To be scared driving at night now

[Peghi]

On Saturday night I was driving home at 8ish at night and overtaking some vans and lorries on the motorway. A Mercedes (I think) 4x4 drove up behind me and started flashing his lights at me. I was going just below the speed limit (67 or so in a 70) and very obviously overtaking. I couldn't move in and wasnt going to speed. So the guy put his full beams on and drove as close as he could. I couldn't see well at all, even with my mirror flipped and it was really scary. I pulled in as soon as I could but it was pretty difficult as with his full beams on I couldn't see if I was safe to pull into the left hand lane (2 lane motorway).

So, now I'm scared to drive at night, as he sped in front once I pulled into the LH lane his passenger turned to look at me and laugh on the way by. I confess I stuck my fingers up at him.

AIBU to be scared now? What would you have done?

[Aquamarine1029]

You did exactly the right thing and did all you could at the time. Don't let that arsehole put you off driving. If you're having trouble seeing at night, you might a slight astigmatism. I do. It makes headlights look kind of starburst, and night driving is scary. I got a prescription for glasses and I'm back to normal. I only have to wear them at night whilst driving.

[PuzzlingPuzzle]

You’d be crazy to let the actions of one aggressive arse to stop you from driving at night. Not sure what else you could have done to be honest... sounds like you were using the outside lane appropriately to overtake, you were driving at just below the speed limit and you pulled in as soon as it was safe to do so 🤷‍♀️ I suppose you shouldn’t have given him the finger but I totally get why you did!

[BlankTimes]

Don't be scared, it was a one off encounter with some tosser who hides his lack of intelligence behind his aggressiveness.

He'll not be there again, you'll not encounter him again, most drivers are not that bad, just go with the flow.

I don't give any reaction if I see any aggressive driving, I just look straight ahead with a neutral expression, Grey Rock.

[Drogosnextwife]

I would have probably slowed down to piss him off because male drivers with that attitude piss me off some much. I've never had a run in with a woman on the road or in car parks but had quite a few with men strangely.

[Peghi]

Thank you all I wear glasses but it was because his car was higher than mine it was so bad.

[Alsohuman]

What an arsehole. Don't let the bastard win.

[Katinkka]

Poor you. I’ve had similar and I hate it. I get so stressed. I actually want to kill them. Infuriating

[Flowersintheatticconversion]

I’d have continued with my overtaking and pulled in at the earliest point. Which is what you did. Don’t whatever you do slow down to piss them off, that just makes you a dick like them. I’d much rather they overtake me then get even more irate behind me.

[2birds1stone]

He shouldn't have behaved that way and I would have done a a bit of left footed braking..however you say you were doing 67/70 bare in mind that car Speedos will register differently so according to him you may have only been reading on his Speedo at doing 65ish which can be frustrating on a motorway. It's why speed cameras have a 10% allowance .

But he behaved like a dick. You will get them in the day or at night. Learn to ignore and pootle at your own rate

[Peghi]

The pulling in was the difficult bit, I was really convinced I was either going to crash into a truck or be rear ended by the car behind me. Terrifying.

With regards to speed - I was overtaking, its not like I was going at 40 mph in the outside lane. Stupid Scottish 2 lane motorways!