I know everyone has had a run in with a tailgater... Maybe you were going too slow, or in the wrong lane or just the wrong place at the wrong time. Either way, we all know it's pretty frustrating. Here are some tips to deal with them and how to avoid being one.
Tailgating: When someone drives too closely behind another vehicle.
It’s a territorial thing, as humans, we become very concerned about our space. Plus people are running late and think that it may get them there faster. There are a bunch of reasons why people do it, but it's wrong and dangerous no matter what.
Tailgating also makes people very nervous, frustrated, possibly threatened and maybe erratic. This can lead to someone getting nervous about being tailgated and get into another lane without first checking if it's clear. It’s always a serious safety concern, mainly for people with children, animals and elderly.
You also never know what type of person you may be tailgating or tailgated by: They could be crazy, have a weapon, follow you home...etc. It’s happened before, in the news. People are tailgating, eventually get followed home and shot and killed.
On a road with multiple lanes:
If you feel the need to pull over to let the tailgater pass and take a moment, make sure it’s a safe area with plenty of space for your car. Don’t forget the hazards! Always use your turn signal!
You may be able to avoid a tailgater on the highway if you stay to the right. Generally the left lane is for faster, passing cars. If you are passing a car, get back to the right lane quickly to avoid any problems. And in the same boat, if you are trying to pass someone in the left lane and there is a slow person there, do not tilgate them until they move. It may be wise to get to another lane, if possible, or give them a quick flash of your headlights; they may not know they are in your way or causing any trouble.
People are tailgating cars in the “slow” lane, have no reason. They know they are going slower, thus the lane choice. So you can go around them or slow down with them.
Also, beware of people in the “fast” lane who may be driving slower-near exits.
Dangers:
- It’s always wise to think about, while tailgating or being tailgated, that it can cause some serious damage to your car as well as others. It may not be worth it to mess with or be a tailgater.
- While being tailgated, your focus may be shifted from the road and everything around it, to just the rear view mirror. This allows room for error and possible danger.
- Be aware, that while teaching new drivers, you could give off some of your bad habits.
On a road without multiple lanes, with a tailgater-slow down:
- Let them pass you.
- Make sure you are traveling at the correct speed limit.
- Slow drivers can be just as hazardous as fast ones.
- Do not try to go faster when they are passing you; this usually only causes road rage and can cause an accident.
- Don't feel like you have to drive faster than your comfort zone (and the speed limit) just to appease the tailgater behind you.
About brake checks:
This may seem like the obvious first thing to do when you notice a tailgater, but it can lead to some serious damage. The driver may not be paying attention when you break check them, then react with panic when they see your brake lights, this could leave to swerving and/or an accident.
They could also ignore your brake lights and slam into the back of your car if you needed to brake for real.
How do you know if you’re too close?
Use the rules driving school gave you: Keep a car’s length in between yourself and the other car for every ten miles per hour you are driving.
Or you can use the 3 second rule- When the car in front of you drives passed some sort of road marker, it should take your car 3 seconds to reach it. Sometimes it may seem easy to just tailgate the person in front of you and i’m sure a lot of us are guilty of it, but don’t risk it. You should use more if the roads are wet or snowy.
With motorcycles and bikers on the road, it’s better to leave even more space between yourself and them.
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