So if you got tailgated, do you move left somehow, let them pass and tailgate them back?
I'm so tempted to do this but always got put off by the thought that I'll be the same scumbag as them.
If you did, what was their reaction?
Do you tailgate the tailgater ?
tomleonhart on 14/07/2016 - 16:58
Last edited 14/07/2016 - 17:31 by 1 other user
Last edited 14/07/2016 - 17:31 by 1 other user
Comments
Tailgating is a traffic offence for a reason; it's dangerous. Don't tolerate it or retaliate, take dash cam photo's, post on dash cam websites and report to police.
@grasstown: There is a reason why they call it a speed limit. Going faster would be traffic offense. This is when I'm on a 2 land highway and on the far left and the person has all the ability to indicate and lane change and overtake my vehicle.
so screw everyone else behind you and the tailgater? you would create a traffic jam just to teach this guy a lesson? You do know that this is doing the exact opposite of what you think right? and i suppose you know your speedo is 100% accurate? this kind of behaviour really enrages me. You have no idea why the person behind you is wanting to go fast than you. I bet you are the type of person that closes the gaps between lanes to stop motorcycles from "cheating" rather kill someone than let them bend the rules.
@Jabba1701: What happens if a kid runs out onto the road and I have to stop abruptly? Either situation is bad, but wouldn't you say going at a slower speed is better than maintain the current speed?
Who is behind the tailgater is little of concern of me, my concern is my safety and the safety of others.
Motorcycles have the right to the road as much as I do. I make a conscious effort to look out for them and don't care if they weave in or out of traffic.
@doodo477: it is more likely that you driving 20km in an 80km zone will cause a pile up. That is extremely selfish to the rest of the road users.
Good to know you are motorcyclist aware. Not many are :)
I happily slow down when someone tailgates me, ESPECIALLY when there is a lane available that he/she can pass me on the right. I don't aggressively brake or slow down considerably, just enough to get them pissed off enough to go past me.
This doesn't slow down the traffic in any way, from my experience. I'm very aware of traffic conditions around me when I'm driving - unlike a great many drivers.
@Jabba1701: They may have a perfectly good reason to want to go faster/overtake. But that does not change the fact that they are tailgating which is dangerous and achieves nothing.
but dashcam is for the front and not the back….unless you like it that way
Reminds of that very old rock song " I like it both ways" :/
What's the source of your information that they're only for the front?
have one for the back after I got rear-ended. i really don't like it that either way.
you go to that effort to dob in on a fellow citizen? :/
Some people get off on it and love their holier than thou approach though in my experience people like that are usually on the wrong side of the rules somewhere else in their life but are ok with it because its benefiting them…personally I stick to the 'people in glass houses…' approach and just move to the left to let people pass, its not up to me to enforce speed limits or judge their reasoning I travel how I feel comfortable if thats over, under, or spot on the limit
I always assume they are off to a medical emergency or someone dying and let them pass
Yep same here. Why be an a**hole, if you don't have to be?
Well, because usually the medical emergency drivers will plead with you. They'll tap the horn, and flash their lights on quickly to let you know "Hey, I don't mean to be an As-hole, but I gotta get through, this is an Emergency". It's usually in the first 30 seconds of tailgating you.
However!…Most tailgaters just tailgate you, because they are as-holes.
They will do this after 5 minutes of tailgating you.
And if they don't get what they want…
They will engage you with a loud, and long horn. Or keep their high-beams on and blind you. Or both !And if you slow down, or reciprocate it turns into a Road Rage.
That's when this is necessary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjnQ1dvlJMI was being tailgated by a medium sized truck, and I was travelling at the posted speed limit on a two lane road, on the left lane.
I waved him past and had my passenger record his driving behaviour. As soon as he noticed he was being recorded he backed right off and drove normally.
He was just being a (profanity).
Strange that 90% of cars behind me have a medical emergency (and want to risk creating another one), yet often don't use the other empty lanes to the right.
90%? Mate, I'd ask myself questions if it was the case!
Yes let's all let the jerks get their way. Hey if everyone gets out of the way theyll basically be an ambulance and be able to get around town super fast.
I slow down and keep up to speed with the person in the left lane so the tailgater can't switch lanes
I love doing this. And you can see the tailgater getting more & more angry. Its fantastic
Good call! I do the same. I feel it is my solemn duty to piss tailgaters off.
https://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/racv/internet/primar… left unless overtaking
you guys seem cool
I think this is called "Boxing them in". I've developed this a little further. I match the speed of the left hand lane car minus 3kph. So I'm slightly slower. So eventually they realize that the left lane is moving faster so they tailgate the left lane. I then speed up until I'm slightly ahead of the car left lane car, so the tailgater comes back to my side. Rinse and repeat.
There's the small chance there is a medical emergency and you shouldn't do this…but I sometimes do. In my defence, I usually speed slightly. So I only end up doing this if I'm doing 90kph in an 80 zone. Screw the douche that tailgates someone whose already speeding!
So effectively, you are describing yourself as a (profanity)?
I thought matt damon was a nice guy
@schwinn:
That used to be Copie with a pic of a red truck.
An avalanche of negs and I guess he needed a change.It's been changed for awhile now.
Begs don't bother me as they account for nothing here, all it points out is how butt hurt people get on here
Well this place has changed a bit in the past year or so.
At least JV is back!
Why are you using feet? We ain't in America
@MATTDAMON: Only really common in the over 60 crowd. Not many people under 60 would refer to ridiculous imperial measurements.
@dogboy: Regardless of age, it is law that we use the metric system here for weights and measurements. However, you are allowed to refer to imperial measurements if it is more descriptive, e.g. 1/4"-20 when referring to a quarter-inch thread used for mounting photographic equipment to tripods. Also in international activities where confusion in measurements could be dangerous or catastrophic, e.g. in aviation, altitude is always expressed in feet throughout the globe. Using feet to describe the distance a car is following? Not allowed.
Admitting to be an A-hole on the road - nice work sir.
What an idiotBetter then being a douche canoe who sits in the right hand lane going under the speed limit and thinking screw everyone else.
That is why I always keep a close eye on the TG in case he/she decide to do exactly that. My immediate action is to hammer down into your choice of undertaking lane. I then pull in front of said douchbag for a somewhat annoying brake check. You reap what you sow Matty….
With 670hp and 800nm of torque available i will be in and around you before you can realise what is going on, provided i get the traction, and besides in a game of lane chicken you will always loose, i dont care if you hit the 4by, it has tubular steel sliders and panel protectors so all that will happen is you will bounce off the sides and end up with a nice repair bill and i will still be able to drive away undamaged.
Hahaha what rubbish.
By the time your slow piece of crap lumbers into the next lane, everyone else will have fanged it away into the distance.
Then you get sued by their insurance company and pay extra because of your awesome extended tow hook that just punctured their engine. If they have a dash cam you're losing your licence or at worst going to jail for dangerous driving, while your face will be plastered on news.com for being "that guy". While you're in jail, the other guy just got a new car from the insurance payout because you totalled their car for tailgating you in the first place. And then your wife leaves you. So yeah, this is a pretty stupid idea.
Extended length tow bar tongues aren't illegal so long it doesn't exceed more then 250mm from the exterior of the vehicle.
And I wouldn't be charged with dangerous driving as that is a felony offense, if you were lucky it may be neg driving which is 3 points and 300 dollar fine.
@MATTDAMON: HAHAHAHAAH you're awesome! Love reading your posts. You are an idiot extraordinaire. I like to imagine what people look like from their comments, and you sir, are easy to guess…
Windows rolled down on your pen!s mobile, tattoo covered arm hanging out, your hat turned to the side, neck tattoos proudly on display through your gym fit tank top, bad arse rap music at 120dB, bling on the fingers. The very essence of douchbaggery.
Lol @ 680hp and 800nm… What is it buddy? Metric or imperial? And all that power in a shitbox 3tonne 4wd would still be outrun by a fat guy on a bicycle…
Please keep replying, you're making my day. :D
Has nothing to do with whether your tow bar is illegal. You brake check = you are liable for damage if the other guy hits you, so you will be footing the bill. Your insurance company will be unlikely to cover you. You brake check = intentionally driving to cause damage, so you're not going to get off that easy either, especially if personal injury is involved you will face jail time. Moral of the story is road rage is not worth it.
If you go up the back of me first thing the Cops will ask you is why were you following too close, I can argue that I saw a kid running toward the road or saw an indicator ok so I covered the brakes to ensure I could stop in time, like any competent driver would do.
Even if you had a camera you would be SOL.
In the mean time I give my statement over the phone at a later date and off I go you have to sit around and wait for a tow.
GG
You must be joking? The video would show you swerving in front of the guy after you dangerously overtook via the shoulder lane and then brake checking, so clearly the cops wouldn't ask why the car was following you so closely .
I'd love to see your statement, "uh yeah the guy in front was going at the speed limit, but I wanted to go at stupid speeds so I did 30 over the limit to overtake via the shoulder lane, swerved in front of him and then suddenly a kid came outta no where"… yeah okay good luck with that.
Seriously I don't see what you're trying to argue. That you can drive like an idiot, put people in dangerous situations, including yourself and fellow motorists who may be around you, and then that you can get away with minor damage to your car and think you're a hotshot? Grow up please.
The dashcam would suggest otherwise
It would be clear what the conditions are ahead as you pull into the lane and slam the brakes.
If you had half a brain you would realise that from video footage you can easily tell what is happening.
Just watch any road-rage dash cam video and you can easily tell when someone pulls up the side, cuts into the lane and brake checks. You can easily tell aggressive driving behaviour when captured on video.
Video footage never lies
You could always upvote it +
I do this, or i tailgate the tailgater as the OP said.
A few christmas' ago when i was in NSW (double demerits) i had a van come up and tailgate me hard, i had every intention of keeping left as soon as possible but I was overtaking cars on the left and had no room to pull over immediately and was already doing slightly over the limit. \
As soon as i could safely do so, i merged into the outer lane and let the van pass, but then i merged back over and tailgated the van.
He obviously didn't like it and kept speeding up thinking I would back off… lol, i kept tailgating the a-hole that instigated it while he kept speeding up.Anyway, the moment i called it quits we were doing 145kph. Literally the moment i started slowing and merging back into the outer lane a highway patrol pulled out from the scrubs with its sirens on! I thought he was going to pull me over but he went past me and pulled the van over… i guess because the van was in front and he got pinged first. 45kph over the limit and double demerits… wonder what happened to his license?
I reckon he learnt his lesson!
How about GTFO of the right lane and stop being an ahole. People like you contribute to the situation, and there would be a lot less tailgaiting if douchebags like you who enjoy playing games on the road didn't block all lanes.
I pull over and let them pass where possible.
Who knows what lunatic is behind the wheel. Seen too many incidents of road rage in South East Queensland for me to want to become part of it.Exactly this. Not worth bring involved in an accident due to their careless driving, just let them pass, hopefully they have a good reason for being in a hurry
Their just hurrying to the cemetery.
And they plan on taking others with them.Slowing down and/or boxing them causes them to live a longer frustrating life.
No, boxing them in causes road rage - which is a safety hazzard. They might be breaking the rules, but you antagonising them is causing more of a safety hazard.
@macrocephalic:
So it's not a safety hazard when they're speeding??No, you slowing down isn't causing them to become safety hazards.
They are doing that all by their selves.
I refuse to accept responsibility for their actions.If I reciprocate, ie Let them pass, and then tailgate them with my High-Beams on…okay, yes then I have added to the safety hazard.
@Kangal: Them speeding is a safety hazard (to some extent). You antagonising them is a bigger one.
Someone running is a knife is a safety risk. You throwing things at them while they run with a knife isn't making it any safer.
@macrocephalic:
Your analogy sucks.Sure, if I reciprocate their behaviour at them…then yes, I am antagonising them.
But if I slow down and stick to the speed limit, then I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
I'm not escalating the issue, they are.They're the ones putting people in harms way, and they need to be responsible.
That was my point any way, if you understood it.@Kangal: If you slow down deliberately to slow them up, or box them in, then you are antagonising them.
If they're being dangerous then you shouldn't concern yourself with them. Keep calm and carry on safely and respectfully.
Let them head to their next accident, don't hold them up :P
If I pulled over for everyone tailgating me in the left Lane of the western ringroad, I'd be permanently in the emergency lane.
So you are illegally in the right lane whilst NOT overtaking, and deliberately make a conscious decision to go even SLOWER? Sticking to "what you reckon your speedo shows" is somehow more accurate than "what the other guy thinks his is"? If you are driving a somewhat modern car, 15 years or so or younger, YOUR SPEEDO IS INACCURATE, IT IS DELIBERATELY CALIBRATED 5-10% SLOWER BY THE MANUFACTURER (This is actually allowed by the Australian Design Rules!). You are likely to be that person in the right lane going 5-10km/h slower than the limit, that you are pointing the finger at. I encounter this all the time, I drive a 1981 car but I've checked the speedo precisely (it was manufactured with less than 0.5% error out of the factory) but I have allowed for changes in tyre diameter etc. over the years, with regular retesting and recalibration, spending $30 a pop for speedo sender gears to adjust the reading if necessary. I constantly get boxed in by cars who self-righteously think they are traveling at 100 but aren't, and held up by slow movers in the right lane. I just want to drive AT the speed limit, not be held up by drivers that don't know better or want to erroneously exact revenge or try to enforce the law with a miscalibrated speedo.
If you want to test your speedo easily, drive at an indicated 100km/h and hold your speed steady, and as your windscreen frame pillar passes a freeway km marker record the time on a stopwatch. When you get to the next 1km marker your journey should be exactly 36 seconds. Every second out represents about 3km/h. If it takes longer than 36s, your speedo is reading fast (you are travelling slower than what is indicated).
Also, you get booked for speeding if your actual measured speed is in excess of the speed limit, not whatever your speedo is showing.
@18: Take a chill pill and read what I wrote. I never said I tailgated anyone, nor do I condone that.
If you are slowing down in the right lane (in response to someone going faster behind you) then you are NOT overtaking. Overtaking means to go faster than the traffic on the left, then to move left once the maneuver is complete in most cases. If you move right, overtake, then move left you really aren't "cutting off" anyone or allowing anyone to intimidate you long enough to be perceived as tailgating you.
I emboldened the text as a means of emphasising the information — most people aren't aware of that salient fact and it is an important central theme to the discussion. Sorry if it offended your sensitive eyes /s,
If you decide to make assumptions or interpret that information as me or the ADRs as allowing you to drive like that, then you are responsible. It has nothing to do with the speed your speedo shows, it is all about the REAL speed, just like the last line in my post.
I don't get your next point, you are having a go at me for having a calibrated and accurate speedo? Just like those the police use? I know that if my speedo shows 100, I am traveling at 100 and I won't get booked! Yours is just a guessing game, you have no idea what your real speed is, and are guessing what your new top speed should be, and "risk" a ticket, and try to use these facts "to get out of it". Then you have the hide to criticize me for having an accurate speedo? Buddy.
You can travel at whatever speed you like, for all I know your speedo is showing 100 but you are doing 50. You can feel all warm and cosy in your little world but you are interfering with the rest of us that live outside the Matrix and know what's really happening. The problem is, you and the rest of the lemmings think you are traveling at 100 (not adding a leeway by the way) and are holding us up when we get to you. I am doing NOTHING wrong by driving at 100, setting a cruise control and enjoying my trip. It is no more dangerous than anyone else on the road. But it is a pain in the ass as every time I get to a self-righteous driver sitting in the right lanes, traveling slower than the posted speed limit, I have to disengage and re-engage cruise control and moderate my speed and constantly change lanes. It becomes tiring and annoying very quickly. It's not at all about getting home a minute faster, and I'm not the one being selfish, wanting to travel at the legally permitted speed. If it was "putting people in danger" I'm sure the road authorities would lower the posted speed. It isn't up to you! If I end up "tailgating" you, it's not because I am a badass, it's because you are traveling too slowly in traffic which is intended to be traveling faster up to the speed limit, and in certain cases above the limit (unmarked police cars are allowed to exceed the limit without lights/siren in some circumstances). This is the reason slow vehicles/pedestrians/bicycles are not allowed on freeways. LOW speed is dangerous. If everyone drives at the same speed the traffic flows smoothly and everyone gets home without incident. Unfortunately 95% are too busy guessing what their speed is — everyone is showing 100 but they could realistically be at any speed between 90 and 100, wagging their finger at anyone going faster than them as "speeding". I hope you get caught driving your car at 95 getting held up behind cars traveling at 90. They will have the same abusive comments ready for you that you are serving out to me here.
You also have a preconceived idea of my driving and tailgating. In reality, it would appear as me approaching the rear of your car at a higher speed, then having to slow down to match yours. I would then have to look for gaps in other lanes to pass you on the left so I can resume my original LEGAL speed. At no time would I intimidate you and closely approach the back of your car at an unsafe distance as you are implying with all the dangerous/selfish/badass talk. I have been known to sound my horn and flash my lights at drivers talking to their passengers or on the phone whilst driving at 80km/h in the right lane on a freeway!
You go right ahead and overtake slower moving traffic in the middle lane by moving right and overtaking. But then get the hell over to the left again! You are now aware that you are driving slower than 100 so you should never be in the right lane unless you are overtaking, just like the law says!
I'm not advocating that you get fined at all, yes you are the one paying not me. But as I keep telling you, it is not about what YOU think the speed is or what your speedo says. It is about the REAL speed, and the only way you can KNOW what that is is by having an accurate speedo.
@endotherm: if you want to accurately check your speedo, use GPS. Either phone or dedicated unit. They will be much more accurate than counting seconds.
a 1981 car…with less than 0.5% error out of the factory…
German or Swedish?
@Euphemistic: Normally I'd agree, but the problem with GPS is that they tend to drift, there is a degree of inaccuracy built in. Every time I have checked and compared it to a GPS, the indicated speed fluctuates by plus or minus 2 km/h. The average displayed speed is 101km/h over a 1km stretch. Although it is low-tech and old fashioned, there is nothing much to go wrong with a good old time-over-distance measurement.
@USB-V: Ford Falcon actually, the first VDO electronic speedos. I think a lot of technology from the day was sourced or influenced by European/German/Swedish cars. I had my speedo checked by VDO for another reason whilst under warranty and they confirmed it was less than half a percent error at half scale deflection (~100km/h).
@arcticmonkey: Sorry, I'm not of the Twitter generation, and I have an attention span longer than that of a gnat. Go take your ADHD meds.
If you are driving a somewhat modern car, 15 years or so or younger, YOUR SPEEDO IS INACCURATE, IT IS DELIBERATELY CALIBRATED 5-10% SLOWER BY THE MANUFACTURER (This is actually allowed by the Australian Design Rules!)
Yes but people aren't supposed to account for that themselves; they should look at what the speedo reads and be content that that is their speed, not try and find out their true speed using GPS or whatever. It seems that as this sort of practice has become more prvailant, so to has tailgating and read range.
they should look at what the speedo reads and be content that that is their speed
So we end up with the car in front driving at 90, the "tailgater" traveling at 95, but both smugly adamant that their speed is right because they both read 100. It's incredible that we have so much road rage and tailgating going on when everyone is sticking to the speed limit. Just like the driver who is blissfully unaware his car is going faster because he put larger wheels/tyres on it.
Most of us are aware that our speedometer is less than the real speed, but we stick to what we see. We're not going to go find out how much it is off by and constantly drive over what the speedometer says - we are not suppose to account for it ourselves, as mentioned by someone earlier. There is a reason why the "Australian Design Rules" implemented this. Sorry we have newer cars.
@tikei: The point is that with everyone driving around at whatever speed suits them, they are causing congestion and raising the incidence of tailgating — not because they are some aggressive (profanity), but that they wish to travel at the legally allowed speed. YOU are responsible for YOUR speed. There is no legal requirement for speedos to be fitted to cars at all. You are supposed to account for it yourself, the liability for speeding is all on you, it does not matter what your speedo reads or whether or not you knew you were speeding. If everyone had a speedo that was deliberately 5% out, it wouldn't be so much of a problem. The issue is that the variance is whatever random number the manufacturers come up with. With so many variables in play, and differences in speeds between manufacturers, all traffic becomes congested and slower cars end up pissing off faster drivers, the incidence of road rage and tailgating increases. How can you possibly see that as a good thing? If you have a cylinder misfiring in your engine or if you have a flat tyre, do you just say, "it's close enough". No, you get it fixed so it is working properly. Go adjust your speedo so you know exactly what your speed is, you can continue to stick to what you see, but this time it will be right. At least go test it so you know if you are 1% out or 10% out.
I have no idea why the ADRs allow this much variance, it used to be no more than 4% under and 0% over. I think it has more to do with lobbying from the car industry so they can make cheaper cars by not requiring expensive accurate gauges. Not because it is a good idea or it makes us safer.
I have no idea why the ADRs allow this much variance, it used to be no more than 4% under and 0% over
Source please.
@gokhanh: You can refer to whatever is your preferred source of legislation to view the ADR's. If you want the earlier repealed/updated version you will have to hunt it down. This is the ADR https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006L01392 It is referred to here: http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/how-accurate-is-your-spee…
All cars fell within the parameters of an Australian Design Rule that requires that the speedo must not indicate a speed less than the vehicle’s true speed or a speed greater than the vehicle’s true speed by an amount of more than 10 per cent plus 4km/h.
That is, with the speedo displaying 100km/h the vehicle must be travelling between 87.3km/h and 100km/h. This gives the perception that drivers are travelling faster than what they really are - or exactly at the limit.
A bit more detail here: https://www.racq.com.au/cars-and-driving/safety-on-the-road/…
My comment of 4% was what was in place prior to 2006, circa 2000. I can't find an old reference at the moment.
The point is, they can get away with saying the car is going faster than it really is, but they aren't allowed to say it is going slower than it really is. I believe this was a pretty big deal and there were severe penalties for going over. To be safe, they picked somewhere in the middle, just in case for some unknown reason in manufacture they inadvertently introduced an error of a couple of km/h and left themselves liable to a fine. They could make a speedo that showed the real speed, but there was no tolerance for error in the law if it was just 1km/h slow. It is currently a larger tolerance than it used to be, by a large margin. I can understand why there is a tolerance, being so strict on reading slow is a but harsh, but I really don't understand why they had to change it so that there is 10% or more tolerance these days.
But the thing is speedo readings VARY between vehicles.
The simple solution to all of this nonsense is if someone is tailgaiting you in the right lane, move to the left. Let them pass, and continue on. Why get angry and caught up about it, and slow down to spite them? What does that achieve? Absolutely nothing apart from endanger everyone else on the road.
ADR states that the speedometre must be accurate to withing +- 10%. Manufacturers adjust it to specifically OVERREAD, because if it underread then people would be getting fines left right and centre and obviously wouldn't be too happy about it.
But the argument about not supposed to account for it ourselves is irrelevant. The fact is that DIFFERENT cars read the speed DIFFERENTLY. Even putting different tyres or wheels on can alter the speedo reading.
Two cars can have their speedos showing 100km/h but their ACTUAL speeds can still be different - even two modern cars. It's inconsistent. So instead of being a righteous prick and thinking, oh I'm doing 100km/h so screw you - just move to the left if youre in the right lane. Simple. No one needs to get worked up over it - just move to the left, let them pass and move on with your life.
I did not say anywhere to not change lanes. I said don't expect others to go above what they read on the speedometer for yourself. People who are behind a slower car on the left lane have that "self righteous" attitude too, and often complain.
@Euphemistic: I find my car speedo is about 5km slower than my GPS. Went through some of those speed checking signs and it says my GPS is the correct reading. My partner does not believe this is the case though..
@endotherm: All it takes is a slight variation in tyre size to throw your speedo out. Tyre wear will affect it as well. Think about a new tyre and the overall diameter with all of the tread, then think about what the diameter is when the tyres are worn to the indicators (assuming you change them to stay legal). Your tyre rotates a certain amount of times per km, the speedo works out how fast the tyre spins by knowing the ratio of the drive shaft to tyre speed.
The speedo doesnt really measure road speed, just wheel speed, which will vary based on the tyre diameter.
So you illegally stay in the right lane when you are not overtaking in a 100kph zone? Arrogance at its best.
Idiocy at its best. I didn't say that I stay in the right lane. Learn to read.
Okay lets make this simple English for you.
I'm in the middle lane and the car in front is going 90km/h in a 100km/h zone. I change lane to the right and overtake this car, but then a car behind me is tailgating me. Thus, "I'm gonna slow down".
Get it or shall I make it simpler?
Sometime if they really pissed me off I slow down and keep up to speed with the person in the left lane so the tailgater can't switch lanes….but then again I'm an a**hole so Yeh…