What do you do when being Tailgated?

[commodorenutt]

20 years ago the UK were up in arms over the "white van man" problem - tradies, couriers etc driving Transit/Transporter etc vans, driving aggressively, blocking the right lane etc.

Now it seems that scourge is well & truly hit the roads in Sydney's metro commuting arterials. There just doesn't seem to be a happy medium with the modern van driver - they're either daydreaming in the right lane at 10k under (on the phone usually) or they're sitting inches off the back of a car already doing 10k over.

Speaking of road rage - I see more of that from people who have been caught out than actual tailgaters or tailgatees.

Try honking one who has their head looking down & hands in their lap, at a green light, when all the cars in front have gone. They go ballistic, yet they're the ones updating facebook or sending a text.
Just this morning I was "chased" for 3 suburbs by a green P-plate girl who I had to politely give a little beep to, to wake her up out of her phone coma when all the cars in front had gone through the green light, and we were still sitting there. She waved her arms around, stuck her finger up & started to move off. Then she tried the brake check (at a green light), but I was far enough back to react - I went into the empty right turn lane around her & continued on before she realised her stupidity and that I had easily outsmarted her. That just made it worse - she went right off, tailgating me (I'm not a slow driver) all through Norwest, flashing her lights and carrying on like a fruit loop. Yet I did nothing wrong - all I did was a quick little "bip" of the horn to alert her the light was green...... She only gave up when forced to - I did a U-turn at a roundabout, doubled back, and did another U-turn at the previous one (Yes, she followed me). This gave me enough lead that I got through the next green light, and she was caught at the red.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

If you drive a late model sedan, preferably Falcon / Commodore, the following will almost guarantee you'll never get tailgated;

- Two cellular stick-on glass antennas of different lengths on either side of rear window.

- CB Antenna clamped on side of boot lid.

- Two black painted 8-inch long x 4-inch high speaker boxes stuck with velcro strips on right and left hand side of rear parcel shelf.

- Tinted windows.

Not too many will overtake you either.

Forgot the dash mounted toughbook computer and black box suction mounted to the lower section of the front windscreen to add to the effect With that level of dedication , perhaps the car will be immune from parking inspectors, carjackers and breakins too .

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

20 years ago the UK were up in arms over the "white van man" problem - tradies, couriers etc driving Transit/Transporter etc vans, driving aggressively, blocking the right lane etc.

Now it seems that scourge is well & truly hit the roads in Sydney's metro commuting arterials. There just doesn't seem to be a happy medium with the modern van driver - they're either daydreaming in the right lane at 10k under (on the phone usually) or they're sitting inches off the back of a car already doing 10k over.

Speaking of road rage - I see more of that from people who have been caught out than actual tailgaters or tailgatees.

Try honking one who has their head looking down & hands in their lap, at a green light, when all the cars in front have gone. They go ballistic, yet they're the ones updating facebook or sending a text.
Just this morning I was "chased" for 3 suburbs by a green P-plate girl who I had to politely give a little beep to, to wake her up out of her phone coma when all the cars in front had gone through the green light, and we were still sitting there. She waved her arms around, stuck her finger up & started to move off. Then she tried the brake check (at a green light), but I was far enough back to react - I went into the empty right turn lane around her & continued on before she realised her stupidity and that I had easily outsmarted her. That just made it worse - she went right off, tailgating me (I'm not a slow driver) all through Norwest, flashing her lights and carrying on like a fruit loop. Yet I did nothing wrong - all I did was a quick little "bip" of the horn to alert her the light was green...... She only gave up when forced to - I did a U-turn at a roundabout, doubled back, and did another U-turn at the previous one (Yes, she followed me). This gave me enough lead that I got through the next green light, and she was caught at the red.

That sounds like the classic sense of entitlement the younger generation have coupled with the attitude that nothing is their fault. Reality is the real world doesn't serve things on a silver spoon and you're not invincible. The excuses made by one of the apprentices at work when he rear ended a car in a loaded ute with a loaded trailer driving it like his old xr6t (the xr6t was a really nice car) were comedic. At no point did he accept and fault in the incident. Clearly 400kgs in the ute and a 250kg trailer loaded with another few hundred that's on 205 LTs isn't going to stop quickly. The 06 hilux didn't have abs brakes either. Sorry champ, it wasn't the car that made you crash. He was at fault and it was the second quickest insurance verdict ever.

[GO FURTHER]

• Of the different cars you've owned or driven, do you think it is a contributing factor on whether you get tailgated more or less?
  
• Do you think people get "bullied" more on the road in small or less intimidating cars?
  
• Do tough looking vehicles get tailgated less?

Like your views.

[Mercury Bullet]

Dunno, too busy counting aerials.

I got 7.

[Nanoraptor]

I do a 50km country highway (mostly single lane) drive to and from work daily.

If it's a tailgater who's just a little too close, I just deal and keep a constant speed. If someone is right up my ****, under a car length behind at 100ks, I'll gently slow to 80ish.

In the 6 years I've been doing that drive I've had roos, sheep, people pulling out of side roads, a couple of cars losing traction on a curve and spinning, accidents, rock and dirt falls across the road, a pair of huge dead roos one on top of the other I've had to slow and swerve around, and idiots coming into my lane from the other direction.

There *will* be a time I need to slow down quickly again, guaranteed - and if that's going to happen with the stupidly close style tailgater up my ****, I want it to happen at 80 and not at 100. It's the only control I get in that situation. Soon as there's a safe passing opportunity I'll ease off even more to make sure they go around.

Most of the time I think they're not trying to be outright aggro idiots, they're just not paying attention at all, and didn't notice they're so close they couldn't read my rear plate.

[roKWiz]

Well if they're tailgating semis they're not going to be worried about utes, bullzye flaps or not.
I note no bulls nut dangling from the towbar.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by OzriderXR8

I passed a guy tonight in a vintage Kenworth like this... I'm guessing it was modern underneath.

Peterbilt.
line from the film... he must have some sort of souped up diesel.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

• Of the different cars you've owned or driven, do you think it is a contributing factor on whether you get tailgated more or less?
  
• Do you think people get "bullied" more on the road in small or less intimidating cars?
  
• Do tough looking vehicles get tailgated less?

Like your views.

I fee like I get messed around with a lot less in larger vehicles.

Funniest thing I saw was when there were 3 of us in a work 4x4 and a Ford Capri pulled out in front of us deliberately in an aggressive manner. My car driver hit the highbeam as you do. This guy jams on the brakes in the middle of the road, jumps out of his car looks right at us three blokes in orange hi vis looking at him. He quickly get back in this car and drives off. He looked like the stereotypical middle management ****er that thinks he is better than everyone else. Horrible hair gel, Bluetooth headset and some cheap looking business clothes.

Only time someone has tried to mess with us in a large work looking 4wd with a big bullbar.

Driving the wife's hatchback I feel like I'm always cut off

[.:4:.]

Its small man syndrome

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by GTP534

Last Sunday I went out for my weekend drive in the Mustang around 6:30am. As I was slowing down for the intersection of Bradley Street with the Northern Road a Grand Cherokee SRT came quickly up behind me and got real close while waiting for the lights to change.

Once they changed I moved off got up to the posted 80 limit but this tool sat right on my rear bumper, then drops back a bit them comes up real close again.

I just pulled over near the RAAF Signals place at Orchard Hills and he raced off. Never saw him again but I enjoyed my drive!

Should see them around the schools as well .... must have been a soccer mum late to get Billy to a game.

Quite a few new Mustangs around the GP area as well

[Stock XR]

Drive to the speed limit, pull over if possible to let the tailgater past. Seen a few inpatient people drive up the inside of a turning semi/b double.

[Ben73]

Two good tricks I have found is either lightly touch brakes while still accelerating so your brake lights come on, or if you have rear fog lights turn them on and off randomly.
I have tried both of these before and they both worked.

[GasoLane]

The 'Murrican way..............

[commodorenutt]

Just needs to angle down at 45 degrees to go straight into their windscreen.....

[Evgeni]

For a less aggressive alternative...lol
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NSJF4PlnR...s1600/www#.png

[AussieCJ7]

little observation from driving in a number of countries, those that do not obsess about enforceing minor speeding offences and those that do enforce keep left (or right depending on side of road) largely do not have problems with tail gaters and traffic flows better

[Sabantien]

I haven't had too many people tailgate really.
I'd say most have just been absent minded (slightly better than psycho aggressive)

I tend to just keep doing my own thing. Whatever their problem is, it isn't mine.

Normally it happens in roadworks if I do the speed limit and they don't want to.
Had a couple hours of it driving from Canberra to Brisbane one night. Lots of roadworks, and one truck in particular would tailgate me through the roadworks. I'd pull ahead when it was 110, but next roadworks it wasn't long before he was on me again. (and yes, active roadworks with people on site)

I can really only think of two times I had people being crazy at me.

Doing 110 on the highway, a truck with no trailer came flying up behind me. Speed limited by ****. (My speedo was out by 3km, not over 10) I was in the left lane and he could have overtaken me, but he just came right up behind me, flashing his lights and honking his horn.
He eventually did pass me and swerved towards me to try to run me off the road.

The other time was a tradie. I was on the Go Between Bridge in Brisbane. Two lane toll bridge, lights only let through a couple cars at a time, and often the person at the front wouldn't notice when the lights go green, so it was usually one or two cars getting through.

Old mate rolled up behind me, was screaming and honking his horn. I could go nowhere, no one could. The other lane went in a different direction, and was also backed up.

Got onto the ICB and it was bumper to bumper in every lane. He spent the whole time honking his horn, swerving and accelerating then braking at me, before another lane joined and he passed me about as close as he could without hitting, his hand on the horn the whole time.

[Mechan1k]

In Sydney ... I drive in the left lane .... mainly because everyone else is allergic to it. So it is empty.

I don't have issues with tailgaters ... because I'm the only one in that lane .... going faster than everyone else lane hogging the middle and right lanes.

[au350hp]

Maybe there are more people tailgating because it is easier to see the car in front of you if your 3 feet from it when your on the phone...Seriously though, if you don't already, start scanning L&R before you cross any intersection regardless of green lights/right of way. With more people on their phones, crying time poor, distracted whilst driving on increasingly busier roads, more & more easily avoidable accidents could be avoided. In the last few months,coming home each day, I cross at a intersection on to a main road, two times a car has run the red light at least 1.5 to 2 seconds after amber went red. I have gone back to driving like I used to ride motorbikes on the road. Treat every driver like they can't see you, it is tiring, but it works.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

Thought this might bring some relief to all of you who are forced to suffer fools daily on the roads. Keep an eye out for the white VW Golf I think it is that appears out of no where careering across three lanes of traffic, backwards.
https://youtube/4NTjCbdUbn4

[happy1]

I don't like to be tailgated with less than a car length, specially when already being spot on or a couple of k's above the speed limit (with GPS accuracy).
Some of the worst offenders in tailgating I see in Perth are typically old Nissan Patrols.
Whilst it is tempting to not shift lane to let a pushy tailgate driver past, it's probably not worth slowing down / blocking them, as it easily winds them up even more. (Driver probably already on drugs etc.).

I remember my chemistry professor when at Uni, he described his perfect solution to tailgating. He described how he personally had built his own built-in perfect tailgating deterrent system.. It was a little better than just washing his own windows: He had ordered a bottle of Butyric Acid (the lovely smell found in rotten milk, and the most distinctive smell in vomit). On his old hatchback he had a separate reservoir for the rear window washer, and he described how he had rotated the window washer nozzle outwards in the air behind his car, and filled it with diluted Butyric Acid, and had installed a push button for spraying a little mist of this nice smelly liquid into the grille of any tailgating road trains or cars, (without his windscreen wiper running). He described this as a very effective system that always gave immediate clear space behind him, and annoying 'pushy' drivers immediately taking a fresh air pit stop to investigate their car. Brilliant and harmless really, but I guess it could cause trouble if someone finds out. Cheers,

[Lunch]

I drive a single lane road everyday, it's a great road, through a small national park, barely a flat section for the 15 minutes I'm on it, long sweeping bends, only 1 set of traffic lights, against the traffic, I just do the speed limit ( slightly over down the hills ), rarely get tailgaters, although I end up being the tailgater half the time because of clowns not doing the speed limit, its mostly 80kph but there's a 90kph section that about 75% of people don't adjust for which ****es me off, just because you're happy doing 10ks under the limit, doesn't mean you have the right to force everyone else to, if your vehicle can't maintain speed up a hill, you need to get rid of it, if the roads are unfamiliar, a little bit wet or you're too scared to maintain the speed limit around a bend, let your missus drive!

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Lunch

I drive a single lane road everyday, it's a great road, through a small national park, barely a flat section for the 15 minutes I'm on it, long sweeping bends, only 1 set of traffic lights, against the traffic, I just do the speed limit ( slightly over down the hills ), rarely get tailgaters, although I end up being the tailgater half the time because of clowns not doing the speed limit, its mostly 80kph but there's a 90kph section that about 75% of people don't adjust for which ****es me off, just because you're happy doing 10ks under the limit, doesn't mean you have the right to force everyone else to, if your vehicle can't maintain speed up a hill, you need to get rid of it, if the roads are unfamiliar, a little bit wet or you're too scared to maintain the speed limit around a bend, let your missus drive!

Mate take a deep breath and have a cup of green tea or something

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

..... I have gone back to driving like I used to ride motorbikes on the road. Treat every driver like they can't see you, it is tiring, but it works.

I've been driving like that for the last decade in Sydney. You have to. If you're the first one at the lights, it's like being a pedestrian - look left & right before driving off, as many times there are late, very late, red-runners.

And don't get me started on idiots who block intersections. One selfish car stopping 40 or more from getting through a green light (happens every arvo at Norwest Blvd & Windsor rd where those turning into Glenwood can't wait at the lights for space ahead, and block a 2-lane road that leads to the M7.

[au350hp]

I live close to you by the sounds of the roads described. That whole Norwest thing during peak hour is a f*#%ing nightmare and can you remember a time that it hasnt had roadworks going on, or ripping up another medium strip because some goose can't lay the proper drainage? (i know some people in that field) Have you seen the govt plans to turn Norwest into a business technology center? Massive hirise develoments, 3500 public servants to relocate to Norwest. Add in the apartment blocks going up every few kms and you can see why I am getting animated. No thought to the drain on the electric grid, the roads, schools, public transport etc etc. The govt just wants the tax dollars off land sales, they are not interested in updating the things I have mentioned.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

I live close to you by the sounds of the roads described. That whole Norwest thing during peak hour is a f*#%ing nightmare and can you remember a time that it hasnt had roadworks going on, or ripping up another medium strip because some goose can't lay the proper drainage? (i know some people in that field) Have you seen the govt plans to turn Norwest into a business technology center? Massive hirise develoments, 3500 public servants to relocate to Norwest. Add in the apartment blocks going up every few kms and you can see why I am getting animated. No thought to the drain on the electric grid, the roads, schools, public transport etc etc. The govt just wants the tax dollars off land sales, they are not interested in updating the things I have mentioned.

Mate I have to try and negotiate George st in town with he BS tram line going in with the roached road markings and the taxis. It gets interesting at times.

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by Roostercam

........Add in the apartment blocks going up every few kms and you can see why I am getting animated. No thought to the drain on the electric grid, the roads, schools, public transport etc etc. The govt just wants the tax dollars off land sales, they are not interested in updating the things I have mentioned.

Exactly right with the infrastructure. I quite enjoy the ABC comedy "Utopia" but it's a bit too accurate at times.

Back in February I was at a large manufacturing plant not far from Parramatta. They were told the power was being cut off at 3pm to shed some load on the 44+ degree day.

Driving out of the driveway with one of the guys from the plant in my car, we looked across the road at the brand new 4-5 storey apartments in bewilderment.
Nearly all of them had the fans merrily spinning away on the outdoor unit of their A/C systems. Probably a good half of them had nobody at home at 3pm either....

Yet they had to shut down a plant & send 100 workers home, because there wasn't enough power.....


EDIT: I can remember turning into a single lane dirt track off Windsor rd - before the Norwest Blvd overpass & massive intersection was built - you had to queue up in the median & cut across the oncoming traffic. It was like a goat track across to Castle Hill. It wasn't as long ago as you think - only 16 years ago in 2001. Look at the "progress" since then....

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

Dunno, too busy counting aerials.

I got 7.

More aerials than branches on his family tree. I’m guessing it goes straight up.

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

Dunno, too busy counting aerials.

I got 7.

Haha yeah, what ****er needs 7 aerials?