What to do about tail gaters?

A couple of years ago I used an audible signal to indicate my displeasure with someone cutting me up on a roundabout. Or in plain English, I used to horn...Was in the car with wife and children...The moment I used the horn, the car slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road, and three guys jumped out, two of which had baseball bats in their hands...Imagine the children crying etc...

I nearly got done for man slaughter as all I could think was get out of there...I was in my full size pickup truck so I just rammed them out of the way

Can't do that in a Prius, and to be honest I don't ever want to be in a position like that again....Although the highway code agreed with me, I now just sigh and let them get on with it....

 

There is the concept of "driving at the speed of traffic". If everyone is passing you, you're going too slowly and are a hazard. Speed up. Even a traffic cop will advise this.

 

And there is a concept called Maximum Posted Speed Limit which "technically" we are allowed to drive up to, but not exceed, in clear, dry weather in non heavy traffic with good visibility.

This is the conundrum that the OP finds themself in. Exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph and still "holding up traffic".

But, since it sounds like there are multiple lanes, they should not be in the left lane, so that cars that want to pass may do so.

I got a nice "horn job" today from an impatient Van behind me on the highway (5:30 am) as I was putting along at my usual 55 mph (in a 65 mph zone). Difference being, I was in the right lane and he still felt the need to lay into me. I guess he felt the need to tell me to speed up (even though he had 3 lanes to the left from which to choose from to pass me....the jerk).

 

Far-sighted Toyota engineers anticipated this type of occurrence and included it in the design.
You'll notice that the hazard warning button is cleverly set just behind and close to the Power Mode button (see pic).
I only understood the ingenuity when I spotted a truck on my tail. I reached over to push "Power" to accelerate faster and my hand slid inadvertently across the hazard warning button.
As I shot forward, lights flashing, my last glimpse, back in the distance, was of the truck braking hard.

 

No disrespect, but screw you. The people driving like maniacs do NOT have more right to the road than everyone else. It is a SHARED resource.

If I need the left lane to pass, and I'm doing a reasonable amount over the speed limit - or even if I'm not and I need to pass someone going slower - they can wait their f*cking turn.

 

I skimmed through the first 2 pages of this thread and it looks like there are two schools of thought: stay close to the speed limit, or speed up and go with the flow. I am in the first camp.

Especially if there is a passing lane, you are absolutely within your rights to drive at the posted speed limit as long as you are staying in the right lane. Just because everyone else is breaking the law by speeding doesn't mean you have to or should. No cop is going to buy the "everyone else was doing it" excuse when you get pulled over for speeding.

I will admit, I drive more safely and speed less now that I drive a Prius. I noticed this immediately after driving it off the dealer's lot. I stay right around the speed limit, even maybe a couple miles under if there's nobody close in the rearview mirror. In traffic I might go 5-10% over the speed limit. You should not feel pressured to drive faster than the speed limit if you don't want to, even if everyone around you is doing it.

 

I have to be neutral here but I understand both sides of the argument. I tend to drive with the flow of traffic to keep my sanity. If I were to drive the speed limit I would constantly be getting into altercations with other motorists.

That old saying,,, where is a cop when you need him/her? All they're interested in is parking on the side of the road and picking off a few people for going over 70 in a 50 zone. Yes,, word has it that most city cops (NYC) will not bother if you're going 69 in a 50 (this is from the horse's mouth).

I once tried going 55 in the right lane on the Belt Parkway in NYC and was given dirty looks by many passing motorists. I'm so glad I have really, really dark tint. I was wondering if they saw my middle finger sticking up at their wretched faces.

 

This may no longer be the case. I got pulled over 2 or 3 months ago (in my old car) for nothing other than not wearing my seat belt. This was on a city side street and I was probably going 30 MPH. (I sent a letter of explanation to the magistrate and the entire $125 fine was dismissed.) My wife has gotten either 2 or 3 tickets in the past couple of months from one of those automatic cameras for not coming to a complete stop before turning right at a red light. With massive city and county budget shortfalls I wouldn't be surprised to find that cops are now being instructed to crack down on motorists as a readily available revenue stream.

 

I definitely agree with going with the flow - anyone driving the highway around Boston knows this is a survival thing.

But if there's some prick on my bumper who think's I'm obstructing the flow because he wants to go faster, tough crap.

 

I agree, this is under the code of "impeding traffic". If you are driving too slow relative to the traffic flow and you get rear ended, you will be at fault because you becomes a hazard to the other traffic.

 

I'm not a lawyer but... my understanding is that with few exceptions, the person in the back in a rear-end collision is almost always at fault. Even if I slam on my brakes doing 60, the driver behind me is legally required to maintain a safe enough distance to stop without hitting me. (Obvious exception would be if I'm swerving uncontrollably across several freeway lanes.) Can someone who knows about traffic law verify this? I have kind of been following this as a general guideline since I was 16, would be good to know if it's still correct. Not that I'm going to start tailgating if it's not true.

 

Boston is a disaster area when it comes to drivers and traffic. I don't recall seeing *any* traffic laws in force when driving in Boston.

This is just plain wrong. If you hit someone from behind you are automatically at fault unless they are backing. Secondly, if a driver is going the speed limit, by definition he cannot be impeding traffic, no matter how much it irritates speeders that feel they are being inconvenienced.

I know people like to speed, but no matter how you spin it, it is illegal at any time to exceed the posted speed limit, unless you are driving an emergency vehicle.

Tom

 

This only applies if the car in front is trying to stop and the car behind following too close and unable to stop without making contact. then the car behind is at fault.
If the car in front is driving at a constant slow speed and you hit him because you are not aware he is driving too slow and obstructing traffic and you are not speeding. You win.
Also it is not legal to make a sudden stop in the middle of the highway for no reason other than traffic in front.

 

Ugh, I can't stand them.
But I wouldn't sink to their level
by p*ssing them off, it will only make
matters worse. If they want to pass, let them.
<3

 

Must be supper time:


Bob Wilson

 

No one has pointed out really how Pain in the behind we are really.

We are so slow I can imagin if I am driving my old car and seeing me now drive I would be tailing myself too. I feel sorry for the cars behind me when I am going only at 30mph. I used to go 40mph and thought everyone going 35 or below are losers and I tailed them like mad.

But now I know what they are feeling at the back of my car.

I let them pass by if they can but unfortuantely the streets in London are so narrow they can't.

 

i never exceed thr speed limit, it's against the law. i generally try to allow people to pass me unless i'm having a bad hair day.

 

This would have to be extreme - and even then is dubious. If you hit the car in front of you, it's hard to prove you're not liable.

 

This is still wrong. It's called "Assured Clear Distance", and almost every state treats it the same way. Here is an explanation relating to Ohio law, but it works the same way most places:

Here is the full link:

What is an Assured Clear Distance? | InjuryBoard Columbus

Tom

 

We are no worse than the little old lady crawling to the grocery store, or the big truck trying to make it up the hill. There is no case imaginable where the guy who rear-ends the slower vehicle is not at fault.
Period.
I don't know what some of you are talking about, that is absolutely wrong.

That said, it pays to be as courteous as possible when trying to "hyper-mile."