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Original poster

Warning for tailgating - just curious

238 replies

Jimdandy · 29/12/2020 21:45

I’ve been sent the attached - completely accept it and it’s worked, I’ll change my ways (I honestly don’t normally do it, but get frustrated as there's a lot of lane 2, 3 and 4 hoggers, but I still see why I shouldn’t and won’t again)

But I’m just really curious how they detect it from the cameras? Just interested in the technology and how it works.

Anyone know? I drove this route everyday so on my best behaviour now.

OP posts:

Malahaha · 30/12/2020 01:52

Once, my daughter was tailgated by a huge lorry on an Irish country road -- just one lane! She was going at the speed limit but the lorry drove up right behind her and stuck there for at least ten minutes. It was very frightening. I was in the car as well as her 2-year old child. I took a photo of the lorry which clearly showed the reg - it was a UK reg. The photo showed clearly how close the lorry had been. I reported it to the guards, and they got back to me saying they'd get in touch with the company.
They got back to me with the following:

"Further to our discussion yesterday, I have sent an email to the fleet manager of xxxxxxx the owner of the vehicle XXXXX and they have indicated that their lorry does not travel to Ireland and that the registration plates may be ‘cloned’ onto another similar DAF LORRY vehicle.

We are currently investigating this and will make all our officers aware of the existence of the fake registration plates. If we encounter the driver of this vehicle we have the power to not only caution him regarding the driving on the date 18.3.20 but to investigate the more serious offence of having false plates."

I never heard back from them so I guess the driver is still around doing this. It was really, really intimidating.

GarlicSoup · 30/12/2020 04:19

@WhereverIGoddamnLike

If you cannot drive without doing dangerous things when another motorist frustrates you then you should not be driving.

This

Tulipshoots · 30/12/2020 05:09

Those calling out the op for her bullying behaviour in the car, what do you say to the (repeated) comments on this thread about her fingernails?

I get that one behaviour is more serious but it’s rather an indication of the petty mentality of the online type isn’t it?

FrenchFancie · 30/12/2020 07:34

You should all try driving in Cyprus, tailgating is a national past time here. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’m doing the limit on the motorway (100kph) and someone is so far up my bum I can’t even see their reg plate. They are usually on their mobile as well. It’s no wonder that we have one of the worst records for road safety in Europe.

The bad part of this is that after 5 years I’ve started driving like this too, only realised when I went back to the uk last year and figured out I was driving way closer than everyone else, and stopped. Never use my mobile though.

Anyway, I can see that tailgating isn’t a good thing to do, but I can also see how it can happen without you being a knob, just driving to the conditions around you. Still the op has said she will be more mindful in future so all’s well that ends well...

supersonicginandtonic · 30/12/2020 07:39

If a police officer sees somebody tailgating or middle lane hogging they can issue fines and points for careless driving.
It doesn't happen often but has happened on occasions.

Iggly · 30/12/2020 07:39

@Tulipshoots

Those calling out the op for her bullying behaviour in the car, what do you say to the (repeated) comments on this thread about her fingernails?

I get that one behaviour is more serious but it’s rather an indication of the petty mentality of the online type isn’t it?

^this

FuckOffBorisYouTwat · 30/12/2020 07:47

I spent a year working in insurance taking the details of people reporting car crashes. ( Dull job not recommended). As tailgating is one of my pet hate I still love it when people doing up trying to blame the person that crashed into. There is almost no way out of been found at fault if you drive into the back of someone as the onus is on you to keep space (the main exception being if they reverse into you). People with get so indignant coming up with a load of bollocks as to why it was someone's fault.

KatherineJaneway · 30/12/2020 07:51

@TwelveDogsOfChristmas

The people who think the answer to someone 'lane hogging' (often going at the speed limit) is to break yet more Highway Code rules and risk their own and others safety much more by dangerous manoeuvres like tailgating or undertaking really need to revisit the nursery and relearn the basic life code rule that two wrongs don't make a right

I've undertaken someone before but not purposefully, is that still wrong? Car was doing about 60 - 65mph in the middle lane of the M4. Amazingly the inside lane was clear of lorries so I was there and slowly went past the car in the middle lane as I was doing and average of 70mph.

Ineedaduvetday · 30/12/2020 07:53

The problem is some people tailgate “middle lane hoggers” but the “hoggers” are doing 65-70mph and going past the lorries doing 58mph on the left. But the aggressive twats are cross not everyone else is doing 72mph minimum.

This ^^

PseudoBadger · 30/12/2020 08:03

"I've undertaken someone before but not purposefully, is that still wrong? Car was doing about 60 - 65mph in the middle lane of the M4. Amazingly the inside lane was clear of lorries so I was there and slowly went past the car in the middle lane as I was doing and average of 70mph."

Yeah, that's classic undertaking

KatherineJaneway · 30/12/2020 08:10

@PseudoBadger

Yeah, that's classic undertaking

So I have to purposefully slow down to not undertake? How bizarre.

It wasn't done on purpose, just so happened that over the miles I travelled faster on the inside lane.

BubblyBarbara · 30/12/2020 09:12

Undertaking is not illegal, look at the Highway Code. If anyone is done for it, it’s because they get done for careless driving and driving in a way that other road users would not expect. If someone is sat in lane 3 by themselves, it is neither illegal, unexpected, or careless if people undertake in lane 1 for example.

Bouledeneige · 30/12/2020 09:26

My experience of being tailgated is that it's often when the roads are very busy so there's not much space to move into slower lanes as all the traffic is roughly going at the same speed. So the tailgater is just wanting to pile through and expecting everyone else to get out of their way as they think they have priority. And often if I can't safely move to the middle lane they expect me to speed to get out of their way. I have from time to time had speeding violations and really do not want to have them any more. I don't want to kill anyone. Tailgaters are usually trying to force people out of the way so they can break the law and speed. If the whole of the fast Lane is going at 70 why does a tailgater get to move everyone out of their way? It is terribly dangerous and intimidating .

I'm disappointed it takes you getting a letter to realise you shouldn't do it. So it's surprise they can catch you that has made you change your ways. Did you not realise before that you can kill people by tailgating? Or that treating other road users with respect Is a reasonable approach? I've never tailgated anyone, I always assumed it was nasty aggressive egocentric men who did it who think the road belongs to them.

Malahaha · 30/12/2020 10:16

You should all try driving in Cyprus, tailgating is a national past time here.

You should try driving in Germany, on an Autobahn with no speed limit!
Germans are the most aggressive drivers I've known.

Soutiner · 30/12/2020 10:20

@Malahaha

You should all try driving in Cyprus, tailgating is a national past time here.

You should try driving in Germany, on an Autobahn with no speed limit!
Germans are the most aggressive drivers I've known.

Italy for me! Never again!

MintyMabel · 30/12/2020 10:23

Medals in the post for all the perfect drivers here!

You think there is something wrong with choosing to drive safely when you are propelling 2 tonnes of vehicle at high speeds among other people doing the same? Weird.

Babdoc · 30/12/2020 10:34

Malahaha, I loved driving in Germany! Other drivers were incredibly courteous. Whenever getting near to where a slip road entry was going to join their autobahn, all the drivers pulled over into the outside lanes to allow drivers to join safely, then swung back in after the slip was passed. It was like a choreographed ballet!
And the absence of a speed limit was wonderful- I could drive safely at 100mph while touring, thus reducing tiredness and journey times considerably.
I believe the autobahnen had a very low accident rate, as nobody got frustrated by drivers hogging a lane “sticking to the speed limit”, and drivers were used to using their common sense and assessing the road conditions to set their speed.

DappledThings · 30/12/2020 10:38

@Thewiseoneincognito

My god OP your nails look utterly filthy. May I gently suggest a decent manicure? 🤢

May I gently suggest you take 30 seconds to read OP's posts and see this covered?

Haggertyjane · 30/12/2020 10:39

If you google motorway camera information (or something similar) you can see all the traffic and the driving habits in real time and they would see someone tailgating and pick up the car reg on Anpr

Tailgating is probably the number 1 pet hate of other drivers.

Haggertyjane · 30/12/2020 10:40

As it was a motorway this is most probable

Malahaha · 30/12/2020 10:42

@Babdoc I lived in Germany for 45 years so though some Autobahns are nice some are terrible. I used to have to drive 30 minutes every day back and forth to work on a stretch which had heavy vehicles coming from Eastern Europe on their way presumably to the UK or France. Out of 10 lorries, 8 would be from Poland, Rumania, Hungary etc, and they would be close together driving at top speed. To actually get into the Autobahn from the ramp was every day a matter of quickly slotting myself in between two racing lorries. I almost had a heart attack every single day. I hated it. I suppose I can't blame the Germans though. Who do expect you to drive fast or stay in your slower lane. WHOOSH!

OTOH I find Irish drivers on motorways very courteous indeed.

Haggertyjane · 30/12/2020 10:48

@Babdoc German autobahns have a 2% higher death rate than UK motorways. They are not safer. I lived in Germany and saw a couple of horrific accidents on the autobahn, as well as nursing a woman who had multiple fractures, whose 3 children also had broken bones and whose husband had been killed. We found them really aggressive drivers.

PrtScn · 30/12/2020 11:05

[quote WhereverIGoddamnLike]@Soutiner
I didnt realise people put their dogs in the boot. I've owned dogs my whole life. They sit in the back seat.[/quote]
Most people I know put their dogs in the boot. Mine goes in the boot. I have an estate with a cargo net. I hope you don’t just leave them on the back seat unsecured. You can risk a fine if your dog is unrestrained in the back of the car.

Lockheart · 30/12/2020 11:09

There is no such thing as "fast lanes" and "slow lanes". The speed limit is the same in all. The outside lanes are for overtaking only, the inside lane is for driving in.

If there is nothing to your left that you are overtaking, you should be driving in the inside lane.

If there are other cars in the outside lanes which you would like to pass, you must maintain the correct safe stopping distance, regardless of whether they are "lane hogging" or not.

Their act of lane hogging does not negate your need for a safe stopping distance. Physics is physics regardless of the actions of the person in front of you.

So to sum up:

drive on the left
don't tailgate

MintyMabel · 30/12/2020 11:14

Tailgaters are usually trying to force people out of the way so they can break the law and speed. If the whole of the fast Lane is going at 70 why does a tailgater get to move everyone out of their way? It is terribly dangerous and intimidating

My mantra is, the closer you are, the slower I go. If someone is going to go in to the back of me, I’d rather they did it at 50 than at 80.

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