Tailgating - What do you do ?

Hotwheels · 03-12-2007 9:19pm

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 · 03-12-2007 9:29pm

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 · 03-12-2007 10:13pm

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 · 03-12-2007 11:11pm

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 · 03-12-2007 11:18pm

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 · 03-12-2007 11:26pm

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_ · 03-12-2007 11:51pm

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 · 04-12-2007 12:01am

I throw poo out the sunroof.

kaiser sauze · 04-12-2007 12:15am

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 · 04-12-2007 12:27am

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 · 04-12-2007 2:41am

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 · 04-12-2007 7:45am

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 · 04-12-2007 9:55am

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 · 04-12-2007 10:11am

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 · 04-12-2007 10:20am

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 · 04-12-2007 10:39am

: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 · 04-12-2007 10:40am

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 · 04-12-2007 10:48am

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 · 04-12-2007 10:56am

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 · 04-12-2007 10:57am

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.

GreeBo · 04-12-2007 11:22am

craichoe wrote: »

I was doing between 150 - 170 kp/h

:rolleyes:

craichoe wrote: »

I can't understand why they drive so fast,

:rolleyes:

Your two sentences would seem to contradict each other. You are the they!

craichoe · 04-12-2007 11:30am

GreeBo wrote: »

:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:

Your two sentences would seem to contradict each other. You are the they!

Haha

I'm not Dutch, But im trying to fit in as it were. Driving on the Continent is alot different to driving in Ireland. A three or six lane motorway is not anything like the M50 :P

Alun · 04-12-2007 11:33am

craichoe wrote: »

I'm not Dutch, But im trying to fit in as it were. Driving on the Continent is alot different to driving in Ireland. A three or six lane motorway is not anything like the M50 :P

You're learning! ... and when you get back here, you'll be saying "I don't understand why they drive so slooooow here!"

TheBigEvil · 04-12-2007 11:44am

[QUOTE
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.[/QUOTE]

Are you saying that you are going faster than the speed limit of 120kph in the overtaking lane????

I understand what your saying about the people staying in the outside lane when they shouldn't, but you should be keeping to the speed limit yourself....sounds like you one of those people that like tailgating others!

Anan1 · 04-12-2007 11:49am

TheBigEvil wrote: »

I understand what your saying about the people staying in the outside lane when they shouldn't, but you should be keeping to the speed limit yourself....sounds like you one of those people that like tailgating others!

Those are two separate issues, though. To my mind, blocking the overtaking lane is more dangerous than exceeding the speed limit where conditions allow.

craichoe · 04-12-2007 11:55am

I'd say just in Ireland keep left when possible. On the continent, stay in the slow lane unless theres slow moving traffic like trunks etc. Use the fast lane to keep at the speed limit and use the overtaking lane to overtake

biko · 04-12-2007 12:01pm

Anan1 wrote: »

To my mind, blocking the overtaking lane is more dangerous than exceeding the speed limit where conditions allow.

That's just in you mind though. How can someone (I assume going at legit speed) be blocking?
Unless they are going slower than advertised speed.

craichoe · 04-12-2007 12:03pm

biko wrote: »

That's just in you mind though. How can someone (I assume going at legit speed) be blocking?

Well that depends on if your overtaking someone ? If your not then your not overtaking and shouldn't be in the "overtaking lane"

eringobragh · 04-12-2007 12:04pm

TheBigEvil wrote: »

Are you saying that you are going faster than the speed limit of 120kph in the overtaking lane????

I understand what your saying about the people staying in the outside lane when they shouldn't, but you should be keeping to the speed limit yourself....sounds like you one of those people that like tailgating others!

Some of you guys treat speeders with the same contempt as a Masked murderer. Wip Di-Do I speed on a nice stretch of motorway.. IF i ever get caught by the cops i'll take my fine and points but in fairness i find it more dangerous to have your head like an ostrich looking at your speedometer. I get the fingers when i flash that f**kin ejjit to move out of the overtaking lane.

I agree i think it's far more dangeous having some slow prick in the overtaking lane.

eringobragh · 04-12-2007 12:05pm

craichoe wrote: »

Well that depends on if your overtaking someone ? If your not then your not overtaking and shouldn't be in the "overtaking lane"

x2

Tailgating - What do you do ?

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