Tailgating

[Paul Norman]

ok...stand back, I am needing to rant!!

I spend hours a day on the road - covering up to 50 000 miles a year. I have just returned home after another day of having to think for other people, people who driving huge trucks and transit vans less than a car length behind me. And then become angry when I slow down, because the person in front of me has slowed! Oddly enough! And, for their information, because they dont have brains of their own, I leave more space, because I am allowing the space for both of us.

I am VERY tired of hearing about speeding as being public enemy number one, which I passionately believe is incorrect. Its bad driving that is the enemy.

Police - start with these imbeciles. Please. Before someone gets killed. Oops....too late.

[Chris Lodge]

Paul

Your comments are very apt. By far the most common accidents in the UK (and indeed cause of whiplash injury) are rear end shunts and the reason is frequently tailgating.

Maybe it is because most van drivers and many lorry drivers are not the vehicle owners and may also be in a hurry to reach their destinations (thus meet their targets).

However, tailgating is not just limited to the commercial sector. Young drivers and those with fast cars as just as bad.

[Fleet Risk Consultants]

But if these people do not understand the implications of their actions they will not change their way of driving.

We need more education.

Paul, You understand the risks but a lot of drivers don't.

[Dave H]

Tailgating is most definitely one of my pet hates, that alongside people that drive with their foglights on (on a clear night). WHY!? do they think it makes them look 'cool'?

Being a modified car owner (and indeed, running a car forum) I find there seems to be a generalisation of "if you own a modded car, you must drive like an asshole", but what alot of people don't realise is that 90% of the modded car owners also get fed up with the small percentage of idiots that drive like twats and give us all a bad name.

[Paul Norman]

Interesting, useful posts here. And I agree that the people who offend in this regard do not understand the risks.

However...and here I go...if a person cannot figure out that tailgating risks lives....should they be allowed out by themselves?

I am interested..no posts from anyone admitting to doing it, explaining why?

I did once hear a defence - it went like this..I have better reactions than most people!

I did laugh!

Lots of people do it...so where are you...show yourselves....

[Angela "VirtualPA" Dawson]

Ooh don't get me started on poor driving in this country

I was driving down the A1 last week and this youngster in a Peugeot 206 came down the slip road, flew into the inside line then straight out to the outside lane, then back into the inside lane only to then go back off at the slip road further down. He was driving at a heck of a speed, and never once used his indicators. Moron

I don't do an awful lot of driving these days with working from home but recently I have done a bit of motorway driving down to Leeds and Birmingham. The driving standard in this country by a lot of drivers is disgusting. No wonder there are as many accidents as there are.

I agree it's not speeding that's the problem it's the style of driving. I do believe you can drive fast but be a safe driver. But if you crawl up the backside of the car in front you're just asking for trouble.

I told you not to get me started... now I need some chocolate to calm down

Regards
Angela

[UK Business Network]

Originally Posted by Paul Norman

ok...stand back, I am needing to rant!!

I spend hours a day on the road - covering up to 50 000 miles a year. I have just returned home after another day of having to think for other people, people who driving huge trucks and transit vans less than a car length behind me.

I must admit, my answer to this problem is simple one, I do the same as my father does, I wait til we are going along at a good speed, then i tap the break very briefly, these does not slow your car down, but the flash of break lights scares the **** out of the fools behind me! They then back off, works everytime!

[Helen]

I tend to wash my windscreen first...... sprays water all over their screen too and causes them to back off..... if that doesn't do the trick, then I too tap my brakes. If they are still stupidly unaware, I have an ashtray full of small pieces of gravel..... I secretly just flick a piece out the sunroof.......

Must admit, tailgating is one of my pet hates... it's up there with lack of lane discipline.

[ArtWords]

I saw a sign on an Arriva bus in Chester that had an anti tailgating message on it - obviously it doesn't affect the idiots, but it will have an impact (or lack of it) on those who inadvertently get too close.

They're called TailGuardian signs...they flash a warning to following cars when they get too close and disappear when they're far enough back.

[Mark]

One of my pet hates, too!

[Adam H]

Originally Posted by UK Business Network

I must admit, my answer to this problem is simple one, I do the same as my father does, I wait til we are going along at a good speed, then i tap the break very briefly, these does not slow your car down, but the flash of break lights scares the **** out of the fools behind me! They then back off, works everytime!

^^ Exactly what id do too, Although im probably one of the few people that believe that the largest percentage of accidents are caused by the nervous, driving like miss daisy types who can not control the car.

The types that look in their rear view mirror and think "oh thats a nasty accident" and continue on their way not knowing or thinking they have just caused the dam thing.

Old age people and people with a nervous driving sense shouldnt be allowed to drive, Mandatory advanced driving lessons should be taken though out your life , every 10 years or so and over 50 every 5 .

[Chris Lodge]

Well, that would certainly reduce accidents as the number of road users would be drastically reduced...which would be fine if we had an infrastructure of public transport which was was efficient, frequent and above all, user friendly to the over 50s.

[NerveBusters]

As a driving instructor, I have more tailgaters than most. Some just assume that because we have an 'L' plate on the roof, we must be going slow. This is wrong because we encourage drivers to drive at the correct speed for the road, when conditions allow. We have to train learners to do this because they can fail for driving too slowly (60 on a dual-carriageway, for example). My personal 'pet hate' is people who cannot use roundabouts correctly. To start with, they do no observation on approach, so they stop...then look and realise that there is nothing coming, so then they get moving again and in doing so, it causes a hold-up. I have previously driven lorries and it's really annoying when we have to go from stopped, with no reason. Oh yes, and whilst I'm having my two-penceworth, why do people drive with parking lights on? What are you doing, saving electricity? If you need your lights on, put them on...dipped headlights. Parking lights are called that for a reason. DTR lights are a different story.

[IGM_Computers]

I've recently started working a lot in London and can honestly say the standard of driving there is appalling! No one indicates EVER and a red light means absolutely nothing.

[paultgreen]

Try being on two wheels. I love motorbikes, but can't see myself getting another one due to idiots on the road.

I lived in South London for the last two years - It's shocking isn't it!

Give way means "close eyes and pull out"
Right of way means "close eyes and pull out"
Buses indicating means the driver has just "closed eyes and pulled out" - if you don't take evasive action, you will be shunted by a bus, and thanks to the modernised highway code, it will be your fault for not giving way.


How's this for an idea. Get rid of speed cameras on all trunk roads, re-calibrate the digital cameras to watch for driving patterns and irratic driving, and don't ticket the bloke (me) doing 100mph on the road on my own in the powerful and serviced V8, ticket the muppet that's sitting on someone's backside and lane hopping. When they've been ticketed, start ticketing the Vauxhall Corsa driver going flat out and pushing his car to his limits it's not really designed for.

Just a thought.

[Seneca]

Remove all safety features from cars, seat belts included, and put a 6 inch spike in the centre of the steering wheel, business end facing the driver. Watch the standard of driving increase dramatically. Ahhh, if only....

[Mike Awford]

Originally Posted by Paul Norman

ok...stand back, I am needing to rant!!

I spend hours a day on the road - covering up to 50 000 miles a year. I have just returned home after another day of having to think for other people, people who driving huge trucks and transit vans less than a car length behind me. And then become angry when I slow down, because the person in front of me has slowed! Oddly enough! And, for their information, because they dont have brains of their own, I leave more space, because I am allowing the space for both of us.

I am VERY tired of hearing about speeding as being public enemy number one, which I passionately believe is incorrect. Its bad driving that is the enemy.

Police - start with these imbeciles. Please. Before someone gets killed. Oops....too late.

[Mike Awford]

Absolutely agree, but be grateful you're in UK, not in Italy, where it's a point of honour to drive so closely to your rear bumper that you can't see their headlights in your rear view mirror!

[Chris Lodge]

I agree with Mike on this. I drive in France quite a bit and its the same there. Also I am beginning to think it's unlawful to indicate on a roundabout as nobody does it in France!

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Seneca

Remove all safety features from cars, seat belts included, and put a 6 inch spike in the centre of the steering wheel, business end facing the driver. Watch the standard of driving increase dramatically.

Unfortunately, some people would still survive; the spike missing their brain by several feet.