Tailgaters - What to do?

I was riding home last night and SUV started tailgating me. Usually I slow down when that happens and when the cars in front get ahead a good distance I zoom off after them. It usually gets the message and the tailgaters stop tailgating.

Last night the SUV accelerated hard staying right on my tail so I slowed down again. He started honking his horn and then passed me on the right shoulder (US riding).

So... what do you do when someone is tailgating you?

It happens too often to pull over each time, though I suppose when they start honking it is a good idea to just get out of their way.

Slow down - let them pass. To quote my wife. "Better to have the idiots in front," where they can be seen.

As for following them - confrontational, I wouldn't do it in the UK, (too many loonies with weapons,) In the States where weapons are legal - NO CHANCE!!!!!

x

bigbird wrote:

Cars go out of their way to NOT drive behind me because of the irritating light show.

+1

I have the Knight RiderZ light which has a very focused spot even 20-30 feet away. The Knight RiderZ are angled slight upward for tailgaiters. The Knight RiderZ flashes for 5 seconds after I hit my brakes.

I also have Backoff WigWag with side to side LEDs.

So when I hit my brakes I have a very pretty red light flashing show.

I also have a lot white reflective tape on the Silverwing

My Motoport Kevlar gear has yellow reflective throughout. The first question I get a majority of times is are you police or fireman.

At night, people are very careful around me, because they THINK I am a policeman ... until they get right next to me.

Get out of their way. Once had a friend in Japan who installed a set of aircraft landing lites in the rear shelf of his Mercury Cougar. A couple of flashes and they went away. Not legal be worked.

Wouldn't it be really cool if we could skunk 'em? I know that is not practical to take a James Bond approach but it would be funny to think about for a few seconds. Depending on where I am, I might slow down or just change my planned route slightly. Stopping may be more dangerous if the follower is not happy with you for whatever reason. In Colorado, I remember quite well that getting a vehicle's license number to the state patrol was effective if others did it too because after three or so complaints in a short time, they would do something about it. I wish other states would follow suit. It is a very good way to prevent/reduce road rage.

KB

There are too many folks out there today who will take whatever you do as a personal insult and an excuse for violence. I tapped my brakes once in my car when I had a tailgater get upset because I didn't move out of his way. He then proceeded to try hitting me, crossing over 3 lanes of traffic to knock me off the road. It didn't matter that this was morning rush hour traffic and there were lots of witnesses either. It was scary enough in a car.

I generally will slow down any more. Not enough to tick them off, but enough that when an opportunity to pass comes up, they take it. To slow down, then speed up accomplishes little except to get the tailgater upset at you even more.

On the freeway on my commute, I hold a 4 second following distance. I've found drivers behind me respect that and either pass in the mainline lanes (I'm in the HOV lane), or simply follow also at a 4 second spacing. I've also seen where motorcycle riders tailgate themselves...and the driver behing them is right on their tail too. If they run over something the car ahead of them simply straddled (2x4 or tire piece), they are dead.

Chris

The lights sound good but I was not braking and it was daytime. The road was a single lane each way with a yellow line so no passing.

I think I am going to work on a mindset that has me pull over and let them by. Tell myself that being Macho does not require being stupid. The only problem is that during rush hour you get really long trains of cars. Getting back on the road can be a challenge.

So far when I am riding in the HOV lane through downtown Atlanta when someone tailgates me I put my left hand down and waye "back off" and it usually works. This is surprising considering how obnoxious Atlanta drivers are.

Jesse in Atlanta

x

Put indicator on , slow down a bit , pullover and stay alive . I am 50 years accident free , best to give way ! Humility is the strongest character !

Indeed,

I slow down and go to the right, so he can pass.

Once i suspected a very agressif tailgater.
Think he was mad because i was driving slowly.

Putted indicator to the right and drove in a private property and waited till he was away.
End of story.


I am 60 and like to live a few years more.
And have a lot of fun with my scooter.

I have my windshield washers (took quite a bit of work to install them on my scooter) adjusted so that when some one gets to close to me, I spray them with water and tends to piss them off just enough for me to slow down and quickly move to the right and then get behind them and turn on my bright lights so it hits them right where it hurts.
:lol!:

Back in the day, I used to keep a handful of BBs in my jacket pocket -- they make a helluva noise when they bounce off a tailgater's windshield.

Now that I'm no longer in my 20's and therefore immortal, I err on the side of caution. I slow down, get out of the way, and let 'em go flush out the speed traps. Unless you're in an armed military vehicle, you're no match for a redneck with a rifle in a big pickup truck...

A full-camo Ural sidehack with a rearward-facing machine gun might give 'em pause, though.

roadrunner wrote:

A full-camo Ural sidehack with a rearward-facing machine gun might give 'em pause, though.

Perhaps something from Uncle Alberts Auto Stop and Gunnery Shop Might help.

dspevack wrote:

Perhaps something from Uncle Alberts Auto Stop and Gunnery Shop Might help.

A "reality" show from a series about a Gun Smith shop had a guy come in with a car he was setting up like a movie Jame Bond car. He wanted guns. They mounted a real semi-automatic pistol under his bumper.... facing forward.

Ishkatan- did you mean that name as hebrew for "small man"?

One other thought...

Are you adjusting for the difference between the indicated speed and the actual speed you're riding? If you're trying to do a 60 mph speed limit, then at 60 mph indicated...you're only doing about 54 mph. That will tick off people who ride at, or above the speed limit.

Most bikes are 10% off.

Chris

toolboxjesse wrote:

Ishkatan- did you mean that name as hebrew for "small man"?

Yes. When I was 5 I lived in Israel and was extremely thin due to being very active. A family friend said I looked like a little old man and gave me the nickname Ishkatan. He continued to call me that even when I was a head taller than him and over 200 lbs. Now if I could only get back down to 200 lbs my Swing could accelerate a little faster...

Daboo wrote:

One other thought...

Are you adjusting for the difference between the indicated speed and the actual speed

Chris

This was in rush hour traffic so there was a car in front of me. When he tailgated I slowed down on purpose, but that was the wrong thing to do as well. Getting off the road would have been better, but when I recently stopped to look at a car for sale on that road I had to wait several minutes to get back into the flow.

That's funny I also got my nickname in Israel.

Jesse

i try to get the tailgater in front of me as well. here in NC. we seem to be in a vast supply of people that drive like someone waved a checkered flag at the start of the drive at em, (gentelmen start your engines). i have frequently waved people around me helping them get around by slowing down when neccessary. there always is that one person that isnt satisfied with your speed no matter how fast you go. the state troopers here will stop people for aggressive driving ,but thats if they see some fool trying to make your bike a hood ornament. i wish the offending drivers could be forced to drive a motorcycle so they could see firsthand how pleasent it is to have a car 3 feet off their ass-end.

I use this method.
tailgaters only see what they are looking at.
tailgaters intently watch your tail/brake light.
tailgaters tend not to see you flick across into another lane. Make sure that it is free of other vehicles
slam on brakes.
tailgaters still have a mental picture that you are infront of them.
tailgaters panic when the bike disappears and they see brake lights
tailgaters dont do it again.


The best method tho is a Range Rover Surprise!

I've enjoyed reading all the responses. The best thing to do I would say is to get over if possible or create an opportunity to pass. But should you choose the low road...... Then here is what I suggest..... Get a winshield washer pump and the smallest resevoir you can find and mount it to your bike. B sure to take your time aiming the jet and testing to make sure that it will shoot towards the grill area of any vehicle. The switch of course will need to go on the handlebar or somewhere up front where you can get easy access. Once you are happy with your setup, proceed to the nearest Wal-Mart sporting goods department and purchase some fox urine. Nothing in the world with a scent quite like fox urine.

dspevack wrote:

Perhaps something from Uncle Alberts Auto Stop and Gunnery Shop Might help.

That will certainly affect my gas milage Dan! I just pull over let them pass me then shoot out their tires. jk
I do like the fox urine idea, tho.

I don't worry about tailgaters so much as psychotic drivers. I've come across a very few over 30 years of driving. Typical example: the PD (psychotic driver) is in front of you driving slow, you pass and get in front. The PD then gets ticked off and starts tail-gating. You speed up and he speeds up. You slow down and he stays on your tail and won't go around. It can be scary, since you don't know what the other driver is thinking. Last instance this happened to me I ended up speeding about 25mph over the limit until I put a little distance between us, and then quickly turned off the road when I thought he wouldn't see it. Even then I wasn't totally sure he wasn't going to come down the same road.

Vic

A visible video camera works for me.

It is remarkable how many people alter there driving if they think they are on video.

The mean spirited side of me says carry some ball bearing in your pocket and toss them up in the air then hall ass. The practical side says to just pull over and let them pass. I usually just speed up or pull over and let them pass. When I had a 66 chevy pickup I would just his the breaks. They usually stopped tailgateing after that. Safe bet would be to get out of the way if you are on anything with 2 wheels...

When I was young and stupid I worked as a bike messenger. After the fourth time I got knocked off my bike I started carrying an ice pick.
I had cars deliberately swerve into me, ash trays dumped on me, cars pulling in front of me and slamming on the brakes.

You do get more respect on a motorcycle or scooter but only because they are more likely to get a scratch on their car if they hit something with a motor.

Tailgaters may back off if you have a bumper sticker on the back of your bike that says:

"This Vehicle Insured By Glock"

Without admitting any wrongdoing, I can say that it's much easier to deploy an expandable baton when you don't have to worry about a clutch...

I love Chicago but I hate the cagers.