Brake testers/tailgaters thread

unkel

Boskowski wrote: »

reported, my boards.ie equivalent of brake tapping

As AltAccount said, it is the complete opposite. Reporting the post is like moving out of harms way and ringing the Gardai. Brake tapping is being judge, jury and executioner...

AltAccount

Boskowski wrote: »

I can live with the fact that you 'superior' drivers think I'm a bad one. Only confirms what I'm thinking quite frankly.

I'm absolutely astounded that people disagreeing with you CONFIRMS your thinking.

Boskowski wrote: »

And for the record I don't think what you call brake testing (again re-read the thread to find out what we're actually talking about here) is good driving practice. But I think its the lesser of two evils and I feel I'm perfectly in the right to do so and I also don't think its dangerous. Quite the opposite, its aiming to get out of a dangerous situation.

You are illuminating the brake lights without braking, we get it.

You are illuminating the brake lights for no (braking-related) reason, probably causing the driver behind you to panic and actually apply their brakes, thinking that you're about to slow down, causing the driver behind them to now be faced with a vehicle braking for no reason they could anticipate.

And you are claiming this is a better idea than slowing down gradually and/or pulling left and letting the tailgater pass.

Did I miss anything?

dr.fuzzenstein

Boskowski wrote: »

You may want to read the thread, but let me summarize.

We're not talking me being in the overtaking lane or middle lane and we're not talking lanehogging in any form or shape and we're not talking about educating others about the speed limit either.
We're talking about a situation where I'm in the leftmost lane or not dual carriageway and for some unfathomable reason someone is sitting behind me at high speed as close as if I was towing them for a prolonged time. Doesn't happen often as I'm quite a swiftish driver myself, but it does happen on rare occasions.

Well, then, just gently slow down and they'll back off or overtake.
If you are a swift driver, trucks would not be tailgating you, they're limited to 90, so you must be "swiftly" driving at 85 km/h.
Not swift IMO.
And Jimbob83, you're obviously 17 years old, drive some souped up POS with a hoody, one of thoose skinny little runts with mad, staring eyes, who's just itching for a fight.
Or you're just a trolling 13 year old.

Once more, for the slow kids at the back of the class:
Brake testing is done by morons and cnuts who have a deathwish who obviously want to either be rear ended by a bus or have a tire iron wrapped around their head by a group of large knackers when they finally piss off the wrong crowd and, please God, let it happen sooner rather than later.

But I'm wasting too much energy on two obvious trolls who only defend an insane course of action because they get a kick out of it. I get it, you're trolls and don't care about the facts, only the argument.

TestTransmission

Can we keep it civil please

Gary ITR

Boskowski wrote: »

I'm actually a little shocked but not much surprised by the number of people who barge in here, obviously don't bother reading the thread but rather make a number of halfarsed assumptions instead and revert immediately to name calling.

I'm not going to repeat for you what we're talking about, re-read the thread.

I can live with the fact that you 'superior' drivers think I'm a bad one. Only confirms what I'm thinking quite frankly.

And for the record I don't think what you call brake testing (again re-read the thread to find out what we're actually talking about here) is good driving practice. But I think its the lesser of two evils and I feel I'm perfectly in the right to do so and I also don't think its dangerous. Quite the opposite, its aiming to get out of a dangerous situation.

Anyway I'm not going to go further into this. Couple of totally uncalled for ignorant and insulting posts reported. Have a good day.

Please please please stop this 'brake test' method.

Think.of.this scenario, I'm driving along a national route at 100kph coming towards me is you being followed by a tailgater and you apply your method, tailgater panics, skids then ploughs into me. That is what you can cause. If you don't know how to deal with a tailgater properly seek some lessons, please before you cause a smash

mullingar

I just read the full thread (well the 2x before they were split) and I cannot believe the childish, stiupid and lethal behavior that that some drivers here are practicing to get tailgaters to back off.

Yes there are tailgaters out there and the practice is dangerous, but to tip your brakes to cause the tailgater driver to think you are slowing down? Absolute stupidity.

Two wrongs DONT make a right.

If you have to alert the driver behind you that they are too close, why not flip your hazard warning lights for a second to alert them of a possible hazard, ie, if you DID hit your brakes hard, you (the tailgater) will hit me OR just pull in at the first opportunity to allow them to overtake safely.

Please stop this practice before YOU are JOINT cause an accident.

Greyfoot

Just about to write something to subscribe while I`ll get the popcorn ready.

From 120kph in say fifth gear it takes about 7sec to come down to 90ish with engine brake alone, same applies with even greater efficiency from say 90kph. This time frame allows one to realize what they are doing(tailgating)or leaves them enough time to respond by overtaking.

No need for tippy tapping the brakes as others correctly pointed out, the first action one takes when sees other car`s brake lights on is braking, not thinking about tailgating. It is a conditioned and sub-conscious mechanism.

Jimbob 83

Funny thing is alot of the people on their high horses have points i'll bet.

Great keyboard drivers mind

Big Nasty

This is how I deal with other drivers who want to drive faster than me:

I get out of their way.

I would appreciate if other drivers did the same in return.

Jimbob 83

MCMLXXV wrote: »

This is how I deal with other drivers who want to drive faster than me:

I get out of their way.

I would appreciate if other drivers did the same in return.

I wouldn't tap my brake if someone wanted to drive faster than me, it's the braindead people who come up too close to overtake as they can't see anything and just sit there on my bumper for a whole journey and become startled by any indication/change of speed as they have not given themselves enough time to react and generally end up honking their horn because they feel "we:pac:" are going too slow or that "we:pac:" should have chanced that red light and in general pass the buck and leave all the decision making to the person whose bumper they decide to ride.

99 out of 100 times i would indicate them past me or slow down until they have no choice but to overtake, doesn't mean i wouldn'thaven't tapped my brakes once/twice if someone pulled the piss and or give them the finger.

Gary ITR

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Funny thing is alot of the people on their high horses have points i'll bet.

Great keyboard drivers mind

I've none and drive cars that might as well have targets written on them for guards. I don't see the logic in your comment. This year I'm on target to drive at least 60k kms which is an average year from me, so I would consider myself experienced.

AltAccount

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Funny thing is alot of the people on their high horses have points i'll bet.

Great keyboard drivers mind

Driver's licence for 12 years. No points ever. Regularly exceed the speed limit. Drove 50,000 KMs for work last year.

Not that it matters, I could be a 15 year old with a computer and a copy of Roadcraft, it still wouldn't make me wrong.

mullingar

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Funny thing is alot of the people on their high horses have points i'll bet.

Great keyboard drivers mind

I also have none.

TBH with a comment like that I think your clasping at straws now

peasant

slightly besides the topic ...but what do you consider tailgating?

so close you can't read the plates of the car in front?

about 5m distance?

how about 2 car lengths ...surely that's not tailgating? Everybody does that, at least during rush hour

Well, here's a little demonstration what happens at 80 km/h with two car lengths distance to the car in front when that car suddeny has to do an emergency stop.

Ignore the sound ...the commentary is in German, but the pictures speak for themselves.
(keep in mind that the driver of the red car KNEW that the car in front was going to brake hard at some point, just not when exactly)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcxfXjX3_RA

R.O.R

Full licence for over 18 years, driven hundred of thousands of Kilometres in thousands of different cars, but not clocked up a single point (nor any accident / insurance claim).

Got a parking ticket once for a broken down car that was on double yellows - I'm a very bad man.

guil

no penalty points for me either and i drive on average 1200 kms a week

Jimbob 83

I would consider tailgating inside 10 feet

TheChizler

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

I would consider tailgating inside 10 feet

Why specifically inside 10 feet? The video above had a separating distance of four and a half times that and still resulted in a crash. I think most people would consider it to be driving within the distance that you couldn't stop on time if the driver in front came to a sudden halt.

Jimbob 83

TheChizler wrote: »

Why specifically inside 10 feet? The video above had a separating distance of four and a half times that and still resulted in a crash. I think most people would consider it to be driving within the distance that you couldn't stop on time if the driver in front came to a sudden halt.

Because i was asked for my opinion

TheChizler

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Because i was asked for my opinion

Yeah but I'm asking why you would consider specifically inside 10 feet to be tailgating?

AltAccount

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

I would consider tailgating inside 10 feet

10 feet at what speed???

Jimbob 83

When somsone is riding your bumper you know, if they are building up to overtake thats fine but after afew minutes it's tailgating

AltAccount

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

When somsone is riding your bumper you know, if they are building up to overtake thats fine but after afew minutes it's tailgating

How do you build up to over take while riding someone's bumper?

I swear, with every passing post you dig the hole that little bit deeper.

Jame Gumb

Let's get some perspective, folks.

90% of the blame lies with the tailgater...yes people shouldn't tap their brakes but let's not lose sight of the fact that it's the tailgating that's the far more serious offence.

There's a serious pro speeding pro aggressive driving agenda in these threads.

kirving

Another thing to note about that video. In real life, there will be dozens of cars behind who will have to come to a stop rather quickly. Eventually, someone will be asleep and hit the car in front at 120kph. Whether you actually brake, or just light up the brake lights, doesn't make much of a difference - (if it's busy) the person behind you will always brake that little bit harder - until someone eventually comes to a stop. It's a stupid thing to do.


Where's everyone that says the person behind is always at fault, no matter why the person in front jammed on? :pac:

Jimbob 83

AltAccount wrote: »

How do you build up to over take while riding someone's bumper?

I swear, with every passing post you dig the hole that little bit deeper.

That's kinda why it's called tailgating, if you want to overtake the extra visability of being at a reasonable distance is what you want, as i have stated above the whole problem with tailgating is that it is one person trying to bully another into going faster as they don't have the balls to think independantly and just overtake and expect you to facilitate them

AltAccount

Jame Gumb wrote: »

Let's get some perspective, folks.

90% of the blame lies with the tailgater...yes people shouldn't tap their brakes but let's not lose sight of the fact that it's the tailgating that's the far more serious offence.

There's a serious pro speeding pro aggressive driving agenda in these threads.

Not at all, I don't think anyone condones tailgating, and whether it's right or wrong is entirely separate from this discussion.

Jimbob 83

AltAccount wrote: »

Not at all, I don't think anyone condones tailgating, and whether it's right or wrong is entirely separate from this discussion.

You have read the thread title right ?

unkel

High horse #7 here. 25 years full license, never any points, no claims, no accidents.

I do speed, but only really on open motorways...

AltAccount

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

That's kinda why it's called tailgating, if you want to overtake the extra visability of being at a reasonable distance is what you want, as i have stated above the whole problem with tailgating is that it is one person trying to bully another into going faster as they don't have the balls to think independantly and just overtake and expect you to facilitate them

Sorry, I thought you said tailgating is fine as long as they're building up to overtake.

Jimbob 83

AltAccount wrote: »

Sorry, I thought you said tailgating is fine as long as they're building up to overtake.

That's pulling up on someone, tailgating would be just sitting on someones bumper, perhaps i can link you to the oxford english dictionary as im sure they are a little bit of of an authority than myself.

AltAccount

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

You have read the thread title right ?

Show me any significant discussion of whether tailgating is ok. Post numbers are fine.

The thread title was chosen by the mod who split this thread out from the original one. You know this.

650Ginge

Qualitymark wrote: »

I always thought the leapfrog was because I was a woman in a crappy old car, and young fellows (almost always the froggers) couldn't stand to have me go faster than them.

I have a couple of ways of dealing with tailgaters:

If it's a big truck, I take my foot gently off the accelerator and then gently tap the brake a couple of times, then again a couple of times, to alert them to the fact they're too near - they'll generally back off and then overtake me, usually hopping over the speed limit a little to do so.

If it's an angry young lad, I let him pass and stay well behind until he's forgotten about me, then sneak up, pass him and go well ahead.

If it's someone who constantly leapfrogs, I change lane, even though it's not correct to be in the overtaking lane, and only move in when someone wants to pass me; usually the frogger gets bored with this and either storms ahead (speed cameras! yaay!) or falls behind, in which case I go back into the correct lane when it's tactful to do so.

Hopefully you grow up.

AltAccount

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

That's pulling up on someone, tailgating would be just sitting on someones bumper, perhaps i can link you to the oxford english dictionary as im sure they are a little bit of of an authority than myself.

What's in the dictionary, pulling up on someone or tailgating?

What are you talking about?

keithclancy

MCMLXXV wrote: »

This is how I deal with other drivers who want to drive faster than me:

I get out of their way.

I would appreciate if other drivers did the same in return.

Definitely, but I'd only get out of the way when its safe to do so, quite a few people tail gate with the intention of getting the person to speed up and exceed the speed limit.

Windscreen washers usually work.

I never use the tapping the brakes method, but I do use the brake pedal to turn off the cruise control and its possible to activate the brake lights without actually applying the brakes.

Never really an issue anyway, I'm usually somewhere around the speed limit

Saab Ed

unkel wrote: »

High horse #7 here. 25 years full license, never any points, no claims, no accidents.

I do speed, but only really on open motorways...

Oh well, while everbodys at it ....

17 years driving in two different countries, no points, no claims against me , no outstanding issues. Near enough perfect. 300 quids worth in a slow mo bumper bang many years ago and thats my lot.

PS- I dont tailgate, I get held up by outside lane hoggers who wont let me pass so I can continue my journey and get back into the inside lane as quickly as possible

Qualitymark

Back in, briefly: Thanks to @mullingar, who suggested knocking the hazard lights on briefly - yes, actually I'll do this in future, excellent strategy.

(For those who didn't read the whole original thread, what was being talked about was a situation where there was no escape from a tailgater who comes up and sits on your tail when you're trapped and can't evade. I said that when this (rarely) happens, I slow gently down, and gently tap the brake a couple of times to alert the person that they're too close. There's no aggression involved.)

For those who ask in what circumstances 10 feet is too close, the old-fashioned rule was one car-length (your own car) distance between you and the driver in front per 10mph. So if the person in front is driving 10mph you should be one car length behind, if 20mph you should be two car lengths behind, and so on. In wet conditions, double this. It may seem like a lot, but it's safe. (Open to correction if research has proved this too little.)

Big Nasty

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

tailgating is that it is one person trying to bully another into going faster as they don't have the balls to think independantly and just overtake and expect you to facilitate them

People don't tailgate just for the craic, they do it because they want you to get the fook out of their way. If they could, they would gladly overtake you if there was an additional lane and avoid the whole tailgating incident in the first place.

Jimbob 83

Pfft i slam on fully so as to startle their high horses, it's the only guaranteed way to get their attention, then i speed off laughing to myself listening to joe duffy

guil

I'm sure everyone who has posted here has read the original thread, doesn't matter what situation you do it in but flashing the brake lights is dangerous whatever way you look at it.

What would you do if you're driving on the motorway and the brake lights of the car in front came on?

Qualitymark

guil wrote: »

I'm sure everyone who has posted here has read the original thread, doesn't matter what situation you do it in but flashing the brake lights is dangerous whatever way you look at it.

What would you do if you're driving on the motorway and the brake lights of the car in front came on?

Take my foot off the accelerator. I'd be far enough back from them that this would be perfectly safe.

Jame Gumb

Qualitymark wrote: »

guil wrote: »

I'm sure everyone who has posted here has read the original thread, doesn't matter what situation you do it in but flashing the brake lights is dangerous whatever way you look at it.

What would you do if you're driving on the motorway and the brake lights of the car in front came on?

Take my foot off the accelerator. I'd be far enough back from them that this would be perfectly safe.

Ditto.

mullingar

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Pfft i slam on fully so as to startle their high horses, it's the only guaranteed way to get their attention, then i speed off laughing to myself listening to joe duffy

Proof that you are trolling.

Nobody could be that dangerous/stupid in real life

Veloce

guil wrote: »

What would you do if you're driving on the motorway and the brake lights of the car in front came on?

Change lanes.

Jimbob 83

Read the whole thread and tell me who is trolling, remember to stable the horse first though

TheChizler

MCMLXXV wrote: »

People don't tailgate just for the craic, they do it because they want you to get the fook out of their way. If they could, they would gladly overtake you if there was an additional lane and avoid the whole tailgating incident in the first place.

Not necessarily. There have been stories in this thread where people have been tailgated on lane 1 of a dual carriageway.

TheChizler

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Read the whole thread and tell me who is trolling, remember to stable the horse first though

Constant equestrian references don't really contribute to the thread.

Jimbob 83

TheChizler wrote: »

Constant equestrian references don't really contribute to the thread.

Neither do people taking things out of context but it sure doesn't stop them getting their punt in

guil

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Neither do people taking things out of context but it sure doesn't stop them getting their punt in

how is saying braking in front a tailgating car is dangerous out of context?

R.O.R

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

Read the whole thread and tell me who is trolling, remember to stable the horse first though

It's you isn't it?

Yep, definately you.