Why do people tailgate? I got rear ended—

[ninaprincess]

Why there are so many bad drivers out there? I would say at least 70% of drivers tailgate, driving only two to four car length behind a vehicle at 70 to 80 mph. I got rear ended last weekend and it is a big headache and waste of time. My car is a two week old Prius V and now it will cost about $2,000 to fix it. I was driving on the I5 N and the traffic in front of me slowed down because people were exiting the freeway for the Fair. I slowed down and then heard a really loud noise and before I could pray that I don’t get hit I felt a hard jolt and my car was shoved forward about 3 three feet. Luckily I had more than a car length gap between me and the vehicle ahead. I am sure the girl who hits the car behind me is guilty of driving to close but the guy behind me is also guilty of not keeping an appropriate distance between us.

Ever since I took driver ed in HS, I always remember the two-second rule. If I could, I want to use the three-second rule but then I hate people cutting me off. Why don’t people follow this simple two second rule? Tailgating doesn’t not get you to your destination faster.

[spdrun]

Wonder who was texting or yapping and not driving? Sorry for you — this may help:

And hey, in the future, maybe GoogleCars will follow at a respectable distance, though they’ll come with problems of their own no doubt.

[scaredyclassic]

i never tailgate. I keep a really large distance in front of me and people are constantly filing in in front of me as i drop back. I have never rear ended anyone. I beleive having lots of room to maneuver is good.

love, scaredycat.

[desmond]

Never mind, I did not know you were driving your car.

[CDMA ENG]

It’s not tailgating…

It drafting!

CE

[Diego Mamani]

It’s really unfortunate, and for some reason cops seldom write tickets for tailgating. They are overly fixated on speeding tickets, no doubt as a source of revenue, but I digress.

When an idiot is driving too close behind me, what I do is to gradually slow down, at some point the moron gets the message and changes lanes. I also make sure that I’m not in one of the faster lanes, because if I were, then I’d be the moron…

[spdrun]

It’s soooo much easier to eat donuts when watching the little screen on a radar gun than if they’d be arsed to actually pay attention to traffic 🙂

[an]

[quote=Diego Mamani]I also make sure that I’m not in one of the faster lanes, because if I were, then I’d be the moron…[/quote]
Unfortunately, I’ve seen many morons doing this too. Then there are morons who pace the cars next to them, so even you want to pass them, you can’t.

[matt-waiting]

Whenever they get too close, tap your brake pedal lightly enough for your brake lights to go on, but not enough to actually apply the brake and slow down.

[svelte]

I don’t tailgate often, but when I do I can tell you exactly why.

There are certain people who will invariably try to insert themselves in that free space ahead of me then go 5-10 MPH slower than I was traveling. I can feel it in my bones when it is about to happen! So your theory that it doesn’t save me any time doesn’t hold water…those slow-driving morons do indeed cost me time if I let them in.

An example from yesterday: I maintained my distance and, after driving about 5 miles, at least FIFTEEN CARS had inserted themselves. the car that was once in front of me could be seen roughly 1 mile up the road!

I’ve said it on here before, but the large majority of oblivious morons drive white cars – don’t know why. And it is especially pronounced in white Camrys, with white Corollas running a close second. White Priuses I don’t seem to have a problem with, don’t ask me why. Shrug.

[spdrun]

‘roo bars on the front of the car + a gun rack in the rear may help people think twice before inserting themselves.

[spdrun]

Whenever they get too close, tap your brake pedal lightly enough for your brake lights to go on, but not enough to actually apply the brake and slow down.

I just downshift a gear or two and let off the gas gradually … accelerate a bit … let off. The varying distance without brake lights generally creeps most tailgaters out, and causes them to finish their proctological exam.

[an]

[quote=spdrun]

Whenever they get too close, tap your brake pedal lightly enough for your brake lights to go on, but not enough to actually apply the brake and slow down.

I just downshift a gear or two and let off the gas gradually … accelerate a bit … let off. The varying distance without brake lights generally creeps most tailgaters out, and causes them to finish their proctological exam.[/quote]
That would work for most user. What would work better is to just move to a slower lane. When people do that to me, I just gun it, pass that person and get into their lane, then slow down below the speed limit just the piss them off. If they try to pass me, I’ll just speed up to prevent them from doing so. If I’m really pissed off, I can pass them, and do a hard break check on them.

[CDMA ENG]

[quote=spdrun]’roo bars on the front of the car + a gun rack in the rear may help people think twice before inserting themselves.[/quote]

You are one of the very few ppl in this country that knows what Roo bars are for!

Bush busters are for wussies… Real men use Roo bars.

CE

[spdrun]

That would work for most user. What would work better is to just move to a slower lane. When people do that to me, I just gun it, pass that person and get into their lane, then slow down below the speed limit just the piss them off.

Lovely. Just the kind of punkass idiot I want to be sharing the road with.

Hopefully one of the people whom you brake-check will either not react and rear-end you, or follow you home and beat the living snot out of you.

If someone tailgates me in the passing lane, I’ll move over, and I generally keep right when not passing anyway. If someone does it on a 2 lane road but refuses to pass, or on the right lane of a freeway, I’ll try to detach them. Brake checking isn’t cool, but slowing down and speeding up slightly isn’t dangerous, but still gets the point across.

Lastly, I’m from NYC. Driving is a competitive blood sport here, but at the same time, brake checking and road rage aren’t all that common here. Relax and be a good sport about things. How can San Diego drivers be so angry in such a lovely place? Paradox.

[Author]

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