Safe Speed Forums

Tried a trace on tailgating - nothing appeared to pont to this - so sorry if its been on recently.

TAILGATERS ARE MOST FEARED M-WAY DRIVERS
Survey finds that most aren't worried by speeding( my bold)
Saw this over on Pistonheads - also featured a lot on radio and TV bews/comments progs a lot in past few days.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/news/defau ... ryId=11634


Now why can't the deadheads at VOSPA and the Highways agency and the Chief Constables take note.

Or is it because it costs too much to implement.

We already have the technology to stop tailgaiting, same as we have the technology to stop the misuse of L2 on the motorways and a lot more that robots can't detect/deter against.

Its called a Traffic Policeman (to give him his sunday title)

Wonderful bit of technology - enforces / educates / and all for a modest sum( from those in here that figure includes donuts)


As the song says "When will they ever learn"

I think almost all here would agree that being tailgated is one of the most intimidating and scary things that can happen - particularly so on a fast, well-flowing road on which there is absolutely no need for it.

However, tailgating is not an 'absolute' offence in the same way that speeding is. It's quite a bit harder to enforce 'a safe distance' than '70mph'. We all know that traffic police can generally make a sensible decision about it, but it's a lot harder to make a prosecution stick, and doesn't ply the same money into the coffers as speed cameras!

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

mike(f) said"and doesn't ply the same money into the coffers as speed cameras"

But with the old fashioned trafpol - the more out there - the better chance of them getting pulled.

They're tailgaiting for primarly one of two reasons ( possibly a lot more , but primarly two)

1) ignorance - untill they get the shit scared out of them by either a lecture from a traffic cop or nearly park in the boot of the car in front they won't stop.
2) the pillock who either is trying to intimidate you into going faster or make you pull over to let them past to do the same to the next car in line.

case 1 - a verbal boot up the ar** from a trafpol might change their ways.
case 2 - last thing they want is to be held up by trafpol - theyre in hurry so being pulled will make them late.


More trafpols would educate case 1 and deter case 2 - and the evidence from the cctv on board would do a lot to ensure a successful case .

Oh, I quite agree, it would be nice to see more of them out there. But the people making the decisions have their Christmas bonuses to think about, you see.

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

Well I've seen tailgating drivers get the shit scared out of them and still carry on tailgating just seconds later
Many of todays drivers simply were'nt around when the old 2-second rule ads were on the telly, however I wonder just how much effect they alone would have if re-introduced tomorrow. Yes they may have some impact on the mindless tailgater, but personally I think theres something more worrying going on. Deliberate tailgating is symptomatic of a corrosion in the culture of good behaviour and good driving and no amount of ads will re-align someone with a bad social attitude let alone a bad driving attitude.
More trafpol seems to be the common cry but again I wonder just how many would have to be on patrol at once to really make a difference.

Part of the problem, of course, is people not moving out of the way when a faster car comes up behind them. I'd rather leave a gap of around 100m on a motorway, but nobody would ever move out of the way if you didn't get closer than that. So yes, people shouldn't tailgate, but the tailgater is often only tailgating because the tailgaitee isn't following the principle of keeping to the left except when overtaking. Perhaps we need trafpol to stop people for not keeping to the left when not overtaking, as well as stopping people for tailgating?

I agree with Steve here.

However, I've found a good solution to tailgaters which works most of the time - you simply wash your windows, front and back, every 20 seconds or so. They quickly tire of having to turn their wipers on, and back off.

Cheers
Peter

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

Agree with everything so far.

Also have to agree with stevei and the fact that poor lane discipline can lead to tailgating.

In fact I think that most of the real safety issues on the road today relate to adherence (or lack of) to basic rules of the road.

I am a little paranoid though, I do tend to drive a little on the rapid side and have expressed my frustration of L3 pedestrians. I do hope I'm not a closet tailgater!!!!!

It works very well when the car is a soft top, on hot day

Depends what you are driving.

Yet another reason large MPVs and 4x4s are becoming more popular?

Never underestimate the power of the humble windscreen washer! Driving a diesel I also find that easing up on the gas then gently resuming my previous speed tends to make all but the most determined tailgater drop back. It doesn't antagonise like flashing brake lights, and a full brake test tends to endanger other road users too much. I tend to let them pass if possible as I prefer them (tailgating the vehicle ) in front.

Quite often get them in lane 1 or 2 on the motorway hypnotised a car's length or two off my rear end. The above tends to wake them up into overtaking me!

This happened to me on the speed camera enforced M4, I was overtaking in L3 at 78/79 mph trying not to get a ticket whilst making progress, black Audi approaches like a scalded cat and sits on my back bumper - cant see his headlights he was so close. Complete my overtake and as the Audi pulls alongside I give him the obligatory one finger salute!

Obviously he thinks hes done nothing wrong - I was in his way of course!

Scameras didnt catch that one as it was rush hour - they dont seem to set up their revenue making equipment so early in the day....

Black audi?

when was this again?

Yes the trick is to point the driver's washer in the middle of your screen and utilise the passenger side one for a James Bond style non-lethal detterant for the rear

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It's a scam........or possibly a scamola


Homer Simpson

well you were in his way - YOU caused him to slow down, a definite no no.

I don't suppose you considered NOT pulling out to overtake because there was a car that was obviously closing quite quickly? Nooooo, that would require being aware of what's going on around you.

I REALLY don't agree with this windscreen washer technique. What if the guy behind is a nutter who thinks you're trying to get at him? Even if he isn't a nutter the strategy risks raising stress and causing danger.

For proper advice on tailgating see: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/tailgate.html

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Caution: the advice to accelerate to get to a space allowing you to pull in, to get out of the way of a tailgater in L2 of a DC will get you done for speeding if there is a trap at that point.

I know, I was that mug, and the court didn't give a stuff that it was the only safe alternative.

Drivers tailgate generally for one reason - they want to pass the driver in front. But there are 3 situations:

1. The driver in front is driving at the speed limit (or even a little over it) and the driver behind has no regard and just wants to go at his own pace way above the speed limit.

2. The driver in front is driving at a pace lower than the speed limit but is overtaking even slower vehicles, and is doing so at a reasonable pace.

3. The driver in front is driving at a pace lower than the speed limit in the fast lane for no reason, i.e. fast lane hog.

I sympathise with the tailgaiters in situation 3. But I guess people here don't pay much regard to speed.

The only other situation where I may drive close to the vehicle in front is approaching a green traffic light where I want to get through it. I know you lot think that's wrong but in London you have to get as many as possible through the greens or you get gridlock. Plus if you don't make the effort to get through and let the guy behind get through, and it turns on him, he'll cross it anyway (and so probably will 2 more behind).

In reply to Johnshers attempt to wind me up.. I was in the middle of my overtake when he appeared out of nowhere. You assume I have no spacial awareness when in fact the opposite is true, I spend a lot of time looking in all my mirrors as well as in front and above (Scameras on bridges).
I have travelled along the M4 almost daily for the last 5 years so I am well aware of the muppets that drive in all three lanes! DO you drive a black Audi A4??? Was it you I saluted?

regarding being tailgated for middle or outer lane hogging:

Sometimes there is little choice [to be in the inside lane all the time] especially on just about any motorway now with frequent merging traffic you have to keep moving out of the inside lane to let traffic out and once in the inside lane you can't get out again. On the M25 going towards Heathrow from Dartford there seems to be so much exiting traffic that I just stay in the middle or 2nd lane if it is 4 lanes. I don't see why other traffic just can't overtake because they all seem to be at around 100 MPH in the outer lanes anyway.


Regards


Andrew

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It's a scam........or possibly a scamola


Homer Simpson