Tailgating

baaaa

I've recently started to aggressively implement counter tailgating driving techniques.I've had enough of seeing the bonnet of a white van or a galanza full of scobbies with crooked hats a foot from the back of my car.
The minute I get someone tailgating now I immediately slow down very aggressively,it was initially just a bit of fun but I'm finding it's actually working now.
It initially infuriates the tailgater causing them to get even closer to my back bumper which just incurs more slowing down,but eventually most seem to realise and back off.
I trapped a white van tailgater yesterday from blanchardstown all the way to lucan,caused him misery cause it took him ages to realise that the closer he was to me the slower I would go.Eventually he conceded and backed off and I let him on his way then.
I will be implementing this all the time now,if you let them away with it they'll just do it to the next person.

keithclancy

baaaa wrote: »

I've recently started to aggressively implement counter tailgating driving techniques.I've had enough of seeing the bonnet of a white van or a galanza full of scobbies with crooked hats a foot from the back of my car.
The minute I get someone tailgating now I immediately slow down very aggressively,it was initially just a bit of fun but I'm finding it's actually working now.
It initially infuriates the tailgater causing them to get even closer to my back bumper which just incurs more slowing down,but eventually most seem to realise and back off.
I trapped a white van tailgater yesterday from blanchardstown all the way to lucan,caused him misery cause it took him ages to realise that the closer he was to me the slower I would go.Eventually he conceded and backed off and I let him on his way then.
I will be implementing this all the time now,if you let them away with it they'll just do it to the next person.

Darwin will usually sort them out ... I don't bother trying to educate or police the roads myself

Zubeneschamali

baaaa wrote: »

if you let them away with it they'll just do it to the next person.

Yes, with any luck you'll be the next person, and then you and the tailgater can have the inevitable accident without me.

baaaa

Fair points,it's not my job to police the roads and it's understandable that it may seem dangerous but what's the alternative?
If they get away with it they just do it more I reckon.
And it's debatable as to whether my actions increase or decrease risk of an accident.

Anan1

baaaa wrote: »

And it's debatable as to whether my actions increase or decrease risk of an accident.

I think it's fairly obvious that slowing 'very aggressively' carries more risk than slowing gradually.

Cookie_Monster

Anan1 wrote: »

I think it's fairly obvious that slowing 'very aggressively' carries more risk than slowing gradually.

indeed.

I just let off the gas, no need for the brakes.

baaaa

Anan1 wrote: »

I think it's fairly obvious that slowing 'very aggressively' carries more risk than slowing gradually.

For that moment yes,risk is increased but once I've slowed the 2 of us down substantially the risk decreases,it gets very slow sometimes if they persist.
Yeah no brakes obviously.

Zubeneschamali

baaaa wrote: »

For that moment yes,risk is increased but once I've slowed the 2 of us down substantially the risk decreases

If you've slowed the 2 of you down without an accident, sure, but that's precisely when you are likely to get shunted up the rear unless the tailgater is a good driver.

And if he was a good driver, he wouldn't be tailgating...

staker

Be sure there's no traffic lights up ahead, that's all I'd say.

hobochris

baaaa wrote: »

Fair points,it's not my job to police the roads and it's understandable that it may seem dangerous but what's the alternative?

Move over or pull in and let them speed off into their next accident, if they are in front of you they can't run into you.

LEIN

baaaa wrote: »

The minute I get someone tailgating now I immediately slow down very aggressively,it was initially just a bit of fun but I'm finding it's actually working now.

I witnessed a fairly bad 4 car smash on the M50 a few months ago because some fool stood on the breaks to teach a tailgater a lesson.
I'm not sure of your complete situation but if you are in the overtaking lane on a Sunday drive then get into the driving lane and you tailgater problem will be solved without hurting someone or worse.

MarkN

Rang traffic watch about a guy in a Kia Ceed the other day on N4 - doing 120 kph and this guy was inches from me, I pulled in, he did it again and again and again to other motorists.

I had to laugh afterwards, if he thinks his car is faster than all the cars he forced out of the way on Monday and we were all holding him up then he will probably end up in a mental institution someday.

They will get what's coming to them OP as one day they won't be able to stop on time when the person in front has to stop suddenly and they will get the blame, the hospital bills and the day in front of a judge.

Traffic Watch never called back by the way. :rolleyes:

baaaa

hobochris wrote: »

Move over or pull in and let them speed off into their next accident, if they are in front of you they can't run into you.

Obviously if there's a bit of space I will move over,pulling in to let them speed onto some car full of kids with a nervous driver is not an option however.
I'm not talking about legitimate drivers here that wish to proceed faster than I,I'm talking about ignorant c***s that won't wait for their turn and would rather try push me on faster or those saps that just tailgate cause they're saps.
They need to be disciplined.

Zubeneschamali

baaaa wrote: »

what's the alternative?

I just ignore them.

R.O.R

If I have a tailgater and can't get out of the way, I'll usually slow down to below the speed limit by taking my foot off the accelerator, then speed back up to the limit.

After 2 or 3 times the person behind usually gets the message.

On this point - don't try it up hill on a Motorway in a 1.2 Ibiza. I forgot I was in the wife's car and just looked like a total tool when I couldn't accelerate away from the Hyundai Coupe behind

baaaa

R.O.R wrote: »

If I have a tailgater and can't get out of the way, I'll usually slow down to below the speed limit by taking my foot off the accelerator, then speed back up to the limit.

After 2 or 3 times the person behind usually gets the message.

On this point - don't try it up hill on a Motorway in a 1.2 Ibiza. I forgot I was in the wife's car and just looked like a total tool when I couldn't accelerate away from the Hyundai Coupe behind

This is what I'm on about and I'm definitely finding it's working.
Although I stress it's not a suitable technique for faster moving traffic like a motorway.

Pkiernan

Funnily enough, when I am being tailgated, I notice that my front and rear windscreens are suddenly very dirty, requiring considerable and protracted use of the window washers.

After about 10 seconds or so the windows appear clean, and the tailgaters have magically backed off.

problemchimp

I find if you hit the rear fog light on and off very quickly the tailgater thinks it's a brake light and backs off. No danger to you. Usually works, if not steer with your foot and fire a shotgun out the window.

Marty McFly

If i have no other options ie moving out of the way. ill either turn the rear fogs on for a sec to let them know back off, or just tap the brakes they usually back off then.

Id never brake agressively for fear theyd rear end me, dont want my car getting damaged.

CamperMan

watch their faces (the tailgaters) as you quickly slam on your brakes for a second

that usually works then they stay well away from you...

Mr Benevolent

And when one doesn't react fast enough and you've a passenger who sues you for whiplash, that'll be funny too. From a distance, that is.

R.O.R

CamperMan wrote: »

watch their faces (the tailgaters) as you quickly slam on your brakes for a second

that usually works then they stay well away from you...

Until they don't stay away from you and plough through the back of your car. Writing off your car, leaving you in a worse financial position than before, out sick from work because your back is in bits.

I'm sure the fact you taught a tailgater a lesson will really help then.

no1beemerfan

I had a member of the female species tailgate me in a 4x4 one day while she was busy drinking her skinny moccha lattee s"it so I waited till she took the next sip and braked......she panicked and spilt the coffee all over herself!

You realise the people behind you probably have no idea why you're going so slow?

Surely a sticker in the window saying "don't tail gate" or something along those lines would be a bit better?

If I were behind you, I'd probably just think you were a learner driver if you were jamming on the breaks and slowing down on a straight road...

markpb

Deleted User wrote: »

If I were behind you, I'd probably just think you were a learner driver if you were jamming on the breaks and slowing down on a straight road...

You don't have to understand why - you just have to decide to keep a safe distance. If you think they're a crazy learner, you're less likely to tailgate (hopefully).

Zubeneschamali

markpb wrote: »

You don't have to understand why - you just have to decide to keep a safe distance.

The kind of driver who tailgates is much more likely to try and overtake, possibly in a dangerous spot.

markpb

markpb wrote: »

You don't have to understand why - you just have to decide to keep a safe distance. If you think they're a crazy learner, you're less likely to tailgate (hopefully).

Less likely to tailgate for that one particular vehicle. Doesn't really solve the problem though does it? The tailgater will just tailgate the next person.

I think understanding is a big part of the issue to be honest

baaaa

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

The kind of driver who tailgates is much more likely to try and overtake, possibly in a dangerous spot.

Very true.Although if they do decide to overtake it's a lot easier and safer for them to overtake me if I'm crawling.
This never happens to me though as I don't use this technique if there's a chance that they can simply overtake,I will wait until they don't have opportunity to overtake and then start slowing down and trap them in 30 kph hell.

Xiney

I slow down a bit if there seems to be someone climbing into my boot.

however, I warn them by at least tapping on the breaks (not hard, but enough so that they see my brake lights and realise that I am indeed slowing down)

it's not so much to piss them off (although I will admit to being evil enough to appreciate that bonus) but also because if they do rear end me I'd rather be doing 75 than 100....

po0k

OP: Do you have a laser-rangefinder on the rear bumper?

Eyes in front, don't worry about the people behind you.
If they do shunt you from behind, you've got them over a barrel and lubed up.

baaaa

po0k wrote: »

OP: Do you have a laser-rangefinder on the rear bumper?

Eyes in front, don't worry about the people behind you.
If they do shunt you from behind, you've got them over a barrel and lubed up.

No laser range finder.
That's true alright,it's always the person behind who's liable.

NinjaTruncs

baaaa wrote: »

No laser range finder.
That's true alright,it's always the person behind who's liable.

Not always true, I heard how someone get rear-ended while braking for no reasons, most likely trying to teach a tailgater a lesson, it went to court and each person had to look after their own expenses, the person in front was partly to blame for braking for no justifiable reason. same if the person in front's brake lights aren't working and you rear-end them how are you to know they are braking.

Also if you find you're getting a lot of tailgaters maybe you're not using the lanes correctly, on the upgraded M50 there should be no reason to be tailgated if everyone used the lanes correctly, but very few people do (not at dig at you OP just a general comment). The number of people who join the M50 and move straight into the middle lane for no reason is ridiculous.

baaaa

Yeah obviously the rules are you can't brake,I generally slow down as aggressively as they may have driven up behind me as long as I can be sure of trapping them.

po0k

That's not driving defensively, and it's costing you wear on tires and brakes, not to mention fuel to accelerate again.

And as someone said before, the tailgater is usually an inexperienced tool who will panic momentarily before braking.

If you have [selectable] rear foglights, maybe try that. Less effective during the day obviously.

I've been [1-2 car lengths] behind people who would tap the brakes continuosly for no apparent reason. Pissed me right off because I got the impression they couldn't drive to the point the divvil on my shoulder was suggesting I ram them off the road to save others from the same fate.

Loud-hailers front and rear allowing efficient inter-vehicular communications would be a boon.

baaaa

Who said anything about defensively?This is about aggressively teaching tailgaters so they get a lesson instead of speeding on to do it to the next person.

It's no extra wear on my tires or brakes to go slower.

I make them panic and brake far more than momentarily also,this is how they learn.

Zubeneschamali

baaaa wrote: »

this is how they learn.

As you can see upthread, you are not the first to try this.

Yet tailgaters still exist. Apparently they do not learn.

Horse_box

Keep your foot on the clutch and shift the gearstick into reverse. That'll teach em'!

Seriously though, I usually just take my foot off the accelerator and watch them freak out behind me. There is something very satisfying about glancing in the mirror and seeing some @arsehole loosing the head over something so petty

dudara

baaaa wrote: »

I make them panic and brake far more than momentarily also,this is how they learn.

I think you must be trolling - no one could drive safely with this kind of attitude.

**Timbuk2**

Turn on your lights suddenly so that they might think that you are braking.

Or use your left foot very lightly on the brake pedal, so that your brake lights come on, and accelerate away using your right foot. It'll confuse them.

j2dab

Sounds to me like you were being tailgated because you were in the overtaking lane and you were not overtaking a car? If this is the case you are totally in the wrong - would you have moved if the car didn't tailgate but gave you a quick flash of the lights to alert you?

And as for slowing down on a motorway like that, that's how pile-ups start.

T-Square

You must be all to busy...

1. tapping the brakes
2. lifting off the throttle
3. washing your windows
4. giving well 'ard stares
5. phoning the nanny state
6. slowing down and speeding up
7. being obstinate

...to simply get out of the way

baaaa

dudara wrote: »

I think you must be trolling - no one could drive safely with this kind of attitude.

It's not safe,neither is continuing on with them on my tail though.At least this way some learn and pull back.

j2dab

T-Square wrote: »

You must be all to busy...

1. tapping the brakes
2. lifting off the throttle
3. washing your windows
4. giving well 'ard stares
5. phoning the nanny state
6. slowing down and speeding up
7. being obstinate

...to simply get out of the way

Exactly, the state of motorway driving in this country is diabolical. Driving around Europe puts it into perspective how bad it is here. Motorway driving needs to be on the driving test.....

OP just get out of the way and don't cause a mess

dudara

baaaa wrote: »

It's not safe,neither is continuing on with them on my tail though.At least this way some learn and pull back.

They probably pull back because they realise that there is a crazy person in front, not because they've learned any lasting lesson.

Do you not understand people at all?

Plus sometimes, you might need to ask yourself why you are being tailgated? Granted some people are d*cks, but maybe your driving is contributing to the problem.

You sound like one of my father's generation "I pay my taxes, so I'll drive whereever I want on the road at whatever speed I want at any time I want".

j2dab

Started a poll to check how many people are like this:
POLL

OP - we all know your vote :eek:

baaaa

dudara wrote: »

They probably pull back because they realise that there is a crazy person in front, not because they've learned any lasting lesson.

Do you not understand people at all?

Plus sometimes, you might need to ask yourself why you are being tailgated? Granted some people are d*cks, but maybe your driving is contributing to the problem.

You sound like one of my father's generation "I pay my taxes, so I'll drive whereever I want on the road at whatever speed I want at any time I want".

Yeah I know well the type of person you speak of,that's not me though.
Again,this is not for motorway driving as you are in the wrong lane if you're blocking someone..
This is for when I'm going through an estate over speedbumps and a vehicle drives aggressively up behind me or when I'm slowing down to take a corner.This is basically for when one of the aformentioned d***s appears out of nowhere in my back window,everybody knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Testament1

baaaa wrote: »

Again,this is not for motorway driving as you are in the wrong lane if you're blocking someone..
This is for when I'm going through an estate over speedbumps and a vehicle drives aggressively up behind me or when I'm slowing down to take a corner.

baaaa wrote: »

I trapped a white van tailgater yesterday from blanchardstown all the way to lucan,caused him misery cause it took him ages to realise that the closer he was to me the slower I would.

Must have been some serious size of an estate or the worlds longest corner all the way from Blancahrdstown to Lucan :rolleyes:
What your doing is stupid. You cant always tell what way the driver behind you is going to react and if you keep at this you could very easily cause a big accident. Theres enough hazards on the road already without you adding to them.

baaaa

Testament1 wrote: »

Must have been some serious size of an estate or the worlds longest corner all the way from Blancahrdstown to Lucan :rolleyes:
What your doing is stupid. You cant always tell what way the driver behind you is going to react and if you keep at this you could very easily cause a big accident. Theres enough hazards on the road already without you adding to them.

It's a long way alright but he refused to pull back and there was too much traffic and too little road after clonsilla for him to overtake.
What I'm doing is not stupid,it works on many and I think it makes them think eventually.Allowing their behaviour to go unchecked is the more stupid option I think.
I trap them safely and learn them,if I don't they may do the same thing 10 times over the next ten miles causing untold risk.

Voodoomelon

Flick of the rear fog lights all the way, works every time. I'll be damned if i'm jamming on the brakes and letting them run into me.

ocokev

baaaa wrote: »

It's a long way alright but he refused to pull back and there was too much traffic and too little road after clonsilla for him to overtake.
What I'm doing is not stupid,it works on many and I think it makes them think eventually.Allowing their behaviour to go unchecked is the more stupid option I think.
I trap them safely and learn them,if I don't they may do the same thing 10 times over the next ten miles causing untold risk.

It seams that you are more intrested in whats happening behind you instead of whats happening infront of you.
It can be annoying, but remember if you are in an accident because of this youcan never tell how devastating just a simple tip can turn into a complete distaster.

keithclancy

baaaa wrote: »

Yeah I know well the type of person you speak of,that's not me though.
Again,this is not for motorway driving as you are in the wrong lane if you're blocking someone..
This is for when I'm going through an estate over speedbumps and a vehicle drives aggressively up behind me or when I'm slowing down to take a corner.This is basically for when one of the aformentioned d***s appears out of nowhere in my back window,everybody knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Not really .. I would notice someone bringing up the rear when they're about 500 meters away.

I drive at speeds of around 180 - 200 km/h so you have to allow for a bit more stopping distance .. and also to get the fork out of the way for the guy in a rush

Having lights on does help though, would notice a car much earlier