atlantamoi

I consider myself a normal driver. Offensive and defensive when it calls to be that way (I don't mean that I smell bad or cuss all the time But I cannot understand all the tailgating going on on the highways around Atlanta. It's insane. The posted speed limit is 55, but every one drives 70+. That's fine... I do, too. You can give me crap for speeding, but I stay a good "2,000 count" back from the car in front. I can see 5 or 6 cars ahead of me that are driving so close you'd think it was Daytona. I just don't get it. One goof and everyone is screwed.

I can understand being on a side street with some old lady driving 20 mph and you want to go around, but not 70 or 80 miles on the highway.

And don't tailgate like this either....

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/1...lgating5fl.jpg

4KRG

What is so hard about moving over and letting faster traffic go by?

The only time I am ever tailgated is in rush hour traffic when there is simply no place to move over and EVERYONE on the road is being tailgated as well as tailgating (usually at speeds of 30mph or less stop-n-go accross 4 lanes).

All other times, I move over when someone is up my arse on the highway. I find I am far more relaxed when I drive just letting people go by and it doesn't cost me anything either

TomOpus

Yep, I'll just move over too. Having some idiot on your ass takes some of your focus away from what's ahead.

Nausicaa

If you're being tail gated in the left lane and you're going the same speed as everyone else on the road, it's your own fault. Left lane is passing, move the hell over. Nothing makes me more upset than a bunch of cars spread across all lanes going the same speed. Especially when I need to get over for an exit, and there is no place to sneak in on the right. This is something I notice European drivers have no trouble with, and traffic generally flows much, much smoother over there (albeit, there is a smaller volume of cars).

Fincher Fan

I was just trying to take a photo of your exhaust.

Numanoid

If someone is tailgating me for long, I give them a quick "brake check". They usually get the point, after they're done cursing me and waving their fists.

Troy Stiffler

Here's one:

Fast people - passing lane.
Slow people - curbside lane.

UGH!

atlantamoi

I agree about moving over. But what I see here many times is six lanes of traffic during non-rush hour where even in the middle lanes there are six cars driving w/in feet of each other going over 70mph. It's incredibly stupid driving. Especially when you think that most of these people are probably just going out to the mall or on the way home. A few extra seconds of caution do nothing to hurt your day.

Numanoid

I agree 100% with you. Tailgating gets you NOWHERE, but puts you and others in danger. It's completely illogical. Any distance you've "lost" due to remaining a safe distance behind, will easily be made up at the next slow spot or stoplight. Bottom line: these people are generally just a-holes who think they're the only one who matters.

Troy Stiffler

Here's another one:

If you're in the carpool express lane, do at least 70mph, or get over. If you insist on doing 55, get over in the work traffic that is going 40-50.

UGH!

The Bus

I have a better idea. Move the hell over.

Traffic is usually caused by one or two cars driving like assholes on the left lanes -- at the same speed as reasonable cars driving on the right. So you've got a two- to three-lane blockade causing backups for miles.

Do you realize this? STOP driving SLOW in the left lane. If there's four lanes and you're going the flow of traffic and on the left two lanes, you're CAUSING traffic. Move the fuck over.

I don't condone Daytona-tailgating or driving like a maniac, but there's two sides to the coin.

In a street or an area with stop lights, this doesn't matter. But if you're in a freeway, for the sake of humanity, don't be such an idiot. If you want to drive leisurely, stay near the curb so others can pass you.

DodgingCars

I prefer the "let the foot off gas" method. The brake check is far to aggressive. If I let my foot off the gas... by the time I'm down to about 50 or so, they've got the picture & gone around me.

I HATE tailgaters, but most of the time I will actually move over to let them by. The problem is -- there are plenty of people who tailgate, not because they are trying to go faster, but they just drive like crap. I have a friend that tailgates everyone -- for whatever reason, he's never heard of the 3-second rule.

You don't know the number of time I've moved to the right and either had the person tailgating me not pass me or pass me and then sit behind the guy that was in front of me.

DodgingCars

It's been my experience as I stated above, that the tailgaters are usually at fault. I've been in the left lane BEHIND someone else. I can't go any faster! But then some dumbass comes up behind me and drives 6 ft from my bumper at 75 mph.

Kittydreamer

You tailgate me you get my brakes (unless I have my kids in the car). I'm pretty good at staying in the slow lane or pulling over and letting someone pass. However, 80% of my daily driving is in town where there isn't anywhere to pull over and there's only one lane per side.

Sometimes you just have to have some self control and deal with the speed limit.

4KRG

Braking or giving the 'brake check' is about the most immature and dangerous response ever. If you think the tailgater is being dangerous, you are doubling the danger.

Where if you just move over, everyone is safer, and it's free.

Hitting your brakes is actually bad for your car and wears your brakes/tires out faster and you risk some agressive driver being in your trunk (think higher insurance, police, court, many delays for that day and more work for days to come) it just isn't worth it.

No one owns the road and unless you are a cop YOU are not responsible to keep speeding under control. If someone wants by, I always let them go and both of us are happy.

Breakfast with Girls

It infruriates me to no end when I have to pass someone on the right because they're so oblivious to anyone else that they can't take the time to check their mirror. I'm always checking my mirror and letting by faster traffic -- before it even gets near me.

On the freeway, I don't tailgate, but I don't drive really far behind the next car, either. I maintain a "halfway point" between the two, because if you are too far back, cars will change lanes and cut you off. It bugs me when I'm following someone who's really far back and cars are just continually pouring in front of him like it's a seive.

al_bundy

i met someone who was taught to drive like that

someone taught her that no matter how empty the road is, you get right behind someone and drive on their ass. if someone does it to me, then i purposefully slow down

Y2K Falcon

With today's gas prices, they are probably just "drafting".

atlantamoi

"You" as in the general "you" or me? Even though I still think it's ridiculous to follow so closely in the far left lane I understand how frustrating it can be when someone won't move over. But I'm really talking about people driving this way in ALL of the lanes. In the 2nd and 3rd lane from the right I still see this crazy driving. I'm about to drive 30 miles north to visit my parents and I guarantee I'll be bitching about these idiots and showing my wife what not to do (she's only been driving a couple of years here). I feel forced at times to back WAY off because I know what will happen with just one of those cars making a mistake.

tasha99

What if they have their kids in the car? This is really stupid, Kittydreamer. If you got in an accident, even if your kids were safe at home, they'd end up paying by having an injured mom.

Edit: Just wanted to add, I'm not trying to be negative. Just want you to be safe etc.

Max Bottomtime

In L.A. you will get shot for less than that.

Numanoid

Puh-leeze. First, when I say brake check, I mean just touching the pedal so my brake lights come on, but I'm not actually braking. Of course, they don't know that, so they hit their brakes (or don't, if they really suck at driving). If that causes them to get hit, that's not my problem. It is illegal to tailgate, you know?

Second, most tailgating is done to me on small roads, or in the right-hand lanes, or in a passing lane with several cars directly in front of me. I'm not dumb enough to cruise slowly in an open passing lane.

greg9x

Yes, if your not passing someone on the right move over !! Germany was so nice for driving.... here it's just everyone for themselves
Cell phones are still the biggest cause I see for people not being able to drive correctly... 2nd is old people... have noticed and a study confirmed that old people compensate for their declining driving skills by getting into a middle or left lane and staying there since they don't have to worry about merging traffic etc...

Gallant Pig

Or just ignore the idiot behind you and enjoy the day. Sometimes there are important reasons for being in the left lane. I'll drive 64 in a 55 for a short amount of time to keep up in rush hour, but if I have to be in that lane because I need to turn left shortly, you can ride my ass all you want I have no problem with it.

Gallant Pig

I'm not crazy about brake check. I seen some people get too carried away with it and nearly cause a wreck.

Here's a better trick: let's say you are going 64 in a 55 because you have to make a left shortly and Jane in her Lexus SUV comes up behind you and rides your ass. I just let my car slowly decellerate to 59/60. She'll get the message and it's safer IMO.