kissthepilot

I just drove from middle Tennessee to New Jersey to get a new top installed and had some very strange driving encounters. People would extreme tailgate me when I’m in the center lane following a large truck, and both other lanes are clear. Why did they do this? I don’t see the upside and there are a lot of downsides and this could easily cause a chain reaction accident. Also had some cars in heavy traffic try and show me how fast they were. Why would I care? I know the car looks nice with it’s new top but it’s obviously not a race car. I bought the car for handling and not for speed. If I wanted a fast car I would build one or buy one.

do people not understand that vehicles are not toys and you could easily hurt someone with them? The car has been deemed a lethal weapon in many different scenarios. Why did they do this to my little sports car? Are they trying to get me to do some thing with the tailgating? When I get someone like this I usually just take the next exit and make that my break time. I’d really like to follow one of these tailgaters and ask them what they think they were trying to accomplish, but I’m sure that wouldn’t go over well.

what do other adults do about tailgaters and people trying to race you? I thought the flashing third tail light modual and it doesn’t seem to help. At night I hit my emergency flashers which are very bright and some people will back off. Actually had a motorcycle tailgate me and all I saw was this single light that looked like it was attached to my trunk lid. What in the world did he want me to do? I could’ve easily tapped the brakes and sent him sliding down the freeway at 70 mph. How can you be that dumb?

Chuck S

Tailgating is a varsity sport in Virginia and seems to be getting more popular everywhere.

The strobing 3d stop light on my car will usually give them the hint with out the need to actually brake check them.

Contact @Birdybog to get one, it just plugs in the trunk lid,

-- Chuck

kissthepilot

I already have one. Even replaced my third tail light with a larger and brighter unit!

One time last Summer I had a pickup truck change lanes to tailgate me on a busy highway. There was nowhere to go, so I flashed my taillights, hoping he would back off. He then went next to me in a left turn lane. I thought he was turning. Then he sideswiped me!! I called the police and they wouldn’t do anything due to Covid. Turns out his plate was not assigned.

I could have followed him but elected not to. Luckily, his wheel hit mine and there was no damage. He drove off, probably thinking he wrecked my car. I was armed and didn’t want to have a gunfight over a car.

Next time will be different.

cosmomiller

Thanks for the info. I did and $28 put it in the mail this morning! Plug and play!

Jub

I like to flash brake lights at people who tail gate me but it's stupid. All it does is allows you to metaphorically tell them to eff off. Frankly, it usually pisses them off even more and they continue until they can fly around me. I drive plenty fast, there is no reason to tail gate me. If I see someone coming up behind me quickly, I move over if possible. If they tailgate me, I flash brake lights at them and decide if it's worth my stubbornness to not just move over. Escalating and acknowledging the tension is usually not a positive for anyone involved. As time goes on, I get better at saying it's not worth it and just move over anyways. I suggest moving over and letting them pass. Don't even look over at them. Doing so will either give them their pleasure that they pissed you off, let them flip you off, or seem like you are acknowledging their car because they like yours. They either really like your car and are encouraging stupid behavior to "ride" with them or they hate you. Acknowledging them for either of those reasons buys you nothing unless you want to "ride/cruise" with them. It either justifies the person who likes your car to do stupid things or demonstrates that an a-hole got under your skin. The only winning move is to not let them influence your behavior and treat them like they do not exist.

cosmomiller

In Texas it is called driving friendly. You let someone by. On California 2 lane roads I have no problem letting someone by (using turnouts) if they are hot and heavy. At the same time I do get peeved when others do not reciprocate. So many drivers out here are just clueless; they never had driver training classes.

It is just not worth it to have a confrontation over something like this.

I got the module for the lights for safety reasons, not to let some tailgater know he/she should back off. Our cars are so small I want everything going for me.

Viola10

California law dictates that slow-moving traffic must utilize the nearest designated turnout or find the nearest place to turn out if a line of 5 or more other vehicles have formed behind the slowpoke. Something most Californians seem blissfully unaware of when I have driven there.

I was in Virginia on I-95 over the weekend and I’ve never seen so much traffic generated by people spread evenly across all three lanes. Eventually everything comes to a halt for no apparent reason, probably because someone a mile ahead briefly tapped their brakes and caused a ripple that finds its way to me. Leaving the left lane clear for overtaking would have alleviated so much of the unnecessary delays that resulted.

Chuck S

The only place I've seen "keep right except to pass" enforced was in Germany. Slow movers in the left lane ("but I'm doing the speed limit" folks) have got to be a primary cause of road rage. Flash the lights and they flip you the bird. And I always thought it was bad in Ohio...

BTW I live in Virginia and avoid I95 when at all possible! And here in Richmond it's calm by comparison to near DC. There's a reason the telephone numbers for the Amtrak Auto Train (DC to Orlando FL) are 800-I95-SUCKS or 800-I-HATE-I95.

-- Chuck

cosmomiller

I have driven a lot in Germany (and in Europe for that matter) over decades and I can tell you the idea of being in the fast lane only for passing is quite true. There is no dawdling in the left lane if someone is coming from behind or flashes the headlights. That means NOW!

Come back to the States and it is like driving in the village of the dammed.

robb

Yes and getting your license in Germany is a very strict process unlike here. When people say we should have higher speed limits like those in Germany I always think no way not with the lack of care of drivers and lack of enforcement of people blocking the highway by staying in the left lane. We have signs all around that say slower traffic keep right but I have never seen it enforced. If someone is behind you and tailgating then you should move over and let them by if you can safely do so, I have done this and have also had people let me pass and I always give a thank you wave.