To want to slam on my breaks purposefully so tailgaters crash into the back of me?

[hmmSleep]

Why do they feel the need to drive intimidatingly and dangerously close. I'm not driving too slow, I'm not going to speed up, I'm not going to pull over, if anything I'm going to slow down to piss them off make the situation less hazardess.

I would ensure I was wearing protective gear and nobody else was at risk, then the next time someone drove right up my backside I would slam my breaks on emergency stop style. I could do with my car being written off anyway.

Obviously I'm not actually going to do this, but I really want to!

[Serendippy]

YANBU

[Bloodymary]

I always used to just touch the brake pedal, seemed to work.

[scurryfunge]

Flick your lights on if it happens during daytime...they will confuse them with brake lights.

[pjmama]

YANBU. They are inadequate wankers who need to make themselves feel big and important by intimidating others from the safety of their big shiny car. Should be pitied really.

[EauRouge]

I find that spraying my windscreen a lot seems to help, especially if the tailgater has their roof down.

[OooeeeoooeeeoooeeEthel]

YANBU. What pjmama said, with knobs on.

[hmmSleep]

I think the car behind me this lunchtime was trying to watch Dora the Explorer on Ds's dvd player he was so close!

[PoorlyConstructed]

Definitely slow down. I hate tailgaters with a vengeance.

As a lesson in why leaving a nice big gap is very important: I was driving up the A1 (the crappy bit that isn't a motorway) last week on my way home from work. I was in the right-hand lane overtaking a lorry when the traffic in front of me came to a sudden stop. I think what had happened is that another lorry had pulled out of a lay-by causing the traffic already on the road to switch lanes without looking/emergency stops from those behind. The lorry I was in the middle of overtaking was driving too close to the vehicle in front of him and couldn't stop on time, so he swerved into my lane. Luckily I was driving good distance from the car in front of me and I have very good breaks, so I didn't hit him but it was a very close thing. I was not happy at all.

[HerbWoman]

YANBU to want to but, obviously YWBU if you did it. I hate it myself and usually slow down for the same reason you mentioned. I was on the motorway last Friday in very slow traffic and a big lorry was right behind me, coming closer and closer - so close I thought he might have forgotten I was there. I'm sure he would have struggled to see me (I've only got a little car). It really unnerved me and I hopped onto the next lane as soon as there was space. What also bugs me is when I'm overtaking someone and the car behind expects me to pull in front of the overtaken car immediately. I won't do that as it's too close and they then have to slow down to keep a safe difference. So I wait just a few more seconds until I'm a bit further ahead. Yesterday some idiot in a big car flashed behind me because I didn't pull in immediately. I had been about to but I have to say I made him wait longer because he had flashed me. I was very tempted to slow down and maintain the same speed as the car I had just overtaken. But I didn't. These people are complete idiots.

So, yes, I'm completely with you on this.

[MistsAndMellow]

A white mini covered in pink princess stickers followed me two inches from my bumper when I was driving at the speed limit on my third lesson.

On a very wet road at dusk.

I contained my rage because I was thinking of the comment someone made on one of these threads about princesses, cars and bad luck.

This will be very useful OP thank you!

[dilemma456]

My mum calls them bum sniffers. I've heard her yelling "get back you bum sniffer" out the window before now

[FindingMyMojo]

ooooooooooooooh I hate this too. I touch the brake without actually breaking. By why would you do it? Tossers!

[hmmSleep]

That's what I don't understand, what action are they expecting us to take? If on a single carriageway with nowhere to pull over and you're already driving at the speed limit what are they hoping to achieve? Love the term 'bum sniffer'!

[Sugarmuppet]

When I was learning to drive in Edinburgh this happened to me. Instructor told me to stop and she got out and opened the boot. Then went up to the car behind and asked him if thats what he wanted to see!

[BeenBeta]

My Dad flicks on his rear fog lamps with the dashboard switch.

Just for a moment the tailgater thinks you are braking and backs right off as (s)he hits the brakes in panic. Of course you are not braking at all so you are not causing a danger.

[ccpccp]

Tailgaters are a pain, but why the 'I'm not going to pull over' OP?

The car behind wants to overtake, so let it.

[PoorlyConstructed]

why should you have to pull over (assuming a single carriageway) if you're travelling at the speed limit to let some wanker overtake you?

[VivaLeBeaver]

What about if its some gimmer doing 40mph instead of the national speed limit though. I was stuck behind someone doing that for miles the other day, straight road but busy the other way so couldn't get past for 10 mins!

[GrimmaTheNome]

This is one of the reasons I like speed cameras - I find there's far fewer tailgaters in areas that have them. Driving at the speed limit because you don't want to get points is evidently more comprehensible to them than driving at the speed limit because its the law

As someone else mentioned, windscreen washing can be effective, and it is the perfect 'tosser' symbol.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Viva
even then no excuse for tailgating. Its dangerous driving, especially behind a 'gimmer' who is quite liable to make an unpredictable manouevre.

A 5 minute delay isn't worth risking an accident.

[scurryfunge]

I do get frustrated by people intent on doing 40mph in a National Speed limit area and then still continue to do 40mph when it becomes a 30 limit. If you must do 40 in a 60 then pull over to allow everyone else to progress.

[VivaLeBeaver]

No sorry, I didn't mean that tailgating old gimmers was acceptable. But had the pulling over comments in mind when I posted. I do think people who drive at 35/40mph constantly in a 60mph limit ought to pull over every now and then like tractors do.

[HowAnnoying]

I think alot of people think 40 is the national limit on single carridgeways. My DP had to one of those safe driving courses to avoid some points and everyone in the room thought the limit was 40.

People who slow to about 15 mph when going through speed cameras are very irratating to.

[Librashavinganotherbiscuit]

I had a bike tail-gate me the other day, when I did pull over and he zoomed past he had a high-vis jacket on with "Think Bike" emblazoned on the back. Wanker.

[callista]

I hate this too!

Yesterday I was half a mile from home and a motorcyclist zoomed up behind our car (in a 30 heading into a town centre), zipped past on a right only turn, then cut in front of the next car in a panic because there was a traffic island immediately ahead (which was obvious because of all the white paint and central speed camera). Then braked for speed camera. Then pulled a wheely in stationery traffic, then zoomed past said traffic much faster than 30 mph. Wanker.

My husband and father are both motorcyclists and obvs would be horrified by this behaviour - the same kind of idiots who tailgate and think they have a right to break the speed limit just because they fancy it.

GRRRRRR