Current Events > PSA: What to do if you encounter a dangerous tailgater

(+) Yeah! (+)

From the good folks at AAA.

https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/money/auto-insurance/dealing-with-a-tailgater/

#1: Keep Calm and Drive On
The most important rule when dealing with a tailgater is to stay calm. Thats likely not your first reaction, but its the best one.
Your initial response is probably some combination of anger at the driver who is way too close and anxiety over the possibility theyll hit you. Let those emotions pass. If you react with anger or fear and start driving erratically, youll only make the situation worse. Continue driving the speed limit, stay cool and obey traffic signals.

#2 When You Need to Brake, Take it Slow
Tailgating is dangerous because it reduces the space between cars to an unsafe distance. If you suddenly hit the brakes, the tailgater may not have enough time to react and slow down before hitting your car.
If youre being tailgated, be extra cautious when you brake. Dont slam on the brakes for no reason and certainly not to be spiteful. Unless its an emergency braking situation, brake gently. You want the tailgater to see you slowing down and have enough time to slow down as well.

#3 Get Safely Out of the Way
If youre on a multi-lane road and its safe to move to another lane, put on your turn signal and get out of the way. This is the easiest way to deal with a tailgater and end the situation. The driver behind you is being unsafe and if you can solve the problem simply by switching lanes, then do so as soon as possible. If theres not another lane, consider turning into a parking lot.
It might be tempting to get angry at the tailgater and not let them pass. Dont let your emotions get the best of you. Tailgating is a dangerous and aggressive driving tactic.
Aggressive driving, defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association as a combination of moving traffic offenses that can endanger other people or property, is often the result of road rage and a major factor in fatal highway collisions each year.

#4 Drive at a Comfortable Speed
Theres the chance youll be tailgated on a road where theres no safe way to let the tailgater pass. If youre doing the speed limit, dont speed up. No matter how impatient the driver behind you is, do not break the law and go faster than posted speed limits.
Driving at a speed where youre confident and in control of your car is key. Do not be pressured into driving outside your comfort zone. Thats simply swapping one unsafe situation for another.

#5 Avoid Confrontation
Youve been glaring at the driver in your rearview mirror for 10 minutes when theres finally room for him to pass. Fine. Let him pass, but dont give him dirty looks or make rude hand gestures to let him know exactly how you feel about his tailgating as he speeds away. Responding to an aggressive driver with more aggression is not a responsible way of dealing with a tailgater.
Engaging an aggressive driver could escalate the situation into something even worse. The sooner the tailgater drives away, the better.
Aggressive driving tactics like tailgating are nerve-wracking. Keep calm, dont overreact, and let the tailgater pass when possible so everyone safely arrives at their destinations.

I think 2 and 3 are the biggest. Don't brake check the dangerous driver, and get out of the way and let them pass if possible. Stay safe out there folks!

voldothegr8 posted...

#3 Get Safely Out of the Way
If youre on a multi-lane road and its safe to move to another lane, put on your turn signal and get out of the way. This is the easiest way to deal with a tailgater and end the situation. The driver behind you is being unsafe and if you can solve the problem simply by switching lanes, then do so as soon as possible. If theres not another lane, consider turning into a parking lot.
It might be tempting to get angry at the tailgater and not let them pass. Dont let your emotions get the best of you. Tailgating is a dangerous and aggressive driving tactic.
Aggressive driving, defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association as a combination of moving traffic offenses that can endanger other people or property, is often the result of road rage and a major factor in fatal highway collisions each year.

This is the one people probably fail at the most. Nobody wants to be bullied into another lane, but it's the safest way to deal with the situation.

Some people try to maintain their position and all that. "the tailgater is in the wrong. if we're in a crash, I'm not liable because its the tailgaters fault"

Doesn't matter whose fault it is when you're dead

I dont brake check, but I do take my foot off the gas and coast.

Turn on a blinker

Here's how people actually do it:

1) Freak the fuck out. Slow down to an unsafe level. Keep driving.
2) Complain about it on Facebook in a local community group saying something like "if you drive the red ford, shame on you" like that actually does anything.

If you're getting tailgated pull onto the side of the road or a parking lot. If the person who is tailgating you also slows down to stop then don't actually stop, keep going and call the cops.

If its a back road I just wave them to go around me. No sense having someone with their high beams blinding me in my rear view mirror.

party_animal07 posted...

This is the one people probably fail at the most. Nobody wants to be bullied into another lane, but it's the safest way to deal with the situation.

The pride of some people. They'd rather put their lives at stake to teach the dangerous driver a lesson, unironically becoming a dangerous driver themselves, than just move out of the way.

I do all those things. I usually will increase the space between me and the car ahead of me so I have more time to slow down should I need to. I always try to get out of the way when able. No reason to keep an unsafe psycho close to me on the road

squint and grip the wheel tighter

#6 Brake Check'em
Fuck that motherfucker and slam the brakes. Teach that prick a lesson.

Im an expert at staying calm while dealing with a tailgater lmao. Crank up the tunes, adjust my mirrors if theyre flashing the headlights at me, and imagine them getting angrier and angrier

voldothegr8 posted...

#3 Get Safely Out of the Way

One of my biggest pet peeves on the road is if someone is on my ass, I switch lanes and the other car just stays in that spot without passing me. As if to say I didnt want to pass you, it was just that the perfect speed I was happy with put me directly on your ass.

Just drive normally and ignore their stupid ass

MonumentValley posted...

I dont brake check, but I do take my foot off the gas and coast.

This. Usually gets them to pass quicker if theres a lane available.

Just move over and let them go on with their day.

Devilanse333 posted...

This. Usually gets them to pass quicker if theres a lane available.

If you're in the "fast" lane when you don't need to be, you're the asshole.

The_Popo posted...

One of my biggest pet peeves on the road is if someone is on my ass, I switch lanes and the other car just stays in that spot without passing me. As if to say I didnt want to pass you, it was just that the perfect speed I was happy with put me directly on your ass.

I have actually seen this before and it's amazing.

I don't understand people, tbqh.

My usual strategy is to stay calm and drive just barely under the speed limit until they fuck off

MonumentValley posted...

I dont brake check, but I do take my foot off the gas and coast.

I use my left foot to lightly apply the brakes while keeping my foot on the gas. Never slam on the brakes.

VirtuousWrath posted...

I have actually seen this before and it's amazing.

I don't understand people, tbqh.

Some people want to speed but don't want to do it alone.

Devilanse333 posted...

This. Usually gets them to pass quicker if theres a lane available.

Also, it depends on how they're tailgating me. If they come up on me super fast without really giving me any time to react and switch lanes, that's what I do. If I see them coming from far away, I usually move over. If they want to be an asshole, I'll be an asshole back lol.

MonumentValley posted...

Also, it depends on how they're tailgating me. If they come up on me super fast without really giving me any time to react and switch lanes, that's what I do. If I see them coming from far away, I usually move over. If they want to be an asshole, I'll be an asshole back lol.

That contradicts the whole message of this PSA. Be safe and don't aggravate the tailgater, maintain speed limit and get out of the way when you can.

No, I stand by what I posted.

voldothegr8 posted...

Some people want to speed but don't want to do it alone.

Simple "pack" mentality. Thirty cars in a group all going 20 over means there's a 97% chance of escaping a speed trap.

voldothegr8 posted...

Engaging an aggressive driver could escalate the situation into something even worse

personal favorite is that australian road rage. he gets pissed off because the other driver flipped him off when he was the one who brake checked/road raged.

i usually just move over. there are tons of selfish drivers and i'm not finna be fucking with other drivers and potentially contribute to problems. at most i'll hit cruise control and make them stay my speed for while, then move over anyway.

Questionmarktarius posted...

If you're in the "fast" lane when you don't need to be, you're the asshole.

Who said anything about fast lanes?

Devilanse333 posted...

Who said anything about fast lanes?

The tailgater in the "slow" lane is definitely the asshole.

The tailgater in the only lane is probably the asshole, unless the guy in front is piddling along well below the speed limit (possibly in a tractor).

Questionmarktarius posted...

The tailgater in the "slow" lane is definitely the asshole.

The tailgater in the only lane is probably the asshole, unless the guy in front is piddling along well below the speed limit (possibly in a tractor).

True, on single-lane roads where passing isn't possible, you're supposed to pull over once the amount of cars behind you hits like 5 or something.

MonumentValley posted...

I dont brake check, but I do take my foot off the gas and coast.

I do this only if I'm in the slow lane.

VirtuousWrath posted...

True, on single-lane roads where passing isn't possible, you're supposed to pull over once the amount of cars behind you hits like 5 or something.

My wife got pulled over for going too slow and having too many cars behind her recently.

theAteam posted...

My wife got pulled over for going too slow and having too many cars behind her recently.

Just curious, was she going to speed limit, or under the limit?

MonumentValley posted...

I dont brake check, but I do take my foot off the gas and coast.

That can be a bad idea because your brake lights don't come on and don't alert the car behind you that you're slowing down.

The_Popo posted...

Just curious, was she going to speed limit, or under the limit?

Under the limit but still within 10 mph. It was a 2 lane highway where a lot of trucks go through and the speed limit was 65 for trucks and 70 for cars, and the officer said she needed to be going between the 2 speeds at least.

manhookcardoor posted...

That can be a bad idea because your brake lights don't come on and don't alert the car behind you that you're slowing down.

If someone behind you cant tell that youre decelerating very slowly, then they shouldnt be driving

theAteam posted...

Under the limit but still within 10 mph. It was a 2 lane highway where a lot of trucks go through and the speed limit was 65 for trucks and 70 for cars, and the officer said she needed to be going between the 2 speeds at least.

Fair fucking next

People that can't even reach the speed limit are aggravating.

If Im on an interstate or highway, Im not going to be in the left lane unless Im passing. If someone is tailgating me, Im not moving out of the way because odds are they are just a dumbass who thinks you are supposed to tailgate, since if they wanted to pass theyd have gone to the left lane.

If on a 1 lane road, I still wont pull over. Im probably going 5-10 over the speed limit unless there are slower vehicles in front of me and would have to slow down a bunch to be able to do that safely. Which means Id be getting hit if the tailgater is not paying attention.

A_Good_Boy posted...

Fair fucking next

People that can't even reach the speed limit are aggravating.

Eh, it was a pitch black road in the middle of nowhere. He really pulled her over because she had out of state plates and let her go once he ran them and found nothing. There were plenty of opportunities for people to pass.

theAteam posted...

Under the limit but still within 10 mph. It was a 2 lane highway where a lot of trucks go through and the speed limit was 65 for trucks and 70 for cars, and the officer said she needed to be going between the 2 speeds at least.

Hate to say it, but thats fair.

I will never give anyone shit for driving the speed limit, but it drives me insane when people go under it for no damn reason. Like, its one thing if its downpouring, or sleeting / snowing or something, but on a clear day when the road is dry theres no reason for that. If you dont want to go at least the speed limit, pull over.

ease off the accellerator. They're supposed to be 2 seconds behind you. So just drive at a speed, to make sure they are ;)