How to Avoid Tailgaters

Being tailgated can be a very frustrating experience, and can easily lead to road rage--and you never know who might take their road rage to a dangerous level. Staying calm and learning to get out of the tailgaters way is key to staying safe on the roads.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Check your own driving habits. Don't drive more than 5 miles per hour under the speed limit, unless there are adverse conditions. Avoid driving in the far left hand lane on the highway for long periods of time. This lane should be reserved for passing, so if you aren't passing anyone, move out of the way of faster moving traffic. None of these situations give anyone the right to tailgate you, but the key is that you want to avoid being tailgated.

2. Add the safe following distance of the vehicle tailgating you to yours. Recommended safe following distance is two seconds at highway speed, so if you're being tailgated, leave four seconds between you and the car in front of you. Calculate this by counting "one one thousand, two one thousand…" and so on, starting when the car in front of you passes something. If you get to that same spot before you get to 4, you're following too closely if you are being tailgated. Should you have to come to a stop quickly, 4 seconds will give you the extra time and distance to prevent the tailgater from hitting you.

3. Make it easy for them to get them around you. Slow down so that they may pass you, or pull off to the side of the road completely. This may seem unfair, and you may have to swallow your pride to let the person get ahead of you.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't tap your brakes thinking this will make the tailgater back off. More often, it aggravates them more, not to mention you're creating a dangerous situation in which you might be rear-ended.

[alohahula]

on 12/31/2008 Let them pass you, write down their license # and vehicle make and report it to the police. They will get a ticket.

[nonononononono]

on 11/8/2007 I like that 4-second distance idea. I always leave some extra when I know I may have to deccellerate with someone on my bumper, but this quantifies it as much as is practical. I'm always worried that leaving too much would aggravate the tailgaiter!

Also, there's a weird behaviour becoming common where I am: when someone gets really close (so much so that they 're obviously anxious to go faster) they then turn on their high beams in order to intimidate; even when there's nowhere to pull over to let them pass. This just makes it hard to see and makes you want to slow down. At first I thought it was accidental, but it's getting too common for that. I'm not exactly a slow driver myself: there are just some times I won't be bullied into doubling the speed limit! I'd be interested in comments on things to do about this!