Yes, this is one of the many disadvantages of living in this city. But like you said, glomming on to someone's bumper is inexcusable.

I see it from all types and both genders, though statistically it has been said that women tailgate more than men.

 

Try camping in the left lane in Germany on the autobahn and you might get run off the road by a lamborgini, porche, ferrari, or a BMW station wagon with kids playing in the back. No kidding.

 

I LOVED driving in Europe (Italy, Germany, etc.)! You never camp in the left lane going less than 100 MPH or so, unless you have a death wish. People do camp there but they're going insanely fast.

And again, driving in the left lane in L.A. is an actual need, given the amount of traffic here.

 

I'm tickled to see the suggestion that vilifies young ladies, as I always thought this was a uniquely testosterone fueled behavior...

Live & learn.

 

My thought is that the car in front of me should be part of the scenery; it should BE the scenery.

Excellent point.


I like to think i have an open mind. I watch and see what is true (when it can be seen) and don't rely on generalizations to tell me what to believe. That said, when someone is following too close behind me (tailgating), it's almost always a young woman. The "testosterones", at least where i live, are a much rarer breed.

 

I drive a 4 lane expressway about 15 miles each way daily here in Vegas and we have our share of left lane losers; camping out in the left lane because they want open road in front of them and no interest for who is behind them. Haven't noticed any particular demographic (age, gender or ethnicity) of the drivers but they tend to drive larger, upper end SUVs, pick-up trucks and minivans. The most common problems are cell-phones and the real idiots texting on their blackberry's. Maybe it's time to raise the deductible for drivers to $5k or $10K if their cell phone or PDA use while driving contributes to the accident they are much more likely to be involved with?

 

I'm not a fan of tailgating, but when it happens I pull over and let them pass me.

 

Ditto.

I had a bumper sticker on my last car that read "Sorry for driving so close in front of you"

 

Ive, on occasion used my 007 squirtgun mod on some relentless tailgaters, i try to time it for an underpass so the have no idea where its coming from . Usually short bursts does the trick. I personally have found setting my cruise keeps me out of trouble and patient, preventing yself from tailgating.

 

It seems that there is a disproportional amount of drivers that "hang" in the Left Lane. It was funny to see them all backed up on I95 South bound out of Delaware, when the right lane was moving (in 2nd gear).
I guess they all soon realized that being in the far right was better than staying in the left - as many of them began moving over!
This seems to be a regular theme, left lane clogged, right lane moving at a steady pace. If only drivers realized that you can't get there any quicker no matter what lane (I catch them at some point - even pass and arrive at a light before them!).

 

I have a good cure for tailgaters also. Its called the break test. But always be prepared to get on the gas based on there reactions. They always get the message after their heart rate gets back to normal.

 

i'm a fan but ususally those tailgating are dangerous enough, i don't wanna try their skills of moving to the break. sometimes though

 

uh...

them's brakes fellas.

and i hope your brakes don't break...



and please - if someone is riding your butt, don't brake check them - here's why

1. they could get the message and back off, OR

2. they could be drunk or impaired or stupid or untrained or almost anything and
>A. hit your car
>B. lock their brakes, and be struck from behind, or
>C. start a chain reaction that gets the 4th car back, or
>D. swerve to avoid and take out the family in the right hand lane, or
>E. be a plainclothed police office, or
>F. be armed, or
>G. be crazy, and have enough gas in their tank to follow you anywhere...

3. and finally, if (to quote George Carlin) they are maniacs then you want them in front of you for two reasons
>A. your own safety, and
>B. they'll draw the attention of any officers that might otherwise be interested in you...

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Well done!

 

OK, I know everyone has a strong opinion/judgment about these things, but what I really want to know is how you personally drive as far as tailgating is concerned. Do you tailgate or no? If so, why?

 

Only if some brain-dead moron is doing 60 in a 70 mph passing lane, then yes, with lights flashing. Get outta my way, fool.

Here in CO we have a left lane law: if it's 65 mph or over, and there's no congestion, the left-most lane is for passing only. If U camp out, and get caught, $300 large.

And if anyone wishes to see left lane camping on a widespread basis, go to Oregon. even WA state warns drivers at their border that the left lane is a passing lane ONLY (they have a law similar to CO's).

Once on I-5 between Portland and Salem I passed (on the right) 26 vehicles in a left lane camping convoy, all going 5-10 slower than the speed limit. Not a single car in the right lane. Almost like lemmings to the cliff...

Funny thing: as I passed all 26 cars, I didnt exceed the speed limit.

 

That's what's key: if there's no congestion. Unfortunately in L.A. there is literally (and I'm not exaggerating here) almost always enough congestion to necessitate the need for full use of the left lane.

People, do yourself a favor and don't move to L.A. -- we don't need any more cars!!

 

No deal on the tailgateing thing! I have fairly good reaction times but I just don't feel like running the risk of hurting Sarah Jane! I guess maybe thats just a consequence of getting older and trying to relax instead of taking things personally.

If I'm being tailgated and I can't move over or let the idiot by, I don't do the brake check thing, but I have been known to downshift from 5th to 3rd! That works really well in a Mustang GT but in the MCS, not so much.

 

Well I can say all the people posting to this thread are correct under certain circumstances. But in no circumstance is it okay to tailgate and in many states it is actually illegal.

1. If it is a two lane highway with 3 cars per mile then the right lane is for driving and the left lane for passing only. Not a lot of traffic and the rules of the road in most states at least is stay right. But I have driven on interstate highways of two lave each direction that if you are traveling in a small car driving in the right lane is all but impossible. I-40 for instance in parts of NC are so bumpy in the right lane that it really is not drivable unless you are in a 1970 Cadillac where you cant feel the road below you.

2. Large cities and other metropolitan areas are much different. LA, Boston (special rule apply and I will get to them in a minute), NY, Chicago, Dallas etc will all have to much traffic to stay right all the time. And in those areas the road may or may not be wide enough to handle all the traffic, and thus driving in all lanes is required to keep traffic moving. And many states now have traffic laws regarding these situations. In many states it is legal to use all the lanes as driving lanes but when traffic is light they recommend you stay right.

Now as for the Boston area it is actually legal to use the breakdown lane (right of the right lane) as a driving lane during peak travel hours, I think the hours are 7am to 10am and then from 3pm to 7pm. During this time is is also legal to pass on the right, but only if you are traveling in the breakdown lane. This has been done to keep traffic moving. There was a time last year when some of the breakdown lanes were closed for repairs and travel times increased by something like 23% just because the breakdown lanes could not be used for normal traffic.

The unfortunate thing is that many roads in congested areas like big cities were never designed for the amount of traffic that they carry on a daily basis. If this problem was resolved then we could all go back to having a passing lane available.

I have not driven in Phoenix for 2-3 years but I can say that when I was there in 2000 the highway was 5-6-7 lanes wide in some places and had a lot of traffic but still room to move around easily from one lane to another. but when I traveled back in 2008 the same highways at the same times of day had increased traffic enough to slow the normal flow down to 15 or more mile less than the speed limit. So in just eight years the highways were becoming obsolete for size and amount of traffic they could handle. In some places they were working on adding lanes and one I think was up to 8-9 lanes. Now that is a lot of traffic, and try getting to the passing lane if it is 8 lanes away - Good Luck

 

SCHATZY62, The first time i saw people driving in the breakdown lane in Boston i was flip'n out! Then realizing this was legal, i wondered why other high traffic areas dont use this ingeneous idea during peak hours! We live 1hr 10min from boston where my wife works, and her commute time is INSANE! It takes her under (but not by much, and sometimes over) 3hrs to get there in the morning, and close to the same in the evening. She sees countless traffic dangers, tailgating amongst them.

Another fix ive found is the slight drift to the edge, or center of the road, kickin up sand, salt, or whatever may be found off to the edge-works particularly well in the winter and spring. I try to stay back a safe distance, as i dont really enjoy being sandblasted myself, though in doing so, it gives other drivers the idea they can slide infront and kick crap up anyways

 

Saw this in another post, Yet one more reason NOT to tailgate :
Originally Posted by rrcaniglia
I was maybe half a dozen car lengths behind a semi just east of El Paso when one of its tires came apart creating a cloud of tire bits and hurling large strips of tread fifteen feet in the air. Great fun dodging those big heavy snaky strips of twisting venom--both of them. I wasn't drafting to boost mpg, just getting ready to exit. Don't think I will put myself in that position again, not anytime soon.

 

I'd like to encourage all of those who think it's OK to brake check someone, or squirt them or throw sand on their windshields to please reconsider their behavior. As anti-social as you think their behavior might be in tailgating you, yours is worse. It may feel righteous, but it isn't - two wrongs do not make a right..... (although 3 rights make a left )

Just get out of the way and let them go by, and be glad when they do.....and Headlands, I know traffic in LA (and other busy cities) dictates different driving situations, but you still can move over if you find someone tailgating you, then move left again once they clear you.....and be happy they're now in front instead of riding your bumper.

I don't tailgate as such, but I used to get pretty close just before I passed the car in front as I accelerated to warp speed to go around them, leading to quick frightened intakes of breath from my wife as she thought I was gonna hit them before I got around. I don't do that anymore.....at least with her in the car....

 

I don't tailgate because:
1. I'm afraid i will get in an accident.
2. It makes me nervous and i don't enjoy driving my MINI that way.
3. i don't like when someone does it to me.

 

I think it's interesting how angry people get when someone tailgates them, they're really not causing the person in front any real problems by being there, not forcing them to move over or damaging their car in any way, yet people stomp the brakes, squirt washer fluid on them, drive on the shoulder so as to throw rocks at their car and so on.....all way out of proportion to the "offence", IMHO........

If you think about it, it's because they've invaded your space, kinda like when someone gets too close to your face and talks too loud, your first impulse is to step away or push them back from you - I think it's the same reaction. If you can learn to not react, and just either ignore them or simply move over and let them by.........it would be the end one kind of road rage for one thing.....

My take is that driving is supposed to be a co-operative venture - we're all on our way somewhere, and we should help each other to get there safely. It's not a competition, not a race.......so take your time, relax and slow down a bit, you'll enjoy the journey a whole lot more if you're not tense, angry and upset.

Just my 2c

 

oh that's worth an amen...

AMEN!