Tailgating

Thoie

We all know it's wrong, I don't want this to be a rant about the guy who was tailgating you yesterday. I was just watching a few cars tailgating at high speed today, and was trying to figure out why people do it - does anyone have any insights?

My theories:

• Poor distance judgement - they honestly think they are further away than they are. If this is the case, do they have problems parking, etc?
• Arrogance/Overconfidence in their own reactions - do they think they can stop faster than everyone else?
• Unfamiliarity with their car - tied to poor distance judgement, and less likely
• Bad eyesight - goes back to poor distance judgement
• General aggression - a sense of entitlement which leads them to believe that other people should get out of their way (even if there's patently nowhere for the car in front to go)
• Lack of advance planning/actuarial skills - are these people poor at determining likely outcomes/consequences of their actions? Are they the same people who constantly run out of toilet paper/find themselves trying to purchase alcohol on Good Friday?

What do you think?

Absurdum

Thoie wrote: »

What do you think?

people don't know how to use lanes

slimjimmc

#2 and #5 I'd suspect from my own observations.
The driver is in control* of how close he gets even if someone else nips into the gap, so the other points don't hold water imo.





*except if he gets too close then that control can be taken away from him, together with his no claims bonus.

hoodie6029

2,5 and 6 also they are morons who think they're going to get where they are going more quickly.

Thoie

Absurdum wrote: »

people don't know how to use lanes

Are you trying to justify tailgating on a motorway/dual carriageway on the basis that "nothing encourages driver education like a lump of metal up the arse"? What about at speeds of 100kph on a single lane carriageway, where there are no other lanes?

Or did I misunderstand, and you just thought I was interested in random comments about driving?

Voodoomelon

I find women tend to tailgate more that men. Not by much, but whenever there's a car up my arse its more likely to be a woman in my experience.

Als76

2, 5 and 6.

Driving skills should start at school to gain experience before driving full time.

Absurdum

Thoie wrote: »

Are you trying to justify tailgating on a motorway/dual carriageway on the basis that "nothing encourages driver education like a lump of metal up the arse"? What about at speeds of 100kph on a single lane carriageway, where there are no other lanes?

Or did I misunderstand, and you just thought I was interested in random comments about driving?

nope, not at all, just offering an insight as you asked, no need to jump to conclusions

many of the tailgaiting incidents I witness are as a result of people not getting out of the overtaking lane (on motorways/dual carriageways), I'm not defending it or justifying it

Matt Simis

Absurdum wrote: »

nope, not at all, just offering an insight as you asked, no need to jump to conclusions

many of the tailgaiting incidents I witness are as a result of people not getting out of the overtaking lane (on motorways/dual carriageways), I'm not defending it or justifying it

Thats the only time I do anything that could be considered tailgating, but unlike true tailgaters Im over 2 cars lengths away and have my foot spotting the brakes, not actually actively "driving" that close to someone.

GTE

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I find women tend to tailgate more that men. Not by much, but whenever there's a car up my arse its more likely to be a woman in my experience.

Scary moment on the motorway today, ladywoman driving directly behind me doing her make up at 120 kph . . .

mooman

Thoie wrote: »

[*]a sense of entitlement

9 time out of 10 this is true for the car in front not the person behind, clowns pottering around in the overtaking lane are the bane of my life and there's only one way to shift them.

Sids Not

bbk wrote: »

Scary moment on the motorway today, ladywoman driving directly behind me doing her make up at 120 kph . . .

Not as scary as if it had been a bloke..................:D

Absurdum

mooman wrote: »

there's only one way to shift them.

damn right

Cookie_Monster

the only cause of tailgating is idiots refusing to get out of the way









:P:P:P

hoodie6029

I can nearly understand why someone would dangerousl tailgate when someone is dawdling in the right lane but it's another thing entirely when you're doing or exceeding the speed limit to pass/merge some and return to the left lane and some to***r is practically passing you on the median strip.
The first few kilometres of the Mullingar by-pass heading to Dublin are horrendous for this.

darren1980

Everyone seems to be talking about tailgating on a motorway, but it's much more dangerous, and just as common, on ordinary roads. My mother used to tailgate all the time, and she never realised she was doing it. If you've never had an accident, it's easy to develop poor driving practices without realising.

Also, I think a lot of drivers tailgate because they feel the car in front is driving too slow (translation: following the speed limit), and that tailgating will somehow make them drive faster. My response to tailgate on ordinary, windy roads, is to stick religiously to the speed limit. F* them!

BostonB

Its a bad habit, either because they have poor spatial awareness, no idea of their stopping distance, or like to drive on edge all the time. Its bad driving what ever the excuse.

We've all heard of the 2 second rule, i.e. that you should be following 2 seconds or more behind the car in front. This means that the absolute maximum amount of time tailgating will save a person is 2 seconds. Does not compute.

I find the last thing you should do when you've got someone tailgating you is speed up. They won't stop tailgating and the only difference is that when they do drive into the back of you they'll be going that much faster.

As for people who do it to "teach people a lesson" or whatever- get the fuck over yourselves, since when did you become the self appointed rulers of the road?

BostonB

I just slow down gradually, or pull in where I can, that makes it easier for the person who wants to get past to overtake. End of problem. For those that don't overtake, will usually drop back as they realise I won't be pressured into driving faster.

ocokev

BostonB wrote: »

I just slow down gradually, or pull in where I can, that makes it easier for the person who wants to get past to overtake. End of problem. For those that don't overtake, will usually drop back as they realise I won't be pressured into driving faster.

I hears ya, on ordinary roads I slow down slightly, put on left indicator once; the person passes safely and thanks me by putting on hazzards once. Everyone manovered safely everyone happy.
On motorways or dual carriage there should be no reason why anyone should tail gate me, I drive in the proper lanes and at the proper speeds, and to the fools that do tailgate me, I adjust my mirror downwards so i dont see or think of them any more problem solved.

antomorro-sei

Tailgate people on motorways to stop wind resistance, and eh, therfore saving fuel? :pac:

mickdw

antomorro-sei wrote: »

Tailgate people on motorways to stop wind resistance, and eh, therfore saving fuel? :pac:

Thats old school. What you need is magnet drive. Let the car in front pull you along:D

alias no.9

Thoie wrote: »

• General aggression - a sense of entitlement which leads them to believe that other people should get out of their way (even if there's patently nowhere for the car in front to go)

I've narrowed that down for you, the rest was really just padding.