michaelro

Depends on the situation

If I'm at or over the speed limit and there's heavy traffic (ie Neither myself or the tailgater has anywhere to move to) I'll back them off by slowing down, creating a safety bubble.

I'm on my own, I'll back them off more significantly

If the road is more empty, I'll move out the way.

Why keep an obvious kn*b who has no respect for your life or your family any closer than you need to.

Hanley

Boring I know but I would simply move out of their way at the earliest opportunity and let them bother someone else.

Life is to short, we now see too many stabbings etc due to unneccessary road rage.

Not sure if it's because I have 2 young sons but my outlook is slightly different now.

burner

Tailgaters are annoying. Rich, fat, 60-somethings think that their BMW is the fastest thing around. Maybe true...but I kinda show them, that 100 HP Clio can even outperform them in acceleration from 50-100 km/h. You just can't beat a good chiptuning and a good hp/weight ratio

Leslie

I get very irritated at tailgaters too. I wont't brake test them, that way I would be laying myself open to being accused of an offence. I just slow down to the sort of speed at which I think they might be able to avoid hitting me in an emergency stop. If they want to overtake thats fine as long as it is in a safe place. The closer they get the slower I will go.

Les

Boro

iTrader: (1)

I go with the slowing down theory, makes it safer, pisses them off and slows them down. I wont move over until they have backed off to a safe distance.

If they dont back off, they normally end up flashing their lights frantically at which point i move my mirror out of the way and just carry on until i want to pull in.

Big Pete

I drive way too many miles to have an issue wi them.

Motorways - move over to the left when it's safe to do so.

Anywhere else - make sure all's ok for me & ignore them

SJ_Skyline

"How do you deal with tailgaters?"

As humanely as possible

ScooByer Trade

No i don't really switch on my fogs, i just create some braking space or a bit more so the tailgater passes me, so he can move across to the same lane.

stiscooby

While driving along I tap the breaks with my left foot (so I dont actually slow down as still accelerating), they then see me 'breaking', they then panic and hit the breaks lol.

Or if on a dual carriage way I either stick to the speed limit and stay in my lane, which p!sses most people off but, hey, im doing the limit so they can wait. Or I pull over and as they come past i match my speed with theirs lol then they generally pull in.

paulwrxboro

I drop a cog

got a mate who saves old battries, for such things

Glowplug

iTrader: (8)

Laugh like a mad-man at them in the mirror

BOB.T

There's some stupid folk about... 'I'm worried about my family's safety therefore I'm gonna do my best to initiate an accident and or an aggressive situation'.

Whilst I don't condone tailgating, has it not occurred to you that they might just want to go faster than you? It's not always 'I'll show him'. Besides which, if you get tailgated on the motorway, you're most likely in the wrong lane!

Just pull in and let everyone get on with life!

Timwinner

iTrader: (3)

I think the only thing that makes me really mad is in a 30/40 limit when I have Mrs Winner in the car. I for some reason, and I know I should be able to control my temper better, feel like they are threatening Mrs Winner and that makes me so angry.

I need to breath slower and pull over I think...

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I dont do much driving nowadays but tend to just let very agressive drivers pass, sometimes a little sport at their expense but to be honest if you wind someone up they will go and take it out on someone else, if you brake test them you can cause them to react and then set a chain reaction off that ends up in a pile up.

I wonder how many on here, responding to this as an offended party gets wound up when some tit is sat in the outside (overtaking) lane at 65 mph and perhaps drives a little too close to cajole them into moving over, I do, so technically could be accused of tailgating ? I dont sit 2 ft away but I dont like being held up so likewise if I get something thudering up behind me, I just let it go, someone is either a tool, agressive or psycho so let them go, dont get into a confrontation or alternatively they perceive my speed as too slow and they are in a hurry so let them past, not always possible on some roads but usually you can find a way tolet someone past, it isnt a sleight to your manhood letting someone past, its just the sensible thing to do.

rabbos

Excellent! Also works with banana skins.

I've always thought about modding the rear screen washer so that it squirts directly at the car behind, and then charge with some filthy fluid/****/paint etc.

Leslie

Tailgating is unnecessarily dangerous for whatever reason it is being done. It is totally stupid to do it and is in effect bullying of the driver in front.

If the bloke wants to go faster then he should wait at a safe distance until he is able to overtake in safety.

Les

c_maguire

Unfortunately there is an ever increasing number of drivers with such appalling awareness/lane discipline that waiting at a safe distance might mean you never get past. And you tell me why someone else (not the law) has any right to dictate to me (or you) what speed we should be doing? On a single carriageway road I'm prepared to cut these slowbies some slack but on dual carriageways and motorways they should show others more consideration.
If overtaking in any lane was allowed here as in the USA then this problem would be mostly eradicated, although I do feel the majority of drivers I see daily may have some trouble operating that system safely.
For anyone to say they object to tailgateing on safety grounds and then openly admit to braking/flashing brake lights etc when they feel a following vehicle is too close, you lot need to get a grip. You're more likely to cause an accident than they are. Take the blinkers off.
Kevin

Leslie

I can only assume by what you say that you advocate tailgating if the car in front is going slower than you want to drive at. If so you are supporting an unsafe way of driving and also trying to bully the driver in front. What are you trying to get him to do if you do behave in such a way? Using your own argument, you have no right to dictate what speed he should be driving at!

Driving behind him at a safe distance will make no difference whatsoever when you come to a safe spot to overtake him, tailgating will do nothing to make it happen any quicker!

You had better read my earlier post again to determine what I think about "brake testing" as well.

Les

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

On the other side of it, on my way to work this morning, 3 lane road, 40 mph limit, some women sat in the outside lane at 30 and about 15 cars passed her on the inside, all giving her a dirty look .. she didn't move!

spray1974

Had this type of incident the other day while going to the shops with the missus, came up behind a Toyota celica which was doing about 45 in a national speed limit holding a line of cars behind him. So I decided to pass the fellow and when I passed he sped up so that he was on the tail of my scoob, considered him a bit of a cheeky bugger seeing he was only doing about 45 before and now he was doing about 70. made it rather obvious. So just opened the throttle and watched as his missus beat his left arm black and blue in the mirror....

madcyril

pet hate tailgaters i just slame my brakes on a few times and it works

DaveD

iTrader: (2)

I hate tailgaters
I wouldn't mind if the ones you get on an A-road were actually capable of making progress, but most of the time you're:
a) either in a long queue of traffic yourself, or,
b) given a dozen overtake opportunities, they're still 6" off your rear bumper!!

Tailgates generally spend so much time concentrating on the numberplate kite mark of the car in front that they've no idea of what's happening ahead, behind, or to the sides of them.
If it was possible, I'd give them a wide berth, but given the problems stated above, I just open up the gap in front to double the usual '2 second rule' and (at lower speeds) also gently left-foot brake to illuminate the brake lights, while maintaining my speed.
Best bet on a motorway is just to pull over when safe and let the fools get on with it......

Steve vRS

Post of the thread (after my joke about Matteboy of course). Opening the safety gap or getting out of the way is the only way to ensure you are safe.

Steve

GlesgaKiss

I like to sit about 5-10mph under the speed limit. I also flick my rear view mirror so I can't see them out the corner of my eye. In other words I sit there relaxed and they get even more wound up and stressed...the opposite of what they want to happen. W@nkers.

ScoobyWon't

I was tailgaited on Monday when I'd borrowed an unmarked car from CID. A bit of left foot braking and then stopped at the lights a short distance later.

I than opened the door, climbed out in full uniform, pulled out my pocket notebook and wrote down the number plate of the car that had been tail-gaiting me, then climbed back in.

I'm not sure why he left a large gap behind me afterwards though.....?

jasey

Most effective way of dealing with tailgaters is to start drifting to the nearside as if you are pissed and snatching back to the centre of the road.

******* soon back off then .

falkster

I usually just pull over and let them by but the other day I did something that wasn't big or clever. I did the brake test (having had white van right up my chuff for 3 junctions) then when he gave me the w@nker sign I proceeded to go a little psycho on him for the next 3 junctions....might not have done if he hadn't have blown me a kiss. I think, when he realised how annoyed I was, he decided to just concentrate on the road rather than wind me up any further.
Next time I will just pull over as its not worth getting yourself wound up by it....and its not very good when your wife is in the car with you.

ChefDude

however irritating and stupid they are, there's no excuse to throw stuff out the sunroof to potentially cause an accident

I like scoobywon't's idea.... hmmm... where to get me a police uniform....

falkster

Talk about being blinkered!! Seems strange everyone else is blinkered and you're not. It is dangerous and against the law. I know what you are saying about the 'brake testing' being as dangerous but if someone wasn't up your **** then it wouldn't happen would....stay a safe distance or lets hope its not on the M62.
As for driving like they do in the states.....what a joke. People can't cope with the rules of keeping to the left unless overtaking and thats been in force since the motorway system was made so how the hell will they adopt the american way better....there would be undertaking, overtaking, cutting up to undertake the next car and weaving!!
Great idea. Stick to walking.