him overtake.

By the way, if they were factory Xenons, they would self level, and you'd have no glare. They sound like aftermarket knockoffs, or Xenon bulbs in ordinary headlamps.

skibum

One of my windscreen washer's is aiming too high on the passenger side so squirts over the roof, when driving it gets carried onto the car behind, they soon get the message.

MarkR

In real life I light up my brakes as you describe. In my head I regularly pull the handbrake, swinging the car around in a shriek of brakes and cloud of smoke. Jurtling along at 100 km/h in reverse, the automatic self aiming shotguns train on the offending car and take out it's lights before I repeat the manouver and carry on my way.

Anan1

craichoe wrote: »

Myself, if they gets too close i tap the brakes so the brake lights come on but the brakes don't engage. Everytime they do it again I tap the brakes. Thats what i've done in Ireland anyway.

Tapping the brakes is dangerous, and could well result in an aggressive response. I find a quick flash of the hazards almost always does the trick. If not, then enlarge the gap between yourself and the car in front - this will reduce the risk of your being rear-ended if you do have to brake for something. Above all, don't allow yourself to become fixated on the tailgater to the detriment of your general observation.

blackbox

The danger with someone tailgaiting you is that they are likely to hit you if you stop suddenly.
The recommended course of action is to slow down, thus increasing the gap between you and the car in front of you. This means that if something happens you will not have to brake so severely and the person behind is less likely to hit you.
Slowing down is also likely to encourage the b****x behind you to overtake and bugger off to have his accident somewhere else.

Gregor Samsa

I had a middle aged guy in a BMW inexplicably tailgating me on the N18 (Ennis Bypass DC section) a couple of months ago. The road was totally empty except for the two of us. I was in the left hand lane minding my own business doing 100 km/h on the button. He came up behind me and instead of keeping a safe distance or overtaking me in the right hand lane, he got so close that all I could see was his windscreen in my mirror. I tapped the brakes a couple of times and he'd back off, but soon he'd be be right behind me again. I tried speeding up a bit just to make room between us, and he just followed.

I finally decided to start slowing down very, very gradually and carefully. He kept the small gap between us until we were both traveling along the empty dual carriageway at 20 km/h, when he must have noticed his speedo and decided to overtake - glaring at me as he went. I smiled and waved and let him off.

10 minutes later as I got to the Shannon exit, I caught up with him again - doing exactly the same thing to another car that was going slowly - the overtaking lane completly empty for him to use. It's something I will never understand.

craichoe

ned78 wrote: »

I presume when you say he won't overtake, that means you're not in the right hand lane (In an Irish situation, I see you're in Holland, but for the purpose of the thread, I'm sure you understand). If there's room on a lane to your right for him to overtake and he's not bothering, then everything you did was correct. Patience should be the tool then at that point to let him get bored and make him overtake.

By the way, if they were factory Xenons, they would self level, and you'd have no glare. They sound like aftermarket knockoffs, or Xenon bulbs in ordinary headlamps.

Yeah, here is right hand lane, there were three lanes.
Right is Slow Lane, Middle is Fast Lane and Left is Overtaking

Unless its six lanes, where either three go to two different exits ahead, here its like two lanes of motorway without a division

OT, But its great having a "fast lane" as opposed to Ireland where people think the Overtaking lane is a fast lane.

SubjectSean

Pick a comfy bit of road then slam on and go for the whiplash claim IMHO

Sleepy

If they're behind me and it's at night, I flip the rear view mirror repeatedly so that it'll reflect back in his face.

If it's during the day, I'll turn on the hazards until he backs off or overtakes.

Quality

Open your sun roof and start dropping coins out of it. He'll back off after you have hit his windscreen a couple of times.

Anan1

Quality wrote: »

Open your sun roof and start dropping coins out of it. He'll back off after you have hit his windscreen a couple of times.

You may be surprised to hear that things fall down, not up.

_Kaiser_

Step 1: press the brake just enough to trigger the lights. Most of the time this works.

Step 2: slow RIGHT down, gradually but steadily, while watching him in the rear-view mirror.

You should never let a clown like this intimidate you into speeding up over the limit/what it's safe or appropriate to do. Besides if they hit you, they're automatically in the wrong as the Rules state you should leave enough of a gap to stop if the car in front brakes suddenly.

Also, I've noticed that tailgating isn't as big a problem since I bought the Passat last year, whereas when I had the Mirage it was an almost daily occurance - I put it down to the fact that when she's clean (hard in this weather), she looks big black and shiny - and expensive to repair if you run into her

zilog_jones

I ignore them if they're not too close and not blinding me (however the majority of modern cars seem to have their headlights at the exact same height as the mirrors in my Fiesta :mad:), otherwise I just gradually slow down.

I tried the light breaking thing once before but when coming to a roundabout in my frustration/anger i slammed on the brakes instead of the clutch (don't ask how) - fortunately said tailgater had backed off by then. I had only been driving a couple months by then, but it's put me off trying that again forever.

pete4130

From what my dad hs told me from an advanced drivers course he took last year where you are taught to drive defensively, the correct thing according to the advanced driving instructor is to maintain a safe and steady speed and to concentrate on whats ahead of you. The theory being that the offending tailgater will get bored and back off. Reality is different to theory.

kluivert

Slow down gradually, if your lucky, they will do the same, pull them out of the car by the neck, shove their face against your rear bumper, and shout "here is this close enough for ya?"

Sorry got carried away there, slow down and let them overtake you. If that fails as above switch on hazard lights.

Vegeta

Cant understand this on a dual carriageway, why don't they just overtake. Drives me mental.

Especially as another poster says when they get so close you cant see their lights anymore just the top of the bonnet and windscreen. That's just plain dangerous

Vegeta

MarkR wrote: »

In real life I light up my brakes as you describe. In my head I regularly pull the handbrake, swinging the car around in a shriek of brakes and cloud of smoke. Jurtling along at 100 km/h in reverse, the automatic self aiming shotguns train on the offending car and take out it's lights before I repeat the manouver and carry on my way.

classic

Shamrogue

Kinda off topic but I was driving on the M4 to Dublin, basically an empty road a car or two in the distance, same behind, other then that I was on my own. Took a glance in the rear view and as soon as, I was hit full on from the rear. I was going a steady 120Km/hr, he wasnt! But because he hit me straight in the rear he didnt spin me (luckily), bumper didnt even crack, jst a few scuffs and scraps.

So my advice with I certainly am not advising, is add your right foot to the big middle pedal (they'll hit you full on) and claim for all people out there who've been tailed for no reason.

PS. Dont do this, you might suffer from a slight case of death!

eringobragh

Shamrogue wrote: »

Kinda off topic but I was driving on the M4 to Dublin, basically an empty road a car or two in the distance, same behind, other then that I was on my own. Took a glance in the rear view and as soon as, I was hit full on from the rear. I was going a steady 120Km/hr, he wasnt! But because he hit me straight in the rear he didnt spin me (luckily), bumper didnt even crack, jst a few scuffs and scraps.

So my advice with I certainly am not advising, is add your right foot to the big middle pedal (they'll hit you full on) and claim for all people out there who've been tailed for no reason.

PS. Dont do this, you might suffer from a slight case of death!

Are you one of these people that thinks its ok to sit and do 120k in the overtaking lane because its the limit.

Nothing pisses me off more then SLOW drivers hogging the overtaking lane, That M4 is rife with them. How hard is it to pull into the left lane for 10 seconds and let the driver behind out. Typical of this country.

Shamrogue

eringobragh wrote: »

Are you one of these people that thinks its ok to sit and do 120k in the overtaking lane because its the limit.

Nothing pisses me off more then SLOW drivers hogging the overtaking lane, That M4 is rife with them. How hard is it to pull into the left lane for 10 seconds and let the driver behind out. Typical of this country.

Sorry, to clarify, i was in the left lane, slow lane. And if i am over taking and a car behind me wants to go faster, i pull in in a gap, off they go, and i pop out again when all is clear.

eringobragh

Shamrogue wrote: »

Sorry, to clarify, i was in the left lane, slow lane. And if i am over taking and a car behind me wants to go faster, i pull in in a gap, off they go, and i pop out again when all is clear.

Fair enough

unkel

kluivert wrote: »

slow down and let them overtake you. If that fails as above switch on hazard lights.

Either that or indicate and pull into a gap if it is safe to do so

I can't believe the number of people here advocating to hit the brake pedal. This is dangerous and can lead to aggression...

Armin_Tamzarian

Press your "Oil Slick" button, failing that turn on your rear fog lights.

finkaboutit555

Anan1 wrote: »

You may be surprised to hear that things fall down, not up.

If you threw it backwards.. Then it would work!!

finkaboutit555

Slow Right down, To almost crawling distance, When he passes you turn on your heads, If he pulls over you pull over, if he slows down you slow down, If he gets out of the car and is holding his fists in rage, Plant your right foot down and get the hell outta there..:eek:

biko

.

Armin_Tamzarian

There is of course the spark plug mod you can fit to your exhaust pipe that shoots a large flame from your exhaust when activated.
Flames of up to 20ft can be achieved with some cars.

Duiske

unkel wrote: »

Either that or indicate and pull into a gap if it is safe to do so

I can't believe the number of people here advocating to hit the brake pedal. This is dangerous and can lead to aggression...

True. In a moment of madness a few years back, I done this to someone on the N7. This guy was really pissing me off,so I slammed on the brakes. Even though it was dark, I could still make out the plume of tyre smoke as the other guy locked up. If he had slid out into the right-hand lane there could have been a serious accident. Both of us learned something that night. I would never dream of doing it again.

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

I've moved to holland now and the same thing happened last night, except the guy seemed to be well pissed off/driving aggresively.

What lane were you in and how fast were you going? You may have noticed by now that on the 'snelwegen' the 'unofficial' speed limit is about 20km/h higher than the posted one. Most traffic will be doing 140 or 120 instead of 120 or 100 in my experience assuming traffic is moving properly. None of this dawdling along at 90km/h on a motorway over there

They also leave a much smaller gap than they really should, but you kind of get used to that after a while. So unless you were overtaking but going 'too slow', or not keeping to the rightmost available lane if it was free, I can't see why he would have had cause to get pissed with you.

Royale with Cheese

Hasn't really happened to me on a dual carriageway, probably cos I'm generally one of the faster cars on there... but on single lane roads you get the odd X5 up your arse, going through fairly slow, minor roads in Dublin. I just slow right down and watch them get mad. Then speed up and wait for them to tailgate you again. Repeat the process.

Hotwheels

I always slow down, most of the time they overtake, rest of the time they just sit there for awhile, but get bored etc and overtake...
Never Break Sharply!! no guarantee the car behind will stop, and your putting a lot of lives at risk by doing so...

Keith C

I had a weird one before, just a normal road, doing 60 kph when a car was right behind me. I slowed down to bout 40 (no cars on other side of road) to allow car to overtake, said car proceeded to struggle to overtake, ended up being a 1 litre punto (not a boy racer, but a non national women)
ended up putting the boot down (1.6) as theyre was a rounabout up ahead within eyesight :eek: if i hadnt had done that or come to a complete stop, i dont want to think what would have happened.
dunno what was more dangerous, overtaking on a road where they're wasn't any point, or the fact the driver didn't know the limited power in her car

Victor

What you need is a brake parchute, but let it dicsconnect immediately on deployment.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/propulsion/thrust-reverser/shuttle-parachute.jpg

Keith C wrote: »

I had a weird one before, just a normal road, doing 60 kph when a car was right behind me. I slowed down to bout 40 (no cars on other side of road) to allow car to overtake, said car proceeded to struggle to overtake, ended up being a 1 litre punto (not a boy racer, but a non national women)
ended up putting the boot down (1.6) as theyre was a rounabout up ahead within eyesight :eek: if i hadnt had done that or come to a complete stop, i dont want to think what would have happened.
dunno what was more dangerous, overtaking on a road where they're wasn't any point, or the fact the driver didn't know the limited power in her car

Was she trying to avail of your slip stream a little too zealously?

MugMugs

Illuminate the brake lights enough for them to understand your not comftable. If this fails then slam on them, get a new car and a sore back !

MarkN

OP what car ya driving? I find the bigger/more expensive the car the less chance ya have of being tailgated IMO. I had to drive my girlfriend's 206 for a few days when I sold my last car and the amount of times doing perfectly normal speeds you would get people up your hole. The week before, it didn't happen in the Audi worth 60k and ever since, it hasn't happened in a BMW. I think certain people think they have a right to bully other drivers on the road if they are driving a bigger car.

Armin_Tamzarian

MarkN wrote: »

OP what car ya driving? I find the bigger/more expensive the car the less chance ya have of being tailgated

You're dead right.
I usually drive larger cars but I remember there was one week I was driving the girlfriends Saxo while I was fixing it up for her.
I noticed a huge difference in other drivers attitude toward me.
Drivers were acting more aggresively and intolerant toward me.
Almost like they were trying to bully me off the road.
Less people would let me pull out or swich lanes.

As soon as I got back behind the wheel of the A4 that I had at the time
everything went back to normal.

_Kaiser_

MarkN wrote: »

OP what car ya driving? I find the bigger/more expensive the car the less chance ya have of being tailgated IMO. I had to drive my girlfriend's 206 for a few days when I sold my last car and the amount of times doing perfectly normal speeds you would get people up your hole. The week before, it didn't happen in the Audi worth 60k and ever since, it hasn't happened in a BMW. I think certain people think they have a right to bully other drivers on the road if they are driving a bigger car.

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

You're dead right.
I usually drive larger cars but I remember there was one week I was driving the girlfriends Saxo while I was fixing it up for her.
I noticed a huge difference in other drivers attitude toward me.
Drivers were acting more aggresively and intolerant toward me.
Almost like they were trying to bully me off the road.
Less people would let me pull out or swich lanes.

As soon as I got back behind the wheel of the A4 that I had at the time
everything went back to normal.

Yea thats what I was saying earlier. I find the same thing to be true in my Passat - people are a lot more courteous when you're driving a bigger car.

Wossack

I throw poo out the sunroof.

kaiser sauze

skibum wrote: »

One of my windscreen washer's is aiming too high on the passenger side so squirts over the roof, when driving it gets carried onto the car behind, they soon get the message.

MarkR wrote: »

In real life I light up my brakes as you describe. In my head I regularly pull the handbrake, swinging the car around in a shriek of brakes and cloud of smoke. Jurtling along at 100 km/h in reverse, the automatic self aiming shotguns train on the offending car and take out it's lights before I repeat the manouver and carry on my way.

SubjectSean wrote: »

Pick a comfy bit of road then slam on and go for the whiplash claim IMHO

Quality wrote: »

Open your sun roof and start dropping coins out of it. He'll back off after you have hit his windscreen a couple of times.

kluivert wrote: »

Slow down gradually, if your lucky, they will do the same, pull them out of the car by the neck, shove their face against your rear bumper, and shout "here is this close enough for ya?"

(edited)

Armin_Tamzarian wrote: »

Press your "Oil Slick" button, failing that turn on your rear fog lights.

biko wrote: »

.

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Hasn't really happened to me on a dual carriageway, probably cos I'm generally one of the faster cars on there... but on single lane roads you get the odd X5 up your arse, going through fairly slow, minor roads in Dublin. I just slow right down and watch them get mad. Then speed up and wait for them to tailgate you again. Repeat the process.

I lol at all these ideas. I seriously like the one about coins out the sunroof. *ponders*

---

I really get pissed off when these people tailgate for no reason, or don't seem to take advantage of clear opportunities to overtake.

I have two different attitudes depending on the person behind:

If they are the 'obnoxious-boyracer-I drive a flashy, but underpowered fartmachine': I slow right down in places where there is no way past and then roast them in the straights and leave them for dead. My car is not flash and most will assume it is a plodder. Their mistake.

If they are the 'fat cat exec-BIK-07<insert underpowered German marque here>': I tend to gently ease away from them and if I then notice they are considering overtaking me after tailing me for effing five minutes. I zoom away, sometimes they catch up ten miles down the road and throw a miffed, and mystified, look at me. I usually wave back with a huge grin.

The compatriots of the above genera do have manners and will either stay back a reasonable distance or will overtake you promptly. If it is the latter, I make every effort to make that smoother for them.

GreeBo

I just take my foot off the gas but dont hit the break.
These people are idiots and are best in front of you.

congo_90

SubjectSean wrote: »

Pick a comfy bit of road then slam on and go for the whiplash claim IMHO

haha classic

Still wouldn't had a coach do it to me before on the Navan road. It was frightening but fun. There was a bus lane and all. The bus was full and so was my car. We gave him some abuse too

On topic:

I drive a lot of country roads which is worst for tailgating. Their lights blinding you (especially when they forgeth to dip their beams). Also the roads are bendy.

My defence is to use my rear fog light initally along with hazards. (both flashing) if this fails i tap my brake lights.

One night on the N3 i had somebody so convinced of tailgating me that if i even tapped the brake he would have hit me. I was nervous because was driving maybe 3weeks at the time. He eventually over took me and then swung back across me tires screeching to make it onto the exit a mere 70metres away. He mis judged it and spun into the trees. he seemed ok .I was also taking that exit but didn't stop to help him.

anthony4335

Been there have the t-shirt ,I have found that it is now just best to slightly adjust the mirrors if the lights are blinding and just drive as I would normally. Not good for the stress levels, all that. Eventually they will overtake, or back off. but it is funny to see a 1.0l punto or the likes tailgating a car that would leave them for dust, and you know what they are thinking, If I had that car!

craichoe

MarkN wrote: »

OP what car ya driving? I find the bigger/more expensive the car the less chance ya have of being tailgated IMO. I had to drive my girlfriend's 206 for a few days when I sold my last car and the amount of times doing perfectly normal speeds you would get people up your hole. The week before, it didn't happen in the Audi worth 60k and ever since, it hasn't happened in a BMW. I think certain people think they have a right to bully other drivers on the road if they are driving a bigger car.

I was doing between 150 - 170 kp/h in the slowlane and not undertaking anyone ! this is well over the speed limit but it seems to be the norm here. Speed limit in Holland is 120 kp/h and 130 kp/h in Belgium. I can't understand why they drive so fast, i believe they have the speed camera databases here for tomtom up to scratch. Apparently you can just end up getting a load of fines sent to your registered address here if you have a Benelux registered car.

Oh, I'm driving an Octavia - 1.9 TDI, this assclown seemed to be doing it to everyone though. well not everyone, but further up the motorway he'd slowed down and pulled in behind someone else.

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

I was doing between 150 - 170 kp/h in the slowlane and not undertaking anyone ! this is well over the speed limit but it seems to be the norm here. Speed limit in Holland is 120 kp/h and 130 kp/h in Belgium. I can't understand why they drive so fast, ...

Well, I never really stuck to the limits when I lived there, and I think I probably got only 3 or 4 speeding tickets in 13 years. They didn't have a penalty points system (not sure if they do now) so it was just a fine, so not really a deterrent.

If you're driving a Dutch registered car, be careful if you're in Belgium though. The Belgian police will pick you out of a convoy, all going well over the limit, over any Belgian driver. It's an on-the-spot fine, and they'll kindly escort you to the nearest ATM machine to withdraw the cash if you don't have it handy

craichoe

Well, I never really stuck to the limits when I lived there, and I think I probably got only 3 or 4 speeding tickets in 13 years. They didn't have a penalty points system (not sure if they do now) so it was just a fine, so not really a deterrent.

Yep, penalty points here, don't get any on an Irish License though. They say your supposed to exchange it after a year, but there was some instance here were a guy from England brought the Dutch Government to the European court for his right to keep his license and he won. So i'll be hanging onto it thanks very much

If you're driving a Dutch registered car, be careful if you're in Belgium though. The Belgian police will pick you out of a convoy, all going well over the limit, over any Belgian driver. It's an on-the-spot fine, and they'll kindly escort you to the nearest ATM machine to withdraw the cash if you don't have it handy

Actually, I mistakingly ran a red light in Antwerp, in fairness it was bloody confusing, there was an arrow for straight on and one for right. Straight on was red and right was green. I couldn't see a turnoff to the right and straight on appeared to veer right, so I went, there was no traffic coming or anything.

10 seconds later (WEEE WAAA WEEE WAA WEE WAA) a Merc with flashing blue was behind me. The cop said I ran a red light, I said sorry with a stupid look on my face pointing at the sat nav and making some sort of hand signals. He just said "Yeah its confusing, just watch it next time eh. "

On the other side of it I got a parking ticket in Holland for having one wheel outside the designated parking space (apparently pedestrians had to walk around the back of my car) and they made me go to an ATM machine and get cash.

oilsheik

:DI have a friend and tailgating really got up his nose, he had a car with a separate water reserve for the back wiper. He adjusted the back washer nozzle so its jet sprayed backwards filled the water bottle with the cheapest cola he could buy. When anybody tailgated he sprayed the cola....they used to think it was oil.
TDI have a noxious weapon...a mushroom cloud black smoke can be directed at the offending tailgater

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

Yep, penalty points here, don't get any on an Irish License though.

OK .. I know they were talking about introducing them around the time I left, 6 or 7 years ago Ah well.

They say your supposed to exchange it after a year, .....

Rubbish .. it's the same all over the EU .. mutual recognition of EU driving licences, just the same as here.

craichoe

Rubbish .. it's the same all over the EU .. mutual recognition of EU driving licences, just the same as here.

I know, i plan to use the phrase "Go f*ck yourself"

http://www.pir.nl/en/upon-arrival/drivers-license-exchange.php

As a rule, residents of the Netherlands are required to have a Dutch driver’s license. There are a number of exceptions, however, to this rule. If you have a license issued by one of the member states of the European Union, you may use this license for up to one year after registering in the Netherlands. If you have a license from a country outside of the European Union, you may drive on your foreign license for 6 months from when you register as a resident of the Netherlands. After this period you will either have to pass a Dutch driving test or exchange your license.

stewie01

if your driving in holland its customary to pull over and have a shhhmoke. then you wont even notice the tailgaters........ but watch out for the dancing hippo

Hallowed

I live in Dublin but from Co Waterford and so drive up and down a lot and I am constantly amazed at the amount of tailgaters on the roads. Its yet another aspect of dangerous driving that our under-resourced Gardai just can't deal with.
On my last 4 trips home (round trip of 270 miles and 6 hours by four) I have not seen one traffic Corp vehicle. That over a 1000 miles and 24 hrs of driving.