Trouble with tailgaters

[offroadkarter]

New Jersey is just the state of tailgating. I live out in Bethlehem now but I lived in NJ for 27 years and still commute I78 every day to basking ridge. Every day I wake up and check my phone to see if someone decided to get in an accident on my commute, causing a half hour delay. More than once I've run into cases where we're driving along doing 75-80 in the left lane and all traffic comes to an immediate stop with people flying onto the shoulder to avoid an accident, either due to traffic build up or people slowing down because of the sun.

I'm glad I have the Brembos on my Mustang, they've saved my ass a few times for sure. Same with the Wilwoods on the Marauder and the Stoptechs on the M5. I always have to be mindful of the people behind me though as I don't need a Rav4 in my trunk.


You know what would decrease the number of commuter related accidents? If more companies allowed telecommuting (aka working from home)

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[15 Stang]

As far as flashing high beams, this isn't Germany and this isn't the Autobahn. Its not acceptable in this country, don't care if you're driving a Bimmer.
If anyone flashes me and I'm in the left lane and going over the speed limit, they will see my brake lights as I apply aggressively.
If I'm in the left lane, I'm passing someone and can't move over, get over it.
If you have to go that fast, you better be in an airplane.
Dave

Highbeams are the respectful (& safe) way to move the crowd.
Tailgating shows inexperienced for both drivers... the one tailgating and the one who doesn't get out of the way.

I usually blip 1/4 mile back.. & then again at 1/8th mile... all the while watching their head & eyes as I come up on them. If they are ignorant (of everything around them), I'll coast up to them and remain 5~6 car lengths back and will blip about every minute... to notify & respectfully ask them to step aside.

Cuz, I like to move the crowd.

 

[Hadelson]

Driving in America is an exercise in frustration. People don't follow traffic laws and everyone thinks they are a good driver.

All if this is eliminated by you being defensive...…..situational awareness. Know what is going on around your car, leave yourself an out, see the big picture.

 

[Hadelson]

If anyone flashes me and I'm in the left lane and going over the speed limit, they will see my brake lights as I apply aggressively.

And this is acceptable. Interesting logic. Two wrongs always add up to being correct.

 

[wizofwuz]

I never have understood why people worry about tailgating?.They are behind you and you should be more worried what is going on in front and beside you. If someone wants to follow me NASCAR style I am OK but they better be prepare to react. Some of my best interstate stories involve 5 or 6 cars going nose to tail and hauling ass.

 

[Hack]

The thing is, if I'm at 75 like almost everybody else and find myself needing to bleed off 2 or 3 mph because I'm the one catching up to the guy doing 72, I'll be down to or almost down to 72 by the time my right foot gets to the brake pedal when there's no hurry for my foot to get there. Showing brake lights at that point just means I'd be slowing down more than necessary and slowing down faster than necessary.

Guys that don't drive on cruise control typically drop 2 or 3 mph on encountering a gentle rise, and even some cruise controls are a bit laggy about figuring out what happened.

What annoys me in traffic is people who do keep touching their brake pedal without slowing down at all, which is a situation sort of like the tale of the boy who cried 'wolf'.


Norm

"False" braking used to annoy me. Now one of the things I pay attention to is how much the front of the car dives when the brake light comes on. Typical cars have soft and spongy suspension and by being observant it's fairly easy to tell how hard they are pushing on the brakes.

I also do my best to observe traffic as far up the road as possible. Since my car is low that means looking around other cars and sometimes watching lights, shadows or reflections. If the entire line of cars is slowing down significantly, then the car in front of me obviously will be too.

 

[Rock&Roll]

Put an NRA and a couple gun stickers on your rear window. Works really well in concealed carry states.

I might try this ^^^^

People really suck.

I just drove I95 to Florida and back to NY in my Mustang. 2700 miles in 4 days. Jerkoffs tailgate me in the middle lane like WTF ?

I stayed out of the left lane when people where driving faster than me, go get em 90 mile an hour Johnny.

I also hate when it’s busy and there’s a car in front of you and cars on both sides of you and the guy or girl behind you is right up your ass. You tap your brakes and they still stay up your ass. I have NO answers for people’s stupidity other than I’d like to mount a cannon to my rear trunk lid and fire away.

Did I say People really suck ?

 

[w3rkn]

As far as flashing high beams, this isn't Germany and this isn't the Autobahn. Its not acceptable in this country, don't care if you're driving a Bimmer.
If anyone flashes me and I'm in the left lane and going over the speed limit, they will see my brake lights as I apply aggressively.
If I'm in the left lane, I'm passing someone and can't move over, get over it.
If you have to go that fast, you better be in an airplane.
Dave

What..?

Sounds to me like you are an ignorant driver (meaning have no knowledge of) and are instead taking it PERSONALLY and angered by blips. Do you get angry when someone uses their other lights to signal a turn..? Or their brake lights when they signal a slowing down..?

Get off the road if you are too angry to understand road etiquette. You do not get to decide other's pace/speed. See post #42, plz. (Sounds to me you want to play the role of highway nanny, and that nobody can go faster than you, or it is an insult.).


Please just get off the road if you believe what you wrote, it reeks of elitism and road rage....!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned spattering high speed tailgaters with your washer fluid. This is assuming your fluid gets blown over your car at speed. I know it does on a lot of cars. Of course gets your roof too but a lot of people don't care for it all over their car. Just an unfortunate side effect when a bug commits suicide on your windshield.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Then there is the old stand by of holding a clearly labeled box of nails over your roof and shaking it to get their attention.

 

[Bikeman315]

New Jersey is just the state of tailgating. I live out in Bethlehem now but I lived in NJ for 27 years and still commute I78 every day to basking ridge. Every day I wake up and check my phone to see if someone decided to get in an accident on my commute, causing a half hour delay. More than once I've run into cases where we're driving along doing 75-80 in the left lane and all traffic comes to an immediate stop with people flying onto the shoulder to avoid an accident, either due to traffic build up or people slowing down because of the sun.

I'm glad I have the Brembos on my Mustang, they've saved my ass a few times for sure. Same with the Wilwoods on the Marauder and the Stoptechs on the M5. I always have to be mindful of the people behind me though as I don't need a Rav4 in my trunk.


You know what would decrease the number of commuter related accidents? If more companies allowed telecommuting (aka working from home)

Ok, totally off topic but can you please post a couple of pics of your Marauder’s? I loved those cars.

 

[Bikeman315]

As far as flashing high beams, this isn't Germany and this isn't the Autobahn. Its not acceptable in this country, don't care if you're driving a Bimmer.
If anyone flashes me and I'm in the left lane and going over the speed limit, they will see my brake lights as I apply aggressively.
If I'm in the left lane, I'm passing someone and can't move over, get over it.
If you have to go that fast, you better be in an airplane.
Dave

Dave, I’m not sure how old you are but I’ve been driving for 50 years and was taught that flashing the high beams was a totally acceptable way to move someone out of your lane. Pulling up on someone’s tail and honking your horn is not acceptable but flashing certainly is.

 

[w3rkn]

Dave, I’m not sure how old you are but I’ve been driving for 50 years and was taught that flashing the high beams was a totally acceptable way to move someone out of your lane. Pulling up on someone’s tail and honking your horn is not acceptable but flashing certainly is.

I've been driving for 36 years and high beams is the correct way to address someone in front of you. Horns don't work at highways speeds because of doppler effect & distance, but that doesn't mean someone won't abuse their high beams, or over use them. But that is not the point here.

If you are angered because someone blipped you, it is because you were not paying attention to the road and didn't see them coming up on you.

 

[kz]

As far as flashing high beams, this isn't Germany and this isn't the Autobahn. Its not acceptable in this country, don't care if you're driving a Bimmer.
If anyone flashes me and I'm in the left lane and going over the speed limit, they will see my brake lights as I apply aggressively.
If I'm in the left lane, I'm passing someone and can't move over, get over it.
If you have to go that fast, you better be in an airplane.
Dave

^^^^^^ this is an example of why drivers here have such a terrible reputation.
Nobody will be flashing highbeams on you seeing you're passing someone. If someone does flash, it means you're camping in the left lane and should get f**k off it. Not going to comment on brake checking, hope you do it to a semi and learn your lesson.

 

[Bikeman315]

^^^^^^ this is an example of why drivers here have such a terrible reputation.
Nobody will be flashing highbeams on you seeing you're passing someone. If someone does flash, it means you're camping in the left lane and should get f**k off it. Not going to comment on brake checking, hope you do it to a semi and learn your lesson.

I have driven 95 from Myrtle Beach to NY/NJ numerous times over the past two years. I mostly try and stay in the middle or right lanes. When I have had the occasion to be in the left lane I'm doing 5-10 over the speed limit. If someone comes up behind me with the brights I can do one of two things.
1. Stay in the lane, slow down and/or break check.
2. Move.
I choose #2. Why endanger my life/property and everyone else' because someone want to play speed racer. I just pull over and let them go. Hopefully karma and a cop will get them.

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