Tailgators

Berkel

Just reading the thread there about the guy in the US who slammed his brakes on in a fit of road rage and caused 2 deaths. One thing that wrecks my head are people driving up my @rse, and I am sure a lot of people agree with me. Saying this there seems to be very little observation these days regarding minimum safe distance. Just wondering how people react when someone is on their tail and what kind of behavoiur this incites - I know for one that I never hit the brakes, but depending on the situation, I will either move in (the best option!), let the car slow down itself gradually so as to let the person behind me know that they are too close, but on occasion I have flashed the rear fogs - no descrease in speed, but they'll get the message.

Big Nelly

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054856218&page=6&highlight=tailgators

fletch

On a fast road, I use my windscreen washers (flies over ur car and hits their screen)
Failing that, I apply a slight bit of braking with my left foot (just enough so the brake lights come on) and counteract that with a bit of acceleration....so I'm not actually slowing down but the car behind thinks I am....

rossious

I have to say, spot on topic. I moved to the UK 2 1/2 years ago and the standard of driving when I come home is crazy. I have to say I blame the Gardaí. All they are interested in is speeders. You can drive any way you want after that.

I see people undertaking like its the norm, people in outside lane doing 40mph with no one inside them. No wonder so many get killed each year.

I see the problem as this. Irish people (incl myself) get way too agressive when other people ask us to do something. We cannot admit we are wrong. If someone comes up behind you and gives you a flash to say move in we get all "What the F£$K is he flashing me for!!!!. Who does he thing he is??" And then we get stuburn and that leads to tail-gating, hitting the brakes, undertaking etc etc etc.

Over here poeple just move out of the way to avoid the confict.

kensutz

Totally agree rossious, being over to Norwich every week I see the different type of driving done there and I have to say it's a hell of a lot better than what you see here. I'm more comfortable driving from Stansted to Norwich and in around the city than anywhere here.

Kersh

I honestly think a lot of people tailgate cos if you leave a gap, someone inevitably dives into it, i see it on the m50 every day. Try it, leave a gap, and I bet someone will dive in, you drop back to safe distance, and someone else will dive in.
Its all down to sh1te road manners. I rarely see it in the UK.

stevenmu

I've noticed that too, even if your lane is slower than the other one and there's no turn off for miles, people just see a gap and have to move into it. I've no idea why.

Other people just seem to enjoy tailgating, I've had it done to me on otherwise empty roads, not matter how fast or slow I'm going and even if after pulling in to let them past. Other people have even mentioned pulling in and stopping to let a tailgator past, only to end up passing by them again further up the road and being tailgated again. There must be some kind of thrill to it.

kluivert

Tailgating is one thing that really annoys me.

My gf use to tail gate till i drilled the message into her not to and now she has stopped and actually gives out about others who do it. She actually said that she didnt realise that she was that close.

Education imo is the answer and that person was right, Irish ppl are far to aggressive and play with their own lives and the lives of others.

Does anyone remember the two second rule.

Pulling out of a junction just in front of you is another thing that annoys me, why do ppl do this.

Why are ppl in such a hurry these days, if you got somewhere to go leave early.

samo

kluivert wrote:

Pulling out of a junction just in front of you is another thing that annoys me, why do ppl do this.

Why are ppl in such a hurry these days, if you got somewhere to go leave early.

I hear you, this is one of my pet hates as well, especially when they pull out of the junction clearly leaving it too late and then absolutely crawl at a snails pace in front of you.

Happened to me the twice the other day in the space of about 10 mins and both times was a large articulated lorry (2nd one was taking a right and caused a micra to slam on as well as me as he went into my lane at about 5MPH on a country road - I wouldnt mind but there was nobody behind me or the car in the other lane if he'd waited a few seconds - grrrr :mad: )

_Kaiser_

samo wrote:

I hear you, this is one of my pet hates as well, especially when they pull out of the junction clearly leaving it too late and then absolutely crawl at a snails pace in front of you.

Happened to me the twice the other day in the space of about 10 mins and both times was a large articulated lorry (2nd one was taking a right and caused a micra to slam on as well as me as he went into my lane at about 5MPH on a country road - I wouldnt mind but there was nobody behind me or the car in the other lane if he'd waited a few seconds - grrrr :mad: )

This is how my last car was deemed "not economical to repair" Woman pulled straight out in front of me on a 100km strech of the road - and like your example, if she'd waited 5 seconds longer, she'd have had a clear road on both sides to pull out in.

At least noone was hurt mind and she accepted responsibility.. not always that straightforward.

layke

kluivert wrote:

Education imo is the answer and that person was right, Irish ppl are far to aggressive and play with their own lives and the lives of others.

Huzzah for that comment. Unfortuantely it's only the new drivers learning this sort of stuff now. We still have 30 year olds + to breed out before the driving standard raises. How many aul' fellahs do you see doing 50k/h going down an onramp before they join with highspeed traffic.

Personally I still think TV ads raising road awareness (and not just bodies flying all over the place after a crash) but geneal advice on indicating, safe distances and braking tecniques would go a lot farther then a 'slow down boy racers or this will be you' campain.

layke

Kaiser2000 wrote:

At least noone was hurt mind and she accepted responsibility.. not always that straightforward.

Lucky m8, there's a good possibility that she could have gotten away with that or claimed off your insurance because you were 'speeding' and hit her.

Apperently no matter what you are supposed to be going slow enough to come to a dead stop. Or so I hear anyway... the law is messed up.