What's the etiquette here?

corblimey

Picture the scene. You're driving along a nice road, it's single lane, but there's a good wide shoulder. You're at (or just over) the speed limit, and keeping pace with a car in front. Then, he pulls over into the shoulder.

"I have no intention of passing you, mate, in fact, I was enjoying the drafting a little bit, and not in any mad rush, why are you pulling over?"

You've been behind him for the last 10 miles and although you're close enough to him (the regulatory 3 car lengths), you've made no attempt to pass him out, or even wander over towards the middle of the road to check for oncoming traffic.

Would you just sit back and wait for him to pull back out? Steam ahead then settle back to 103 once past him, but refuse to flash your lights as you didn't want to overtake? Pull over towards the shoulder behind him and keep the same pace?

Alanstrainor

3 car lengths??

Sounds like you were too close. Either way id just put the boot down and overtake.

helimachoptor

Maybe he was sick of using his fuel to draft you and wanted to save on some himself!

djimi

If youre happy to do the speed limit and stay behind him then ignore him and stay where you are. Youre not obliged to break the speed limit and overtake just because someone ahead of you pulled into the hard shoulder to allow you to do so.

dar83

Sounds to me like you were too close to him, or if not too close in a general sense, he felt you were too close and this was his way of letting you know.

Either back off a bit and continue happily or overtake then return to a speed you're happy with.

The fact you mention drafting at all kinda tells me you were closer than you needed to be in the first place.

OldmanMondeo

corblimey wrote: »

"I have no intention of passing you, mate, in fact, I was enjoying the drafting a little bit, and not in any mad rush, why are you pulling over?"

Cause you too close, I want to check the cows in the field, I think your following me and want to murder me, etc...

corktina

three car length is a bit close by the sound of it, Id say he was a bit miffed with you sitting on his tail, its far more comfortable to cruise with nothing behind or in front of you

david

I wouldn't draft another car and would pull over if someone was tailgating me, not looking to overtake.

I have drafted trucks/artics and they never seem to mind. Most professional drivers don't pull the same irrational moves as your average Joe, lane changing for no reason, varying speed etc. I don't think it's as dangerous as drafting a car.

I always seem to get a polite flash too when I overtake as they approach their exit.

djimi

Drafting is moronic btw. You have almost no chance to react to a situation should the car in front need to brake in a hurry.

You want to draft; go become a NASCAR driver and fill your boots at Daytona/Talladega! In normal driving leave yourself enough room to react...

hi5

I would consider 3 car lenghts tailgating, depends on the speed of course.

Berty

I always flash said driver and invariably, unless a complete moron, they always pull back out and wave(not flip the bird) and continue along their way.

vectra

Pass him out of course. Give him a sly look and slow down again in front of him :pac:

OK
In reality I would just pass him out and carry on my way

Chris_Heilong

Drafting? as in riding his slipstream? If he pulled over it because you were making him uncomfortable, just overtake.

MugMugs

Take it as an indication to back off and do so. Simples

Buffman

OP, in that situation either overtake or fall back. Also, for space, it's the 2 second rule on a dry road, nothing to do with 3 car lengths.

david wrote: »

I have drafted trucks/artics and they never seem to mind........

I always seem to get a polite flash too when I overtake as they approach their exit.

I'd doubt they're being polite to be honest, chances are if you're that close they don't see you at all and you've 'surprised' them when overtaking.
Remember, if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you.

Also, I'm always curious when I see cars driving up a trucks rear end plodding along at 80 on a motorway/DC, what's the point? I'm guessing some silly attempt at fuel saving?

pred racer

I'd give him a quick flash and a wave to say thanks, or just overtake.

challengemaster

Leave a blanket of soot on their bonnet :pac:

Kenny Logins

I'd take as a hint that he's fed up looking at you filling his rear view mirror.

david

Buffman wrote: »

OP, in that situation either overtake or fall back. Also, for space, it's the 2 second rule on a dry road, nothing to do with 3 car lengths.



I'd doubt they're being polite to be honest, chances are if you're that close they don't see you at all and you've 'surprised' them when overtaking.
Remember, if you can't see their mirrors, they can't see you.

Also, I'm always curious when I see cars driving up a trucks rear end plodding along at 80 on a motorway/DC, what's the point? I'm guessing some silly attempt at fuel saving?

My neighbour drives an Artic, says it happens to him every day in recent years. When I give them the hazards they flash. I've yet to receive an impolite flash/road rage.

90km/hr drafting an artic. at about 3 car lengths gives me roughly 6.5l/100km, 90km/hr gives about 7.5l/100km, 120km/hr gives approx. 9.5l/100km. There is a noticeable cost saving.

OldmanMondeo

david wrote: »

My neighbour drives an Artic, says it happens to him every day in recent years. When I give them the hazards they flash. I've yet to receive an impolite flash/road rage.

90km/hr drafting an artic. at about 3 car lengths gives me roughly 6.5l/100km, 90km/hr gives about 7.5l/100km, 120km/hr gives approx. 9.5l/100km. There is a noticeable cost saving.

And then the truck has to jam on for some unknown reason, which you won't see happening, those 3 car lenghts will disappear very quickly, not worth saving that amount of fuel for.

djimi

david wrote: »

My neighbour drives an Artic, says it happens to him every day in recent years. When I give them the hazards they flash. I've yet to receive an impolite flash/road rage.

90km/hr drafting an artic. at about 3 car lengths gives me roughly 6.5l/100km, 90km/hr gives about 7.5l/100km, 120km/hr gives approx. 9.5l/100km. There is a noticeable cost saving.

So youre willing to risk your safety/the safety of others so you can save a couple of quid on petrol?

BeerSteakBirds

Without getting into whether your distance was appropriate, if someone is driving nervously and is spooked because you are near you are better off letting them pull in and accelerating out of there for your own safety and theirs. Don't take it personally.

ValerieR

Some people seem to think they are simply in your way if you follow them, even at a safe distance, and pull in the hard shoulder to let you through out of sheer 'kindness'.

I hate when they do this (trucks included) because they don't necessarily check the oncoming traffic and traffic behind expecting you to overtake anyway, potentially causing confusion/dangerous situations .... And .... the dirt and gravel they throw at you when they do this.... Grrr... I prefer to overtake when I want/can, safely, even if it takes that little bit longer.

At the risk of wandering out of the thread's spec, hard shoulders should be made viable for very slow speed vehicles but not road-like ; a bit like they are in the North.
This business of considering the hard-shoulder as an extra-lane is most dangerous IMO.

Nissan doctor

I find, generally, that the people who display enough knowledge of road etiquette to move over, when its safe to do so, to allow faster vehicles to pass, would only do so if the vehicle behind was driving in a way as to give the impression they wanted to pass.....and driving 3 car lengths behind someone at 100kp/h would certainly give this impression....as its borderline tailgating.

colm_mcm

Some people like to follow. I'd pass him and not even think about it.
Quick flash of the hazards, some people expect that.

Just be thankful that someone actually knew there was someone behind them.

Chuck Stone

3 car lengths at over 100KPH?

Cussypat1974

if you were that far up my ass (3 car lengths...... where did you learn to drive?) I would not be so nice as to pull in to the hard shoulder. I'd slow right down to 30 on a stretch where overtaking was illegal. to send you the message loud and clear. but it seems you are quite happy to ignore the rules of the road anyway ( you admit to speeding), and put my life and that of other road users in danger?
go play with your own life on a track with no other drivers. you have no place putting my life at risk on the roads we all pay for.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

djimi

Cussypat1974 wrote: »

if you were that far up my ass (3 car lengths...... where did you learn to drive?) I would not be so nice as to pull in to the hard shoulder. I'd slow right down to 30 on a stretch where overtaking was illegal. to send you the message loud and clear. but it seems you are quite happy to ignore the rules of the road anyway ( you admit to speeding), and put my life and that of other road users in danger?
go play with your own life on a track with no other drivers. you have no place putting my life at risk on the roads we all pay for.

No offense but slowing down to 30 on a 100kmph stretch of road would make you a bigger wanker than the person who was tailgating you... There are ways of dealing with situations like that; turning yourself into the bigger prick is not one of them.

djimi

colm_mcm wrote: »

Some people like to follow. I'd pass him and not even think about it.
Quick flash of the hazards, some people expect that.

Just be thankful that someone actually knew there was someone behind them.

Ignorning the tailgating side of it for a moment; I dont think the car following necessarily has to pass just because the car in front pulled in. Quite often Im going the speed limit following a car in front (not tailgating...!) and am quite happy to sit behind them at the speed limit. Some people seem compelled to pull over when they are first in a line of cars, but imo if they are doing the speed limit then they are under no obligation to pull over, and likewise the following cars are under no obligation to break the speed limit in order to pass them just because they have pulled in.

the culture of deference

I do this on the N4 when I head to Kinnegad. Drivers seem to think it is ok to sit on your bumper and I just feel safer letting them go and let them cause an accident with someone else.

Majority of drivers give me the hazards when they pass, some do not pass and drop back a bit.

I am doing the speed limit to my sat nav and my cruise control is on.