Advice: How do you stop people from tailgating you?
Discussion
I know this has probably been covered before, but does anyone have any tips?
This morning I was driving into work in my Elise in the rain and was doing a speed that I felt was safe for my car, the road I was on, hazards around me and the conditions (averaging about 50mph). I wasn't going that slowly at all, and was definately making reasonable but safe progress. However, I had a girl in a Peugeot 106 sat about 15-20 feet from the back of my car. Now, there was no road rage, no frustration from her, she just seemed to have a comfort zone that involved following me that closely. There was no way she had any stopping distance or any thinking distance at all and I felt that it was dangerous. Thing is, what can you do? Any tips?
This morning I was driving into work in my Elise in the rain and was doing a speed that I felt was safe for my car, the road I was on, hazards around me and the conditions (averaging about 50mph). I wasn't going that slowly at all, and was definately making reasonable but safe progress. However, I had a girl in a Peugeot 106 sat about 15-20 feet from the back of my car. Now, there was no road rage, no frustration from her, she just seemed to have a comfort zone that involved following me that closely. There was no way she had any stopping distance or any thinking distance at all and I felt that it was dangerous. Thing is, what can you do? Any tips?
Dont know why, and this probably isn't best practice, but I find hanging back more from the traffic in front helps, i.e. slowing down a bit more. In effect, giving you time to stop for you and the 
idiot behind. This seems to get the message across some of the time, especially if there is no where to go, i.e. you are going with the flow of the traffic.
Otherwise gradually slowing down and then booting it back to the speed you were originally doing usually gets the message over, after a few times!
idiot behind. This seems to get the message across some of the time, especially if there is no where to go, i.e. you are going with the flow of the traffic. Otherwise gradually slowing down and then booting it back to the speed you were originally doing usually gets the message over, after a few times!
It's odd you say that - I find a disproportionate amount of people tailgate me more in my Elise than any other car. I think part of it is that, in some cases, I tend to go slower in my Elise (yes, you read that right) because you're SO aware of the conditions - water, ice, lack of grip etc.
The IAM/Roadcraft stance is that if somebody is tailgating you, give yourself MORE space in front giving yourself MORE time to react because the person behind you is so close. Typically it's not ideal because that would make the person get closer to you...but, it does work and I have had proof in the pudding so to speak, when sudden stopping of the car in front has given the guy behind me more time to react (as frustrating as it is that they don't realise, tho!).
So, IAM/Roadcraft view; give yourself more space in front.
The IAM/Roadcraft stance is that if somebody is tailgating you, give yourself MORE space in front giving yourself MORE time to react because the person behind you is so close. Typically it's not ideal because that would make the person get closer to you...but, it does work and I have had proof in the pudding so to speak, when sudden stopping of the car in front has given the guy behind me more time to react (as frustrating as it is that they don't realise, tho!).
So, IAM/Roadcraft view; give yourself more space in front.
TonyHetherington said:
It's odd you say that - I find a disproportionate amount of people tailgate me more in my Elise than any other car. I think part of it is that, in some cases, I tend to go slower in my Elise (yes, you read that right) because you're SO aware of the conditions - water, ice, lack of grip etc.
I used to get this in the Caterham a lot. I think it is because people can see over the top of you, so they feel safer driving closer as it isn't a mystery what's coming up ahead. This is why lorries tailgate more than cars.
RobM77 said:
I've tried hanging back but they just get closer whilst I decelerate and then settle into the 15-20 foot distance again!
yes, and they'll stay there, but the important thing is that you have more distance in front of you to react if anything happens and you therefore have time to account for numb-nuts behind.
Re: the Caterham/Elise thing; that's a good point, I hadn't thought of that. You're right, people behind me can see over and so react to things in front of me, whereas anything I'm behind gives no view what-so-ever, of anything. At all!
Backing off is certainly a good plan, and yes, I do leave more of a gap in traffic if this happens. What bothers me though is the number of animals and birds we get running into the road around here (see my post on the Elise forum.. my Elise ate a partridge just two days after I bought it!). So if a deer jumps out in front of me and I utilise the eye-popping braking abilities of the Elise, I'm going to get toegueP stamped on the back of my car; or even worse, revoR egnaR stamped on the back of my skull..
TonyHetherington said:
Otherwise gradually slowing down and then booting it back to the speed you were originally doing usually gets the message over, after a few times!
Very inflamatory though, and you would only serve to anger the person behind.
That is the only problem, and why I dont use it that often, and if I do it is the last resort. Usually just back off and leave space, as I posted above.
Although nothing like as good as an Elise, I get loads of tailgating in the '2, probably because again of the height of it, meaning other cars can see over. Seems to happen the most when the roof is down..hmm
llamekcuf said:
Otherwise gradually slowing down and then booting it back to the speed you were originally doing usually gets the message over, after a few times!
Very inflamatory though, and you would only serve to anger the person behind.
That is the only problem, and why I dont use it that often, and if I do it is the last resort. Usually just back off and leave space, as I posted above.
Although nothing like as good as an Elise, I get loads of tailgating in the '2, probably because again of the height of it, meaning other cars can see over. Seems to happen the most when the roof is down..hmm
MR2s are great cars!
I think the seeing over you thing is definately an issue; but there's also the common misconception that people like us buy fast cars to drive quicky, coupled with jealously because people can't afford to run one or can't run one because they have children - people like that see you in the car doing 60mph and have the same thoughts that we have when we see a spotless Land Rover in the centre of London... Thus they tailgate because they're a) frustrated at being held up and b) annoyed that you have a nice car and they don't.
I tend to leave myself more room (enough for both of us), or try and find an opportunity to safely let the following driver pass. However, depending on circumstances and the situation, it can be tempting to consider using one's left foot to show the brake lights (without decelerating), or to take the opportunity to really clean the windscreen using the washers...
willibetz said:
try and find an opportunity to safely let the following driver pass
I've tried that, doesn't seem to work! Once I was being tailgated by a big white van so I indicated left on a long empty straight, dropped my speed to about 20mph and pulled over to the left hand edge of the road. The chap just slowed down as well! People don't overtake because they're not frustrated at your speed and want to go faster - they just naturally sit that close to cars in front...
If people are too close behind you, then they have to overcorrect when you change your speed. You can use this to make life very difficult for them, just slow down enough to get past their 'comfort zone' and make them react by slowing down, as they slow down you accelerate and open up the gap. If they accelerate again to close the gap, slow down again as they approach so they have to overreact again. The closer they are the more effective this is. When they are really close you may only need to vary your speed by a few mph while they end up all over the place. I've only resorted to this a couple of times, but it has been extremely effective. You do need to be careful not to put either of you in danger, but I would offset this with the safety benefits of making them concentrate on the car in front of them and also the fact that they quickly drop back to a much safer gap.
GreenV8S said:
If people are too close behind you, then they have to overcorrect when you change your speed. You can use this to make life very difficult for them, just slow down enough to get past their 'comfort zone' and make them react by slowing down, as they slow down you accelerate and open up the gap. If they accelerate again to close the gap, slow down again as they approach so they have to overreact again. The closer they are the more effective this is. When they are really close you may only need to vary your speed by a few mph while they end up all over the place. I've only resorted to this a couple of times, but it has been extremely effective. You do need to be careful not to put either of you in danger, but I would offset this with the safety benefits of making them concentrate on the car in front of them and also the fact that they quickly drop back to a much safer gap.
That's a thought. They way I drive tends to involve very gradual changes of speed, especially on the roads that I know. If I know there's a hidden driveway coming up, I'll back off 200 yards before it and gradually ease my speed down. If I constantly varied my speed it would make the tailgater's life very difficult indeed!
I just use very gentle slowing down and speeding up as imperceptably as possible. It's not aggressive for the car behind. I envisage it as keeping the space between the car behind and the car in front as big as I want it and then aiming to 'patrol' it by moving backwards and forwards in the space.
It seems to work and often stop the tailgating without enraging the car behind (I have lots of much better ways to enrage the car behind, but that's another story).
Graham
It seems to work and often stop the tailgating without enraging the car behind (I have lots of much better ways to enrage the car behind, but that's another story).
Graham
gridgway said:
I just use very gentle slowing down and speeding up as imperceptably as possible. It's not aggressive for the car behind. I envisage it as keeping the space between the car behind and the car in front as big as I want it and then aiming to 'patrol' it by moving backwards and forwards in the space.
It seems to work and often stop the tailgating without enraging the car behind (I have lots of much better ways to enrage the car behind, but that's another story).
Graham
Yes, this sounds like an interesting technique. I'll try it (subtley, of course) and see what happens!
Thanks for all your thoughts.
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