Safe Speed Forums

Drivers who deliberately tailgate one vehicle after another because they are trying to progress at a pace much faster than the prevailing traffic around them will otherwise allow, deserve to suffer the humiliation of seeing their licence shredded on live prime time TV (the shredder itself then being crushed by a hydraulic press and melted with acid).

I was in the middle of my overtake when he appeared out of nowhere.

Depends what you are driving.

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

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!

since when do cars just appear from nowhere on a motorway?

As I'm halfway across into L2, the vehicle that was keeping pace with me in L2 suddenly moves over into L1, revealing a far faster moving car now heading straight for me...

I still don't understand why you wouldn't see them coming up. Ok, maybe if it was a large truck in L2, but a car doesn't completely obscure the road behind.

I still don't understand why you wouldn't see them coming up. Ok, maybe if it was a large truck in L2, but a car doesn't completely obscure the road behind.

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).

The scond type is, in my observation, much more common and much more dangerous. This type is oblivious to safe following distance and takes up a position of (say) 2-3 car lengths behind another vehicle regardless of speed and (apparently) is quite content to stay there mile after mile. You can often find a number of this type bunched together on a busy motorway, resulting in a procession of 4,5,6, or sometimes more vehicles, all with 1s or less separation. That type is truly horrifying, not just because of the immediate safety risk but more because of the implied lack of hazard awareness.

I broadly recognise two types of tailgater: those who want to overtake and those who are just keeping up with the flow of traffic.

The first type may be consciously or unconsciously intimidating, which can be unpleasant; but there's always an easy solution to them - move over and let them pass. They are, briefly, an additional safety risk; but at least a driver who wants to press on is likely to be paying attention.

The scond type is, in my observation, much more common and much more dangerous. This type is oblivious to safe following distance and takes up a position of (say) 2-3 car lengths behind another vehicle regardless of speed and (apparently) is quite content to stay there mile after mile. You can often find a number of this type bunched together on a busy motorway, resulting in a procession of 4,5,6, or sometimes more vehicles, all with 1s or less separation. That type is truly horrifying, not just because of the immediate safety risk but more because of the implied lack of hazard awareness.