What do you do about tailgaters?

Thats a good time to wash your windshield. Usually gets em to back off

 

Down shift...

R

 

The worst are the ones who when I'm in a bit of a hurry and am moving pretty good on the open highway, want to tailgate thinking that they won't get a ticket if we get tagged by a cop... If my radar dectector went off they would be tasting airbag, but they are too stupid to know it....

I try to "scrub" them off in traffic and then turn up the wick to break away. Most of them won't go over 80 for any lenght of time... If they do and catch up I slow down to 5 under the speed limt and let them go by...

In town I left foot brake to light up the tail lights and they usually get the message. You can't let it bother you too much or you will go crazy....

 

push the oil slick button

 

I've found the only sure way to get rid of them is the simplest: Slow down. As soon as they switch lanes (virtually guaranteed), I go back to my cruising speed. It's honestly not meant to screw with them, it's just the most efficient way to get someone off your tail quickly. If it's a single lane or if it's really close, I sometimes opt for the high road and pull over.

I once left the car at a stoplight and nicely asked a guy two feet off my bumper to give me some space. Not recommended, as the type of person who tailgates and the type of person to acknowledge their error happen to be mutually exclusive...

Unfortunately, many drivers want a better look or to hear the car so tailgaters seem to be common. To me, that means patience MUST be practiced at all times in traffic.

 

would be fun to set up a squirter in back so you could hit them directly

 

Drive slower until they get irritated and pass you.

 

I generally just give the "one inch" sign. Hold up my right hand with the thumb and forefinger an inch apart and make sure they can see it. It means "why are you an inch behind me?". If that doesn't work, I just weave around like I'm on the pace lap at an F1 race.

 

I give most of them the benefit of the doubt... I believe most drivers who tailgate don't normally see an exotic car up close, and are excited seeing one in person while driving. The Evo rice cookers are the exception because they obviously never learned to drive in the first place.

 

In central FL, 99% of the time, the tailgater is a young woman dramatizing on her cell phone. Nothing works since their subconscious is maintaining an equal-distance from your rear bumper, regardless of the speed.

 

One Sunday afternoon as I was cruising down the hwy doing about 75mph. I got totally boxed in by four cars that wanted to take a closer look at my TR. The car directly in front of me slowed down to about 50mph. The car behind me was no more than 5 to 6 ft. off my back bumper. While cars on both sides of me also slowed down and took positions directly across from me. None of them meant any harm. They just wanted to get a close look at my car. I don't think it occured to any of them how dangerous this situation could become. I kept calm and after a couple of miles the car directly in front got a little ahead of the others and I was able to accelerate and punch a hole thru the opening. My new audience certaily enjoyed the show as I heard good natured whistles and blowing horns following my tailights into the distance.

 

Brake check 'em. Get a brake kill switch, and hit the brakes...

 

Yikes, that's got 'bad idea' written all over it. In brake-checking cases, if they rear-end you, you're at fault.

 

My father used to throw empty Perrier bottles. Seriously.

 

One ex GF would ALWAYS tailgate, and NEVER listened to ANYONE telling her to BACK OFF. She bought her first new car, a nice 900S. A month after we broke up, my phone rang, I picked it up to hear her balling her tonsils out.

Me: "Following too closely, eh?"

Her: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa*sob*aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa*sob*aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa *sob* *sob* waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa."

Me: *Click*

 

Yeah, I was joking around, I usually just continue on...

 

Thats why your supposed to accelerate exactly one milisecond after you hit your brakes. It also allows you a better look in the rearview of the car behind you squeeling his brakes and swerving all over the road. Or so I've been told.

 

I agree. If they rear-end you then you're punted off the road while they cruise merrily along. Ever wondered about all those "single car" accidents on the interstates?

It's always fun and games until someone gets hurt

 

pull aside and let them go tailgate someone else.

 

Best one yet.
Try this if your not on the highway.
Put your blinker on.
They always back off or go around.
Eric

 

Move to another lane. I figure it less painful then to have someone hit the car.

 

I brake.

 

If you know the area drive slightly faster then traffic. That way you sneak up on people and catch them off guard(no cell phone camera antics or people getting in your way for a look) plus tail gater's won't have a need to do their thing.

 

It depends, on my Ferrari, I would just take it easy cruising to another lane and let them pass, the car means a lot to me and don't want to be rear ended by some bone heads. On my 4x4 with a big lift and 35" tires, tailgater just pull to another lane to pass me because they can't what ahead and I also have sticker on the steel bumper "Got body damage?".