Victim of road rage - advice needed

T-Maxx

Before I get attacked and accused, let me just say that I'm not approving of tailgating at all.:cool:

Steve

T-Maxx wrote: »

Before I get attacked and accused, let me just say that I'm not approving of tailgating at all.:cool:

Well if you want a serious answer then....

"a) Because the person in front is driving unnecessarily slowly, and oncoming traffic makes it impossible to overtake."

Still no excuse - you hang back (which also gives you a better view ahead), wait for a gap in the oncoming and go for it.

"b) Because the person in front is driving too far out to the right, or swerving all over the place, making it difficult for faster vehicles to overtake."

Same answer as a)

"d) The tailgating driver is a crazy SOB getting kicks out of terrorizing other motorists by doing what they're doing."
Not quite but closer to the truth.

Note - answers to a and b above do not apply if you drive a 1.0L micra...:D

SteveC

SteveC wrote: »

Well if you want a serious answer then....

"a) Because the person in front is driving unnecessarily slowly, and oncoming traffic makes it impossible to overtake."

Still no excuse - you hang back (which also gives you a better view ahead), wait for a gap in the oncoming and go for it.

"b) Because the person in front is driving too far out to the right, or swerving all over the place, making it difficult for faster vehicles to overtake."

Same answer as a)

+1, Defensive driving is about giving yourself the best view of the road to safely overtake when the opportunity arises. Tailgators can see fuck all.

Thoie

T-Maxx wrote: »

b) Because the person in front is driving too far out to the right, or swerving all over the place, making it difficult for faster vehicles to overtake.

In that situation I'll assume the driver in front is drunk, and I will deliberately hang as far back from them as possible. If/when they plough into a traffic island/telegraph pole I don't want to be in rebound distance. The last thing I'd try to do is overtake - if they're that erratic you have no idea if they'll suddenly swerve out to the right just as you pull past them.

Zube

grenache wrote: »

With all due respect, that is utter b*llox! Nodoby made him throw his full headlights on me, only himself.

grenache, I don't think you are quite getting people's reactions here, understandable as you are in the middle of it. Try a little analogy:

You are on safari in Africa, and come across a lion eating a dead tourist. You pick up a stick and start poking the lion to get him to stop. All the other tourists start whispering "Stop! Don't poke the lion! It's dangerous!". And you respond with "But the lion is in the wrong, he mustn't eat tourists, why are you all defending the lion?".

We are not defending the lion. Poking him is still really dangerous.

joolsveer

Thoie wrote: »

I switch between a manual and automatic transmission. When driving the manual I can slow down (coming up to corners, for example) by downshifting. The only way to do this in the automatic is to brake (though correct me if there's an alternative method to do this). Does this mean that someone driving behind me when I'm in the automatic has become immune to my braking, and will therefore rearend me if I need to actually stop in a sudden?

I too drive both an automatic (car) and a manual (van). I was taught many moons ago that you must blip the brake pedal while shifting down to give notice you are slowing. In the automatic I generally take my foot off the gas to initially slow down and then brake if further deceleration is necessary. The auto box down shifts automatically.

L1011

Thoie wrote: »

I switch between a manual and automatic transmission. When driving the manual I can slow down (coming up to corners, for example) by downshifting. The only way to do this in the automatic is to brake (though correct me if there's an alternative method to do this). Does this mean that someone driving behind me when I'm in the automatic has become immune to my braking, and will therefore rearend me if I need to actually stop in a sudden?

No, because they'll have also been slowing for the same reason. Its only and solely when someones been tapping the brakes needlessly and not slowing down ("brake testing") that it becomes an issue - after the first few times people start to ignore it.

Thoie

joolsveer wrote: »

In the automatic I generally take my foot off the gas to initially slow down and then brake if further deceleration is necessary. The auto box down shifts automatically.

I know that, but other users seemed to be saying that other drivers would become "immune" to you braking if you were tapping the brakes from time to time, which is essentially what you have to do driving an automatic.

campervan

The way I see it is that you got to ask yourself this: "Why would anybody tailgate anyone?"

a) Because the person in front is driving unnecessarily slowly, and oncoming traffic makes it impossible to overtake.
b) Because the person in front is driving too far out to the right, or swerving all over the place, making it difficult for faster vehicles to overtake.
c) Both of the above.
d) The tailgating driver is a crazy SOB getting kicks out of terrorizing other motorists by doing what they're doing.

Simple as.

e) the tailgater is an impatient F****r who doesnt like the fact that someone is driving on the speed limit - I see it all the time on an 80k road, when drivers prefer to do 120k.

Its a sign of immaturity and pettyness on his behalf if he cannot take the correct course of action,

Do you not think that you did not take the correct course of action too? it has been mentioned here repeatedly that good practice and correct course of action would have been to not apply brakes at all and he would have passed you within a few minutes.
I used to brake like this when I started driving but decided to stop, so to a certain extent I do understand why you did it, but perhaps you should think twice about doing it in future and you wouldnt be a victim anymore

Gavin

Zube wrote: »

grenache, I don't think you are quite getting people's reactions here, understandable as you are in the middle of it. Try a little analogy:

You are on safari in Africa, and come across a lion eating a dead tourist. You pick up a stick and start poking the lion to get him to stop. All the other tourists start whispering "Stop! Don't poke the lion! It's dangerous!". And you respond with "But the lion is in the wrong, he mustn't eat tourists, why are you all defending the lion?".

We are not defending the lion. Poking him is still really dangerous.

How's about a more accurate version of that analogy. The lion attacks you. You pokes at the lion with a stick to keep try and keep it away.

Everyone says, "Are you mad ? Poking the lion is going to make it more angry and kill you". You say "arrghgh jaysus, someone help me, I'm trying to keep the lion off me"

L1011

Verb wrote: »

How's about a more accurate version of that analogy. The lion attacks you. You pokes at the lion with a stick to keep try and keep it away.

Everyone says, "Are you mad ? Poking the lion is going to make it more angry and kill you". You say "arrghgh jaysus, someone help me, I'm trying to keep the lion off me"

No, the lion comes menacingly close, you poke it and it attacks then...

This is a terrible analogy anyway.

Builderfromhell

Interesting topic.
I read the first 7 pages.
Tailgaters irritate me greatly.
Many have said drivers should pull over and let tailgaters pass.
I disagree, by doing so you are rewarding the action.
The tailgaters learns that they should zoom along the road and when they meet slower drivers bully them into pulling over by tailgating.

When I come up behind a slower driver I keep back until I see a safe place to overtake ahead. I then speed up to them before arriving at the safe place so that I now have more speed. This way I can start my overtaking much faster than if I was close behind them.

Raiser

Clare_Guy wrote: »

you were doing 88kph in the overtaking lane of a dual-carriage way on a WET surface with no cars in front of you and you braked suddenly? Are you familiar with the rules of the road?

No wonder the person behind you got upset!

What The Fcuk? On reviewing the prior posts in this thread any impartial observer would have to agree <insult removed> that you were disguising your post <removed> in order to invent multiple circumstancial points in an alter "incident" in which the OP was a hopelessly negligent menace to society.

- To the rest of ye <SNIP> that think "brake-testing" [hate words :rolleyes:] is the fruit of the Devils litter tray, FFS please identify the real trouble-maker and stop coming across as petty, nit-picking <SNIP>. In a relatively safe modern World, tail-gating is the one pursuit that brings an office worker like me 1000% closer to the nightmare of living life in a wheelchair on an almost daily basis - and I mean as a victim to some <let's say "person"> not quite sure about the relationship between relative speed, enviornmental conditions, mass of Japanese metal and the coefficient of friction for recycled rubber - morons :rolleyes:

I will add that in an age where the terminally stupid are allowed to end their genetic relay race daily in a Glanza V. pebble-dash gable-end showdown without censure, and <personal insult removed>... is justified in kissing your rear bumper at 100 Kmph in a <removed>, I do find it necessary to consult my rear-view mirror while touching the brake pedal enough to spark the brakelights without deceleration for my own safety, that of my children and those that have entrusted themselves to my care for that particular journey.

- There are none so blind as those that will not see, and a blind tail-gating enthusiast has to be exempt from all critisism for reason of compassion in the face of insanity.

Dave147

Tailgating and brake testing are two of the most stupid and dangerous things you can do on the road. You can never rely on what someone else is going to do, I NEVER tailgate no matter how extreme the circumstances are. I was unfortunate to be in a pile-up, 5 cars and I was in the middle, innocent victim, I didn't hit anyone, I was hit pretty badly and pushed into someone. Has caused me alot of pain, stress and rehab, and when I'm driving now and traffic is coming to a halt, I am afraid of the same thing happening again. You are lucky that nothing happened to you.

If, nowadays someone decides to tailgate me, doesn't happen often, (I'm the type who drives that bit over rather than under the speed limit, ie 110km/h..) But if it did, I would either
a) Do nothing, except carry on driving, only glancing behind me.
b) Speed up just a little, to try and have a happy medium between the car in front and whatever maniac is behind me.
c) Either flash my hazards once, or my fogs once, not to antagonise, but to let him know I am not happy about how close he is to me.

Despite people saying how dangerous such and such a thing is, all 3 of these work in certain circumstances. Never hit the brake, because as someone already said, the car behind you has no idea how hard you're braking. They only see your brake lights and naturally enough, panic.

I have a very rare Audi A4 Quattro and nobody seems to ever challenge me (except boyracers, sometimes I just accelerate faster than them and let them drive off, for fun of course!).. I don't take the piss on the road really, I drive a little faster where I can, and slower where I need caution.

peasant

Warning for Raiser

I've been kind this time and just edited your post. Another such collection of all round insults, personal or general, and you'll take a break from here ...no matter how much literary merit your post may have had.

T-Maxx

Raiser you sure have a way with words. Bet you'll make it 9-in-a-row...;)

Darragh29

grenache wrote: »

Monday night i was coming home from work in Limerick. About 4 miles from home, the car behind me, whose lights were dimmed, started tail-gating me at a very close distance, we're talking like 6 or 7 feet. I gave him a minute or two to see if he would back off, he didn't. So i broke gently to send him a hint to pull back from me. He didn't seem to like this and flashed his lights aggressively, before proceeding to turn his full headlights on me. It was clear to see that he was trying to intimidate me and ''get his own back'' for me braking on him. Now my eyes are quite sensitive to bright lights, so by doing this he made it quite difficult for me to see. Even with the my middle rear mirror pointed away from me, i still had the beaming reflection coming off my wing mirror and dazzling me. He drove behind me like this for about three miles. I was just about to pull in, let him pass, and take down his number, when i saw a garda checkpoint in the near distance. So when i reached the checkpoint, i voiced my annoyance to the guard about the driver's behaviour. He took down the details, rang me back yesterday, and i am to make a statement on Friday.

My question is this: has anyone on here reported dangerous driving or road-rage before? How far did you go and what is likely to happen? The guard has said that if its contested, it will go to court. Since it is just his word against mine, is he likely to get away with it?

If I was in your position, especially given the location, I'd be more worried about that guy being on drugs/cocaine. I'd keep well away is my advice, if you got that kind of behaviour from him for nothing then he obviously has issues of some sort.

Builderfromhell

Builderfromhell wrote: »

When I come up behind a slower driver I keep back until I see a safe place to overtake ahead. I then speed up to them before arriving at the safe place so that I now have more speed. This way I can start my overtaking much faster than if I was close behind them.

A good safe way to drive, I do the same.

dok_golf

while I may not put it as elequently as Raiser, I agree with his sentiments. All you bleedin hearts who think its wrong to touch the brake pedal to warn off an aggresive and dangerous driver please wake up and smell the coffee. I can only regret that the driver in this case didnt glue the car to the road and frighten the bajaysus out of the tailgater. I cannot abide anyone tailgating me, and thereby putting his life, my life and most importantly the lives of my children at risk. By braketesting him, he will learn a lesson not to do it again.:mad::mad::mad:

With regards to reporting him to the gaurds, by all means do. At the very least, he will think twice next time:D

dok_golf

Darragh29 wrote: »

If I was in your position, especially given the location, I'd be more worried about that guy being on drugs/cocaine. I'd keep well away is my advice, if you got that kind of behaviour from him for nothing then he obviously has issues of some sort.

You got somethin against Limerick???:eek:

Anan1

dok_golf wrote: »

while I may not put it as elequently as Raiser, I agree with his sentiments. All you bleedin hearts who think its wrong to touch the brake pedal to warn off an aggresive and dangerous driver please wake up and smell the coffee. I can only regret that the driver in this case didnt glue the car to the road and frighten the bajaysus out of the tailgater. I cannot abide anyone tailgating me, and thereby putting his life, my life and most importantly the lives of my children at risk. By braketesting him, he will learn a lesson not to do it again.:mad::mad::mad:

You braketest people because tailgating is dangerous? That has to be the stupidest thing i've heard today.:D

Calina

dok_golf wrote: »

I can only regret that the driver in this case didnt glue the car to the road and frighten the bajaysus out of the tailgater. D

And if he did and the tailgater couldn't stop? What then?

dok_golf

Ist Reply, I never had someone tailgate me twice.

2nd reply - if someone runs into the back of you, it is always their fault legally ( because it is a case of driving without due care and attention, if you do not leave enough room to stop safely in case of an emergency )

(I should add that I only tap the brakes rather than glue it to the road)

Calina

Doesn't matter if it's their fault, it doesn't take away the utter inconvenience that having an accident, even if it's someone else's fault. Even if you walk out of it.

Anan1

dok_golf wrote: »

Ist Reply, I never had someone tailgate me twice.

2nd reply - if someone runs into the back of you, it is always their fault legally ( because it is a case of driving without due care and attention, if you do not leave enough room to stop safely in case of an emergency )

(I should add that I only tap the brakes rather than glue it to the road)

Do you honestly believe that it's safe for you, for your children, or for other road users, to brake unnecessarily when someone's tailgating you? Just think about it for a minute.

Darragh29

dok_golf wrote: »

You got somethin against Limerick???:eek:

Not goin to get dragged off topic on this one, regardless of where the incident happened, someone reacting irrationally like this is probably on drugs, likely cocaine. That would be my analysis and I'd be outa there...

staker

dok_golf wrote: »

while I may not put it as elequently as Raiser, I agree with his sentiments. All you bleedin hearts who think its wrong to touch the brake pedal to warn off an aggresive and dangerous driver please wake up and smell the coffee. I can only regret that the driver in this case didnt glue the car to the road and frighten the bajaysus out of the tailgater. I cannot abide anyone tailgating me, and thereby putting his life, my life and most importantly the lives of my children at risk. By braketesting him, he will learn a lesson not to do it again.:mad::mad::mad:

With regards to reporting him to the gaurds, by all means do. At the very least, he will think twice next time:D

You've got kids man!!! Are you seriously going to put them in jepoardy of either losing their father or you your children with that carry on?
I'm not a parent myself, but i'd like to think i'd let this fool overtake me safely i.e i'd pull in,rather than put my family at risk...:cool:

grenache

Darragh29 wrote: »

If I was in your position, especially given the location, I'd be more worried about that guy being on drugs/cocaine. I'd keep well away is my advice, if you got that kind of behaviour from him for nothing then he obviously has issues of some sort.

The guy was driving from Sligo to Castleisland in Kerry. Not all people from Limerick are high on drugs :rolleyes:

Anan1

grenache wrote: »

The guy was driving from Sligo to Castleisland in Kerry. Not all people from Limerick are high on drugs :rolleyes:

I'd go further and guess that most drivers who have taken drugs, like drink drivers, are primarily concerned with not drawing attention to themselves.

Darragh29

Anan1 wrote: »

I'd go further and guess that most drivers who have taken drugs, like drink drivers, are primarily concerned with not drawing attention to themselves.

People I've seen taking drugs makes them lose control and act extrovertly, hence why they take them.