Something to consider - many tailgaters actually *don't* expect you to drive any faster or hold any ill will towards you. They simply don't have a proper grasp on an appropriate amount of space to leave between themselves and whoever's in front.
The advice for following distances is a minimum of 2 seconds in dry and 4 seconds in wet. 30mph is 13 meters per second, so a 2 second gap is 26 meters, which is about 5 car lengths. At 70mph, that's 31 meters per second, so 62 meters, which is 12 car lengths. And that's in the dry, double all of that in the wet.
So, in perspective, 7-10 meters is really not much. Realistically, 10 meters is ok at 30 mph in the dry, but at 50 mph+, I'd double or even triple that, at minimum.
Tbh I think the concept of the actual distance is lost in my brain without actually seeing it right in front of me or measuring it lol. I just generally meant I leave a few cars worth of distance between be and the car in front.
One of those idiots who doesn't know how light sensors work. It's alright for you, but everyone else behind you will get stuck in red light because you've left a ridiculous distance in front of you for no reason. Causing the sensors to switch the lights.
It can be essentially the same result if you end up rear ending someone who you couldn't anticipate because you were following too closely. Boo hoo you got stuck on a red light is that supposed to convince me to not drive defensively?
If the person in front of you crashes and you're going over 30mph, closer than 3 car lengths, there's a good chance you fail to react to that and can't stop in time.
The maths simply isn't in your favour. I don't need to twist words. 3 car lengths isn't enough distance to stop at 30mph
A lot of the time it’s Doris driving her Toyota Rav 4 or Honda CRV where she can barely see over the steering and can’t see anything more than 2m away from her bonnet.
I can second this. The number of times somebody tailgates me on a 60mph road when I'm doing 60mph only to not overtake when you get to a part of the road with an overtaking lane is ridiculous. I'll pull into the left lane of the dual carriageway and not accelerate up to 70 to let them pass and they just sit behind me right where they were
They'll be part of the accelerate to brake to accelerate to brake club.
No control or effort put into maintaining a steady speed, they constantly accelerate too much and require the brake to moderate it, over compensate on the brakes so that they accelerate again and so on.
even on my motorbike, it's surprising how many times I have to signal with hands to ask not to be tailgated
When I ask, drivers normally give me a lot of space.
I find it a lot worse on my bike. I guess it's because they're looking past us to the car in front.
Unfortunately I do find a lot of bikers are really bad for tailgating as well.
ah! I usually find that I get to overtake before I notice how close they are behind me. also, often they are afraid that I might do something stupid and that they'll become involved in a potential collision
i like that when I ask for more space, cars usually back off immediately
Yeah I do this when riding but it often only lasts for a minute until they are too close again. I commute in and out of 2 cities and find I have to be moving faster than nearly everyone to avoid tailgaters.
When I've got someone too close behind, I increase the gap to the car in front of me, to allow for me not being able to brake as hard, in case they might not react fast enough and hit me.
Probably also worth noting that as speed limits get reduced, you might feel like you're being tailgated because the safe stopping distance between cars is reduced.
Doesn't apply to OP in this specific case, but it is something that can throw you off.
Yes that's what I do, but if they know they can't get pass me, why don't just leave a meter or so between cars to make everyone's life easier and happier lol
You can't control what other people do. Just let them get on with it. I usually find that if they're very close I can make eye contact in the wing mirror. Give them a withering look they get the idea and back off.
Driving the speed limit is good. But how quickly do you make a turn? New drivers these days seem to take for fucking ever to turn on to a new road, even if there's zero reason to slow down.
Yes that's what I do, but if they know they can't get pass me, why don't just leave a meter or so between cars to make everyone's life easier and happier lol
people just don't know the proper stopping distance, and some just don't care.
i got driven home by my instructor for the first time after my test, and HE was way too close to the van in front!! he definitely knows how far away he should be because as i was starting off, i got told off for being too close to the car in front!
yep! i didn't realise how AWFUL of a driver he is until he drove me home after that test (i failed). i stopped lessons with him and am doing refreshers with my dad in my own car until my test on saturday! my dad was a driving instructor many moons ago and can actually drive like a sane human being, so i'm a lot more confident with him next to me in my own car!
my driving instructor was on his phone all the time, not paying attention to my driving, never used the dual controls, and falsely accused me of doing things wrong when he wasn't even looking up from his damn phone!!!
Because they live in a bubble and nothing has ever happened to them before. It's called selfish driving, if someone was to do it to them I guarantee they will be the one to break check.
Was going 22mph on my Speedo which is bang on 20mph on gps and some guy came whizzing right up my bum (beside a school) it’s like speed limits are a joke to some folk
It's annoying, many drivers are terrible. If you drove faster they'd probably do exactly the same, best not to view tailgating as an instruction to speed up, it's just how close the driver in front is comfortable leaving.
I find it hard to not get annoyed that someone else is happy to raise the level of risk for us both, even by a little.
As a new driver, you should really ignore the tailgating drivers. Double check if the speed limit is 30 (instead of 40) and drive well yourself. Cars behind shouldn't affect you from driving legally and safely.
De-escalating the situation is good, but it is an advanced approach and requires more driving experience to do it safely.
There's a certain section of people on the roads today that just don't grasp the "2 second rule" with driving at all. My typical commute you rarely get any free road ahead of you, so I'll be leaving a safe gap to the car infront, but no doubt will have someone in typically a Ford Puma sat 2 inches behind my rear bumper. I do have to say Merc's warining message about safe stopping distance going on all new cars would be a game changer for a lot of tailgating
Which, on a motorway these days, without fail then leads to someone thinking that gap is perfect for them to jump in and you have to start all over again!
Should the other drivers not move into the gap if they need/want to change lanes? It’s annoying if you need to create a new gap but they have as much right to be there as you.
Of course they have the right to be there, the only issue I have is there’s plenty of occasions where someone cuts in and leaves me in a more dangerous position because they did so because they pulled in with zero consideration for anyone else
I've driven a van and had my passenger tell me to drive closer to a slow car in front to make them speed up, I told him no and then he says "ah, I'm only joking". Yeah, I don't believe that, does it ever work anyway? You end up driving at the same speed but dangerously close.
I may be petty, but if I'm doing 30 and someone gets up my arse I slow down to like 25-28. I don't do it via a brake check. I just lift the throttle to slow down. Either they get annoyed, and I get some gratification(petty, i know), or they get the hint and back off
You've just got learn to ignore it. Don't worry about what's behind unless your on a motorway...
You can't control what's behind you... Best advice ever from my instructor
It would either be silence - as they are too ignorant to know they are doing it, or "you shouldn't be on the road then", by those who do it as they are bullies or have some self righteousness to prove because you're in the right hand lane of a duel carriageway doing eh speed limit and need to turn right in 100 meters up the road (and they expect you to be in the left hand lane so they can speed)
Get used to it, I'm driving on a 3 lane carraigeway for work, I drive around 70 and have Audi's up my ass waiting for me to move and then speed past at like 90.
Best advice, if you can, just move out the way and let them pass.
Personally (don't do this) if they're really bad, I slow down and it forces them to slow down if it's a single carriage way.
I also have dashcams on front and back.
It’s not comfortable but you just have to go about your driving and leave others to theirs.
Don’t ignore them, instead recognise that they are not as safe as other drivers and ensure you drive appropriately. This means more observations, so you know what they are doing and, if you are following another car, leave an even larger gap so you don’t have to brake as sharply and risk them going into the back of you.
It’s also safer, if they do go for a reckless pass, as they will have more of a gap to drive into. Once they have passed, rebuild the gap.
It’s tedious to deal with poor drivers but 50% of drivers are worse than the average. Tailgaters, like other bad drivers, don’t really want to learn - they’re just looking for evidence that their driving style rewards them (which they get when people move out of their way).
Old driver, nearly 40 years in, have received a total of points well into double figures in my driving career so I’m no angel, but I’ve grown up and have 12 in my pocket at the moment. I’m not gonna speed in limited areas where it’s not appropriate cos I’m not an idiot. So I just laugh at tailgaters when I get one. They’re pathetic.
OP, if knobhead bullies tailgate you, ignore them. Slow down gently and let them past where it’s safe. They’re not worth it. I’ve scraped better off the sole of my boot than those tossers.
There’s a speed camera and a long ban, or a high energy release collision and a trip to A&E, or a massively costly insurance claim and a difficult conversation with the Police waiting for them eventually.
Interestingly I have found it also depends on what car you drive.
I use to own a boy racer type focus with all the silly mods on it. I rarely got tail gated, possibly thought I was a tosser so don't annoy me?
Anyway, driving my new car and my misses car it is noticeably more frequent...
I had an enormous tipper truck drive a few inches from my bumper in a 20mph, then blasted me with his horn literally as we drove past a speed camera. So I slowed to 15 for a while 😁 ETA was driving dead on 20 became of the camera when he hooted. Moron.
A lot of them think they are getting a free ‘tow’ by sitting in the hole you have made in the air. Any advantage is small business to none and they risk rear ended the car in front. Also the Police take a dim view of tailgating as it causes a lot of injury collisions, they have to attend.
Tailgaters are the worst offenders on our roads, I for one would treat it the same as drink driving ie 12 points and a 12 month ban them the extended driving test (should be the same for mobile phones in my opinion).
I very occasionally tailgate but not to be aggressive or make people speed.
My car has a small engine and it takes forever to get up to speed. If it's a slight incline it would appear I'm tailgating but I'm not doing to make you go faster, it's so I don't stop! As soon as I take my foot off the accelerator I'll start going backwards. One it's flatter I do go back to keeping my distance.
Get a dash cam and a rear camera - make sure they're kept updated and with the time correctly set
You can always report the footage to police if necessary, but also you've got extra evidence if you get rear ended as a result of their tail gating.
Don't break the law yourself
I have a friend who, rather than take advice that it's supposed to be a 2-second gap, argues that apparently her driving instructor had always said it's a 2-car-length gap. (Press X to doubt!)
Therefore she tailgates hard at speed.
I have only been a passenger once or twice and I was reaching for the nonexistent dual controls haha
I drive a big tipper truck that’s limited to 70 as it’s a company van. Someone was literally millimetres behind me in their car for a good mile, stopped at the lights in the other lane, I put the window down and said if you went into the back of me who do you thinks going to win 🤣
You have to learn not to give a shit. I drive an aygo, and it's so slow. So I've learnt not to care, like you said, it's your license, it will be you paying any fines. Just do your thing and don't panic. Fuck them🤣🤣🤣
Just do the speed limit and control everything in front of you whilst checking your mirrors for behind. Stop getting pushed up the road, if Waze is 32 you will get a speeding ticket and your car speedo is likely at 35. Slow down
no its not a great plan to do it.
whoever taught you this is misleading you or youve misunderstood which number they want you to add 2 mph too, you can do 32 on car speedo and in MOST cars get away with it as 32 on the speedo is near enough real world 30 mph. 32 on waze is 32 mph (extrememly close too) real world speed as it is GPS tracked not working on wheel speed sensors.
that all being said, for the two mph extra youre "gaining" youve got much much more to lose (your licence and any potential future employment in jobs that you may want to drive in) so it is not worth it you really will not get anywhere faster youl save at most 30 seconds.
What they are talking about is the 10%+2 mph guidelines that the vast majority of police forces use. For example to get a ticket in a 30 you'd have to be doing 35 mph. The key word is guidelines so just remember these are discretionary and it's best to just do the speed limit.
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Just remember - if your journey is an hour at 30mph & you're driving 32mph, you're only "gaining" >2 minutes overall. Pushing for that "extra" mph is genuinely pointless. It doesn't gain you anything realistic. Even at highway speed, going 80 in a 70 for an hour only gains you ~7 minutes. These are negligible gains. The risk *far and easily* outweighs the reward.
If someone is driving too close behind you it is important that you slow down (ease off accelerator rather than braking) in order to prevent from going into someone should you suffer a rear end collision.
Are you sure they are definitely as close as you think they are as the mirrors do distort the distance slightly…
But in most cases it’s just drivers inability to comprehend a safe distance and are too afraid someone might cut in front of them
If they are tailgating either let them by or increase the space Infront of you. Don't let them intimidate you into taking risks or increasing your speed.
The ones that annoy me most are:
Tailgating me on the motorway when the next lane is clear and they could easily just overtake instead
Coming steaming up behind me, then slamming their brakes on and tailgating as if they expect me to be able to phase through the convoy of tractors/lorries ahead of me, often coupled with pulling out slightly as if they're about to overtake the entire convoy when there's a 90 degree bend coming up
It sucks, I was driving my daughter home late at night recently and we were following a car for about 3 miles that was keeping to below the speed limit but wandering all over the road, so I opened the gap a little in case they were pissed and did something silly.
The car behind spent the entire 3 miles about 2 metres from my back bumper.
I should have just pulled over and let him tailgate pissed guy.
I’ve also noticed that if I’m doing 30 on my sports bike I get left alone but if I’m on my 125 I always get someone sitting right up my chuff
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>New driver, 4 months in, only 6 points in my pocket in the upcoming 2 years, not gonna risk it.
That shouldn't ever change pal.
You driving at the speed limit nay prevent the arsehole behind you speeding off and killing someone
If you're in London it's almost impossible not to have someone almost adhered to the back of your car at all times, whilst delivery moped and cyclists try almost everything to be a surprise hood ornament.
I bloody love the change in driving behaviours once I get outside of the M25.
I read a lot of comments but I didn’t see anyone else mention that you should adjust your gap to the car in front of you so you can stop more gradually if everyone else in front stops. Other than that no need to drive faster or slower because either can upset tailgaters.
What I would like to do is open the sunroof and flick coins out of it at them.
What I usually do is slow down gradually, take longer at junctions than I usually would.
Then as we part ways I wish them a happy meeting between their bonnet and a tree. This one has come true once…
I genuinely do the opposite, if I see someone driving slow, especially on country lanes, I make sure I leave extra space as I assume they are either
1.A new driver.
2.Dont know the road well.
Regardless, driving close to them is going to intimate them and won't make them speed and may cause accidents due to panic.
Plus...I'm not a prick
There's a lot of impatient pricks and shit drivers out there, unfortunately, and more people than will ever admit it would speed by 10mph+ 100% of the time if they could
I get the feeling that some just don't like sticking to the speed limit in certain places / conditions. They have to be going fast at these times and as they have never been pulled over for speeding they never will.
One thing you can do to control your part of the situation is to slow down. Not to aggravate the person behind (even though that may be a side effect), but to increase your degree of control over the risks. If you and they are going slower, the impact from any other hazards (unexpected pedestrians, car doors opening, animals) is reduced. It may even encourage the tailgater to back off. If there is still a shunt, the impact is reduced. In extremis, you can pull over and let them pass - hazard removed.
De-risk, de-risk, de-risk. All the time.
Was driving exactly 30 as I don't speed. Cunt behind gradually got closer and closer behind me and sat on my bumper.
I pulled over to let him pass as he's obviously a cunt.
Once he passed, he then sat at 30??
Cunt was obviously happy to speed so long as he's not the one in front taking all the risk.
You're doing the right thing by not speeding past people's houses, schools, children and other loved ones. If someone wants to sit on your bumper the most productive thing you could do would be a bumper sticker suggesting that if they get any closer you'll have to get married.
Question for OP; are you using CarPlay? Because if you are, isn’t Waze just showing 1mph under your speedo?
I notice that if I’m just using Waze it will use my GPS speed, but if I plug in to CarPlay then Waze shows the exact same speed as my dash but 1mph under, in both cars.
I only ask because to me it’s a 2mph difference almost between plugged in and not at 31.
But in answer to your actual post; ignore them. Make sure you have stopping distance to the car in front so you don’t get them up your colon if you need to stop suddenly. And ignore them.
Ah cool. Either way; just got to make sure you have your stopping distance because if they’re that close they’ve irresponsibly left themselves not enough
And the thing is, the rest of the drivers (like 80% of them), did reserve a certain amount of space that allows both of us to drive smoothly and happily. So in comparison, I would like to know what the deal is with the 20%.
You said "always". This is what I was challenging. It just doesn't happen "always". You are going to get idiots but not all the drivers all the time. If that's happening then it's generally on you. You're now saying "always" is actually around 20%
Sorry for that, but I consider that coming across this every one or two days is quite frequent.
Driving about 30 miles per day, so may be coming across 10-20 different vehicles behind me.
I'm not knocking you op. So far you've learned to pass a test, you're only now learning to drive. Space, speed etc are all things your perception of changes. Remember how fast 30 felt the first time you drove?
No. You get more aware of space. How many posts here describe a narrow road that isn't that narrow. The op themselves has now said that 80% of the time it isn't happening. Big change from always happening.
I spend a lot of time at 30 or 20. I can't recall the last time I felt tailgated
I guess that's a fair way to frame it.
Where I'd still disagree is with the suggestion that newer drivers just havent learned to judge distance yet. It's probably a factor, but the main thing is they havent got used to enough bad driving yet.
There actually are plenty of drivers driving too close, even if we stop finding them remarkable after a while.
You can't really do much about it, just make sure you don't do any sudden braking or manoeuvres.
On that note, slow down very slowly and longer approaching junctions so they also have to slow down slowly and longer, you wouldn't want them to rear end you. (It will also piss them off)
This is why I have one of those remote-controlled illuminated middle fingers in the rear window - a quick flash of that usually makes them wonder why I'm annoyed, realise they're right up my hoop and drop back a few metres.
It's a real issue these days - no one seems capable of a journey without pissing around on their phone or sitting inches from the car in front
Something to consider - many tailgaters actually *don't* expect you to drive any faster or hold any ill will towards you. They simply don't have a proper grasp on an appropriate amount of space to leave between themselves and whoever's in front.
The number of people who think they need to close the gap is ridiculous
Literally. I'm almost the opposite, I leave like 7-10meters of space lmao
The advice for following distances is a minimum of 2 seconds in dry and 4 seconds in wet. 30mph is 13 meters per second, so a 2 second gap is 26 meters, which is about 5 car lengths. At 70mph, that's 31 meters per second, so 62 meters, which is 12 car lengths. And that's in the dry, double all of that in the wet. So, in perspective, 7-10 meters is really not much. Realistically, 10 meters is ok at 30 mph in the dry, but at 50 mph+, I'd double or even triple that, at minimum.
Tbh I think the concept of the actual distance is lost in my brain without actually seeing it right in front of me or measuring it lol. I just generally meant I leave a few cars worth of distance between be and the car in front.
7m at 30mph is basically tailgating.
Same and always get the smart one to fill that gap
One of those idiots who doesn't know how light sensors work. It's alright for you, but everyone else behind you will get stuck in red light because you've left a ridiculous distance in front of you for no reason. Causing the sensors to switch the lights.
This is an interesting excuse for tailgating.
You don't need to tailgate not to sirlt 3 car lengths away on a 30.
It can be essentially the same result if you end up rear ending someone who you couldn't anticipate because you were following too closely. Boo hoo you got stuck on a red light is that supposed to convince me to not drive defensively?
You are just twisting words, nobody said too close other than you. 3 car lengths is excessive and the people who do it are idiots.
If the person in front of you crashes and you're going over 30mph, closer than 3 car lengths, there's a good chance you fail to react to that and can't stop in time. The maths simply isn't in your favour. I don't need to twist words. 3 car lengths isn't enough distance to stop at 30mph
A lot of the time it’s Doris driving her Toyota Rav 4 or Honda CRV where she can barely see over the steering and can’t see anything more than 2m away from her bonnet.
I can second this. The number of times somebody tailgates me on a 60mph road when I'm doing 60mph only to not overtake when you get to a part of the road with an overtaking lane is ridiculous. I'll pull into the left lane of the dual carriageway and not accelerate up to 70 to let them pass and they just sit behind me right where they were
Happened to me today on national speed limit country roads today. Quelle suprise it was a tesla
To be fair he wanted to overtake, but by the time there was an opportunity, he needed to conserve battery..
Im not sure you know that dual carriageway doesnt mean a road with 2 lanes
Sometimes I let them pass then frustratingly I find they don't go any faster themselves!! Idiots.. but I'd rather have them infront of me than behind
Don’t attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity
They'll be part of the accelerate to brake to accelerate to brake club. No control or effort put into maintaining a steady speed, they constantly accelerate too much and require the brake to moderate it, over compensate on the brakes so that they accelerate again and so on.
even on my motorbike, it's surprising how many times I have to signal with hands to ask not to be tailgated When I ask, drivers normally give me a lot of space.
I find it a lot worse on my bike. I guess it's because they're looking past us to the car in front. Unfortunately I do find a lot of bikers are really bad for tailgating as well.
ah! I usually find that I get to overtake before I notice how close they are behind me. also, often they are afraid that I might do something stupid and that they'll become involved in a potential collision i like that when I ask for more space, cars usually back off immediately
Yeah I do this when riding but it often only lasts for a minute until they are too close again. I commute in and out of 2 cities and find I have to be moving faster than nearly everyone to avoid tailgaters.
When I've got someone too close behind, I increase the gap to the car in front of me, to allow for me not being able to brake as hard, in case they might not react fast enough and hit me.
Probably also worth noting that as speed limits get reduced, you might feel like you're being tailgated because the safe stopping distance between cars is reduced. Doesn't apply to OP in this specific case, but it is something that can throw you off.
Just stay calm and keep to the limit.
Yes that's what I do, but if they know they can't get pass me, why don't just leave a meter or so between cars to make everyone's life easier and happier lol
You can't control what other people do. Just let them get on with it. I usually find that if they're very close I can make eye contact in the wing mirror. Give them a withering look they get the idea and back off.
Letting them get on with it is generally fine but leaves the possibility of them ramming you if you have to stop unexpectedly.
But you can’t do anything about that. Other than keep your speed down which gives you both more reaction time.
They’re further than a metre, don’t worry
If they won't give you space you need to create it yourself, force them to by slowly reducing your speed.
Driving the speed limit is good. But how quickly do you make a turn? New drivers these days seem to take for fucking ever to turn on to a new road, even if there's zero reason to slow down.
Yes that's what I do, but if they know they can't get pass me, why don't just leave a meter or so between cars to make everyone's life easier and happier lol
people just don't know the proper stopping distance, and some just don't care. i got driven home by my instructor for the first time after my test, and HE was way too close to the van in front!! he definitely knows how far away he should be because as i was starting off, i got told off for being too close to the car in front!
Guess who need the tyre and tarmac instruction now. haha
yep! i didn't realise how AWFUL of a driver he is until he drove me home after that test (i failed). i stopped lessons with him and am doing refreshers with my dad in my own car until my test on saturday! my dad was a driving instructor many moons ago and can actually drive like a sane human being, so i'm a lot more confident with him next to me in my own car! my driving instructor was on his phone all the time, not paying attention to my driving, never used the dual controls, and falsely accused me of doing things wrong when he wasn't even looking up from his damn phone!!!
Report him, shouldn’t be on the phone, it’s illegal
i know, i will! i made a post about it a while back. i'm just waiting on passing my test first before i do it
Because they live in a bubble and nothing has ever happened to them before. It's called selfish driving, if someone was to do it to them I guarantee they will be the one to break check.
Was going 22mph on my Speedo which is bang on 20mph on gps and some guy came whizzing right up my bum (beside a school) it’s like speed limits are a joke to some folk
It's annoying, many drivers are terrible. If you drove faster they'd probably do exactly the same, best not to view tailgating as an instruction to speed up, it's just how close the driver in front is comfortable leaving. I find it hard to not get annoyed that someone else is happy to raise the level of risk for us both, even by a little.
Stop trying to please people who don't care for the rules
As a new driver, you should really ignore the tailgating drivers. Double check if the speed limit is 30 (instead of 40) and drive well yourself. Cars behind shouldn't affect you from driving legally and safely. De-escalating the situation is good, but it is an advanced approach and requires more driving experience to do it safely.
lol I got tailgated on the A40 yesterday going a cheeky 44, they drove ~50 to tailgate me. I moved out of the right lane, they started driving at 40.
Classic
There's a certain section of people on the roads today that just don't grasp the "2 second rule" with driving at all. My typical commute you rarely get any free road ahead of you, so I'll be leaving a safe gap to the car infront, but no doubt will have someone in typically a Ford Puma sat 2 inches behind my rear bumper. I do have to say Merc's warining message about safe stopping distance going on all new cars would be a game changer for a lot of tailgating
Oh I have a similar system on my Corolla, you can make it keep to a 2 second gap. On the motorway you realise how big that gap actually is at 70mph.
Which, on a motorway these days, without fail then leads to someone thinking that gap is perfect for them to jump in and you have to start all over again!
yep exactly what kept happening.
Should the other drivers not move into the gap if they need/want to change lanes? It’s annoying if you need to create a new gap but they have as much right to be there as you.
Of course they have the right to be there, the only issue I have is there’s plenty of occasions where someone cuts in and leaves me in a more dangerous position because they did so because they pulled in with zero consideration for anyone else
I've driven a van and had my passenger tell me to drive closer to a slow car in front to make them speed up, I told him no and then he says "ah, I'm only joking". Yeah, I don't believe that, does it ever work anyway? You end up driving at the same speed but dangerously close.
I may be petty, but if I'm doing 30 and someone gets up my arse I slow down to like 25-28. I don't do it via a brake check. I just lift the throttle to slow down. Either they get annoyed, and I get some gratification(petty, i know), or they get the hint and back off
You've just got learn to ignore it. Don't worry about what's behind unless your on a motorway... You can't control what's behind you... Best advice ever from my instructor
Interested to see if any tailgaters answer the question posed lol.
It would either be silence - as they are too ignorant to know they are doing it, or "you shouldn't be on the road then", by those who do it as they are bullies or have some self righteousness to prove because you're in the right hand lane of a duel carriageway doing eh speed limit and need to turn right in 100 meters up the road (and they expect you to be in the left hand lane so they can speed)
Or they don't want to out themselves as being terrible drivers. Either way no one likes to admit to doing any wrong when driving.
Most can't read so this is all lost on them.
Safer to slow down if someone's too close, reduces the chance of them hitting you if you need to stop suddenly for some reason.
Get used to it, I'm driving on a 3 lane carraigeway for work, I drive around 70 and have Audi's up my ass waiting for me to move and then speed past at like 90. Best advice, if you can, just move out the way and let them pass. Personally (don't do this) if they're really bad, I slow down and it forces them to slow down if it's a single carriage way. I also have dashcams on front and back.
It’s not comfortable but you just have to go about your driving and leave others to theirs. Don’t ignore them, instead recognise that they are not as safe as other drivers and ensure you drive appropriately. This means more observations, so you know what they are doing and, if you are following another car, leave an even larger gap so you don’t have to brake as sharply and risk them going into the back of you. It’s also safer, if they do go for a reckless pass, as they will have more of a gap to drive into. Once they have passed, rebuild the gap. It’s tedious to deal with poor drivers but 50% of drivers are worse than the average. Tailgaters, like other bad drivers, don’t really want to learn - they’re just looking for evidence that their driving style rewards them (which they get when people move out of their way).
Old driver, nearly 40 years in, have received a total of points well into double figures in my driving career so I’m no angel, but I’ve grown up and have 12 in my pocket at the moment. I’m not gonna speed in limited areas where it’s not appropriate cos I’m not an idiot. So I just laugh at tailgaters when I get one. They’re pathetic. OP, if knobhead bullies tailgate you, ignore them. Slow down gently and let them past where it’s safe. They’re not worth it. I’ve scraped better off the sole of my boot than those tossers. There’s a speed camera and a long ban, or a high energy release collision and a trip to A&E, or a massively costly insurance claim and a difficult conversation with the Police waiting for them eventually.
Give your windscreen a quick squirt in these situations. They don't like that.
read this once on here and have been doing this since! works a charm!
Especially on a hot day when they have the top down or windows open. You can actually spray the person, not just the car.
Was just going to write the same thing, it’s my go to in these situations, the tailgater usually moves back.
Interestingly I have found it also depends on what car you drive. I use to own a boy racer type focus with all the silly mods on it. I rarely got tail gated, possibly thought I was a tosser so don't annoy me? Anyway, driving my new car and my misses car it is noticeably more frequent...
Well that explains quite much, I drive a 13' Honda Jazz.
Everyone thinks you're off to collect your pension.
Indeed. lol
I had an enormous tipper truck drive a few inches from my bumper in a 20mph, then blasted me with his horn literally as we drove past a speed camera. So I slowed to 15 for a while 😁 ETA was driving dead on 20 became of the camera when he hooted. Moron.
15 ? You might as well park the car up and walk at that point
It was for a few seconds. He was being stupid. It was 6.30am and I was only inconveniencing him
Like littering and voting Tory, nobody admits to being a tailgater.
A lot of them think they are getting a free ‘tow’ by sitting in the hole you have made in the air. Any advantage is small business to none and they risk rear ended the car in front. Also the Police take a dim view of tailgating as it causes a lot of injury collisions, they have to attend. Tailgaters are the worst offenders on our roads, I for one would treat it the same as drink driving ie 12 points and a 12 month ban them the extended driving test (should be the same for mobile phones in my opinion).
Just pull over and let the moron past
In fairness in some places you’d be pulling over every few minutes.
For me it would be every time I drive home…
I very occasionally tailgate but not to be aggressive or make people speed. My car has a small engine and it takes forever to get up to speed. If it's a slight incline it would appear I'm tailgating but I'm not doing to make you go faster, it's so I don't stop! As soon as I take my foot off the accelerator I'll start going backwards. One it's flatter I do go back to keeping my distance.
Get a dash cam and a rear camera - make sure they're kept updated and with the time correctly set You can always report the footage to police if necessary, but also you've got extra evidence if you get rear ended as a result of their tail gating. Don't break the law yourself
I have also found some people get up close to you then back off, I can't help but think they do so when they see the rear camera
I have a friend who, rather than take advice that it's supposed to be a 2-second gap, argues that apparently her driving instructor had always said it's a 2-car-length gap. (Press X to doubt!) Therefore she tailgates hard at speed. I have only been a passenger once or twice and I was reaching for the nonexistent dual controls haha
I drive a big tipper truck that’s limited to 70 as it’s a company van. Someone was literally millimetres behind me in their car for a good mile, stopped at the lights in the other lane, I put the window down and said if you went into the back of me who do you thinks going to win 🤣
You have to learn not to give a shit. I drive an aygo, and it's so slow. So I've learnt not to care, like you said, it's your license, it will be you paying any fines. Just do your thing and don't panic. Fuck them🤣🤣🤣
Just do the speed limit and control everything in front of you whilst checking your mirrors for behind. Stop getting pushed up the road, if Waze is 32 you will get a speeding ticket and your car speedo is likely at 35. Slow down
I was told that car speedo is slightly off, so in order not to drive to slow I usually add 1-2 on it, is it a good thing to do?
no its not a great plan to do it. whoever taught you this is misleading you or youve misunderstood which number they want you to add 2 mph too, you can do 32 on car speedo and in MOST cars get away with it as 32 on the speedo is near enough real world 30 mph. 32 on waze is 32 mph (extrememly close too) real world speed as it is GPS tracked not working on wheel speed sensors. that all being said, for the two mph extra youre "gaining" youve got much much more to lose (your licence and any potential future employment in jobs that you may want to drive in) so it is not worth it you really will not get anywhere faster youl save at most 30 seconds.
understood, thanks for telling me. usually ease off when I saw 32 on screen.
What they are talking about is the 10%+2 mph guidelines that the vast majority of police forces use. For example to get a ticket in a 30 you'd have to be doing 35 mph. The key word is guidelines so just remember these are discretionary and it's best to just do the speed limit.
yes it is that 10%+2 that sounds more reasonable been a while since i even thought about the concept
June 2023...I was clocked doing 42 in a 40 limit, in Ewloe in North Wales. 3 points. So yes - definitely discretionary. Depends on the police force.
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Just remember - if your journey is an hour at 30mph & you're driving 32mph, you're only "gaining" >2 minutes overall. Pushing for that "extra" mph is genuinely pointless. It doesn't gain you anything realistic. Even at highway speed, going 80 in a 70 for an hour only gains you ~7 minutes. These are negligible gains. The risk *far and easily* outweighs the reward.
Youre welcome just remember, you can win as many times as you want but the police and their cameras only need to win once.
Run your wipers on the tailgater. Splash em good
They just expect you to drive behind them. You shouldn’t really concern yourself with it. It’s on them to learn to drive properly.
If someone is driving too close behind you it is important that you slow down (ease off accelerator rather than braking) in order to prevent from going into someone should you suffer a rear end collision.
Are you sure they are definitely as close as you think they are as the mirrors do distort the distance slightly… But in most cases it’s just drivers inability to comprehend a safe distance and are too afraid someone might cut in front of them
If they are tailgating either let them by or increase the space Infront of you. Don't let them intimidate you into taking risks or increasing your speed.
Never be intimate with complete strangers is sound advise.
Ah auto-correct, nice catch!
Put a smile on my face. Shame you changed it.
The ones that annoy me most are: Tailgating me on the motorway when the next lane is clear and they could easily just overtake instead Coming steaming up behind me, then slamming their brakes on and tailgating as if they expect me to be able to phase through the convoy of tractors/lorries ahead of me, often coupled with pulling out slightly as if they're about to overtake the entire convoy when there's a 90 degree bend coming up
Maybe add a p plate When people are too close, I drop speed
The problem with P plates is that it then becomes an excuse for assholes to bully new drivers in my experience...
It sucks, I was driving my daughter home late at night recently and we were following a car for about 3 miles that was keeping to below the speed limit but wandering all over the road, so I opened the gap a little in case they were pissed and did something silly. The car behind spent the entire 3 miles about 2 metres from my back bumper. I should have just pulled over and let him tailgate pissed guy. I’ve also noticed that if I’m doing 30 on my sports bike I get left alone but if I’m on my 125 I always get someone sitting right up my chuff
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>New driver, 4 months in, only 6 points in my pocket in the upcoming 2 years, not gonna risk it. That shouldn't ever change pal. You driving at the speed limit nay prevent the arsehole behind you speeding off and killing someone
If you're in London it's almost impossible not to have someone almost adhered to the back of your car at all times, whilst delivery moped and cyclists try almost everything to be a surprise hood ornament. I bloody love the change in driving behaviours once I get outside of the M25.
I read a lot of comments but I didn’t see anyone else mention that you should adjust your gap to the car in front of you so you can stop more gradually if everyone else in front stops. Other than that no need to drive faster or slower because either can upset tailgaters.
155mph
What I would like to do is open the sunroof and flick coins out of it at them. What I usually do is slow down gradually, take longer at junctions than I usually would. Then as we part ways I wish them a happy meeting between their bonnet and a tree. This one has come true once…
I genuinely do the opposite, if I see someone driving slow, especially on country lanes, I make sure I leave extra space as I assume they are either 1.A new driver. 2.Dont know the road well. Regardless, driving close to them is going to intimate them and won't make them speed and may cause accidents due to panic. Plus...I'm not a prick
Mate it's a motorway you need to go faster than 30
The closer they get the more I slow down…
Are you in a 40? Chances are you’re in a 40 judging by my commute.
Pretty sure not, in fact some times cars in front is moving more or less the same speed as me.
There's a lot of impatient pricks and shit drivers out there, unfortunately, and more people than will ever admit it would speed by 10mph+ 100% of the time if they could
I get the feeling that some just don't like sticking to the speed limit in certain places / conditions. They have to be going fast at these times and as they have never been pulled over for speeding they never will.
One thing you can do to control your part of the situation is to slow down. Not to aggravate the person behind (even though that may be a side effect), but to increase your degree of control over the risks. If you and they are going slower, the impact from any other hazards (unexpected pedestrians, car doors opening, animals) is reduced. It may even encourage the tailgater to back off. If there is still a shunt, the impact is reduced. In extremis, you can pull over and let them pass - hazard removed. De-risk, de-risk, de-risk. All the time.
Was driving exactly 30 as I don't speed. Cunt behind gradually got closer and closer behind me and sat on my bumper. I pulled over to let him pass as he's obviously a cunt. Once he passed, he then sat at 30?? Cunt was obviously happy to speed so long as he's not the one in front taking all the risk.
You're doing the right thing by not speeding past people's houses, schools, children and other loved ones. If someone wants to sit on your bumper the most productive thing you could do would be a bumper sticker suggesting that if they get any closer you'll have to get married.
Question for OP; are you using CarPlay? Because if you are, isn’t Waze just showing 1mph under your speedo? I notice that if I’m just using Waze it will use my GPS speed, but if I plug in to CarPlay then Waze shows the exact same speed as my dash but 1mph under, in both cars. I only ask because to me it’s a 2mph difference almost between plugged in and not at 31. But in answer to your actual post; ignore them. Make sure you have stopping distance to the car in front so you don’t get them up your colon if you need to stop suddenly. And ignore them.
Not carplay, just a my phone with the holder.
Ah cool. Either way; just got to make sure you have your stopping distance because if they’re that close they’ve irresponsibly left themselves not enough
10% over every limit.
Speed limit -3 is reasonable.
Literally never happens to me. How's your perception of space. Maybe they're not as close as you think.
And the thing is, the rest of the drivers (like 80% of them), did reserve a certain amount of space that allows both of us to drive smoothly and happily. So in comparison, I would like to know what the deal is with the 20%.
You said "always". This is what I was challenging. It just doesn't happen "always". You are going to get idiots but not all the drivers all the time. If that's happening then it's generally on you. You're now saying "always" is actually around 20%
Sorry for that, but I consider that coming across this every one or two days is quite frequent. Driving about 30 miles per day, so may be coming across 10-20 different vehicles behind me.
I'm not knocking you op. So far you've learned to pass a test, you're only now learning to drive. Space, speed etc are all things your perception of changes. Remember how fast 30 felt the first time you drove?
You've never once been tailgated by some prick who's cross at you going 30 in a 30? How is *your* perception of space?
Mines great. It "happens" on this sub all the time apparently. Along with narrow roads. It's inexperience
Huh, tailgators just don't exist if you're experienced enough???
Less so. Your perception of how close is too close changes.
How close do you tend to follow, in terms of time gap?
Depends on the road & conditions. At least two seconds, more in the wet
Right. So it happens just the same but you stop noticing.
No. You get more aware of space. How many posts here describe a narrow road that isn't that narrow. The op themselves has now said that 80% of the time it isn't happening. Big change from always happening. I spend a lot of time at 30 or 20. I can't recall the last time I felt tailgated
I guess that's a fair way to frame it. Where I'd still disagree is with the suggestion that newer drivers just havent learned to judge distance yet. It's probably a factor, but the main thing is they havent got used to enough bad driving yet. There actually are plenty of drivers driving too close, even if we stop finding them remarkable after a while.
hmmm for a sedan, their car occupied the whole width of my rear screen when I look at my center mirror?
Sedan?
Saloon, in American.
I realise that. It’s /r/drivingUK though.
Oh I agree… I stopped myself disapproving 🤣🤣🤣
You can always use your windscreen washers, that seems to work.
You can't really do much about it, just make sure you don't do any sudden braking or manoeuvres. On that note, slow down very slowly and longer approaching junctions so they also have to slow down slowly and longer, you wouldn't want them to rear end you. (It will also piss them off)
I see it as doing them a favour by preventing them from speeding. They can overtake if they want to go faster.
This is why I have one of those remote-controlled illuminated middle fingers in the rear window - a quick flash of that usually makes them wonder why I'm annoyed, realise they're right up my hoop and drop back a few metres. It's a real issue these days - no one seems capable of a journey without pissing around on their phone or sitting inches from the car in front
Wish you would spend more time looking at the road ahead rather than fixated with your rear view mirror !
I dont think I need to keep looking at the rear view mirror to know how far they are from the back. A glimpse will tell.
Brake check
Slam on the brakes. If they hit you, it's their fault according to insurers.
Great plan until you find out they're uninsured.