Dipstick tailgator

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Richard was thinking very hard :

It was probably not obvious in the vid, but I tried that and it didn't work.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

It happens that Chris Green formulated :

Going below the limit, does not necessarily exclude going at a safe speed either.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Richard formulated the question :

At 4.25 it wasn't clear he would be taking the same exit as me, there were much slower vehicles on my left, after exiting, so I quite reasonably took the opportunity overtake them.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

It does seem the only way to teach such drivers about thinking and braking distances. Had I been driving a truck, I might have been more inclined to oblige him with an expensive lesson in road manners.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

I can't see it but I'm not surprised since it happens a lot. This is where a reverse facing flame thrower would come in handy, perhaps? Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Or maybe the rear facing parking sensors could be active and illuminate a skull and crossbones symbol when the driver gets too close to stop? Brian

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Brian Gaff (Sofa) expressed precisely :

It would certainly be good to have something to force them to back off to a safe distance. I have no objections to someone moving in that close, if they are overtaking, but this character had no intentions of overtaking, nor much idea of how to.

Like many, I find being followed so closely more than a little intimidating, distracting and a very dangerous thing to do. I always hang well back, when following, unless I am looking for an overtake opportunity, even then, I don't get that close.

[charles]

I can see thatb goingb too slowlynon amotorway is probably not a safe thing to do, but on a narrow country lane, it probably is. The speed limit is a LIMIT, not a target.

[Andy Burns]

As others have said, if you get tailgated then lift off until they get the message ... they'll either overtake or drop back eventually.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

It happens that Andy Burns formulated :

As said, that was tried.

[Chris Bacon]

Q.E.D.

[nightjar]

Judging from when another car appeared on your nearside in the video, they were far enough ahead for you to leave the roundabout in lane 1 and only move into lane 2 when you got closer, by which time the car behind would have been past.

[Fredxx]

I think that says more about you and the courtesy you show other road users and how you play with them.

If someone wants to get past, don't be so selfish and let them. The highway code also recommends this. Life can continue afterwards in a low stress environment.

[charles]

Certainly round here, there arec plenty of roads where overtaking is impossible since you can't see what is coming towards you far enough ahead. And, if you drive at the speed limit you collect vehicles behind you.

[gareth evans]

Be very careful.

Following very heavy rain with water lying in sheets across the road, I did this, bearing in mind the Highway Code caveats on safe braking distances. But three cars behind was a very stroppy Wiltshire plod (Aren't they all?)

Net result; I was prosecuted and convicted of Careless Driving despite that I was driving very carefully because of the circumstances.

Spoiled a 40 year clean licence :-(

[gareth evans]

PS. Major road wide enough for tail-gater to overtake.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

nightjar has brought this to us :

At which point, it wasn't clear in my mirrors whether the problem driver was actually continueing on the same road as me.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Fredxx expressed precisely :

That is exactly what I did at the end of the video or did you miss where he bullied his way past the car he was stuck behind, then overtook me?

He was unable to keep up on the good section of dual, until I eased off because of the speed limit, at which point he was really desperate to get ahead and well over the limit.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

charles explained :

I don't at all mind collecting vehicles behind, so long as they leave an appropriate gap for the speed and conditions, nor do I midn being over taken. It all becomes rather silly, when you are making reasonable progress and there no safe opportunies to overtake, yet they insist on tailgating you, trying to intimidate you to go even faster.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Another John formulated on Wednesday :

That was obvious, but I drive a much larger car than he, initially it was a narrow busy road, with a regular good chance of meeting buses and HGV's coming the other way on blind bends, when I would need to possibly stop to give them the road so I take that bit very carefully.

If he was that desperate to make progress, the why tailgate the car way behind me, when there was a nice wide road to get past?