Got the Reg of this car but do I report??

[whyyyyyisitmonddayy]

Car tonight tailgated me down an unlit country lane (I’m a young woman) and when I got scared I tapped on my break very lightly as I was so shaken I wanted to pull over. I did not break check. I went down by maybe 2mph most. They were so close that I couldn’t see them in my wing mirrors. I’d dealt with the tailgating for at least half a mile at that point. No need for it as I was doing 35 in a 40 which then went to a 60, but it was very winding. At the point it went to 60 I did not feel safe to accelerate past 45 because car behind was so close to me. I’m a very confident driver and used to these lanes so I wasn’t going stupidly slow for the conditions.

literally against my bumper. I indicated left to get out the way and they sped around me and nearly hit my bonnet (I drive a long - bonnetted Land Rover that belongs to my father, so not exactly as close to me as if it had been a fiat 500 for example). They then break checked me and I came very close to rear ending them. They continued to break check three more times but I was obviously keeping back the whole time!!

do I report? Did I do the wrong thing while driving? Will I get in trouble if I report it?

Absolutely report. That sort of driving is aggressive and dangerous. He could kill someone.

Won’t I get in trouble? I braked first. I was honestly so scared. I know it’s silly - but a part of my upset was ruining my dad’s car that he’s been letting me drive, and the fear of what the guy would have done to me if I’d hit him

Yes, report it. The police here say to report everything, online. Every bit of information is useful.

You can add the reg number and they'll be able to search that in any future enquiry.

Report it. What a twat, I hope you’re okay!
I’d have also not done more than 45 in a 60 down a dark country lane and I’m a confident driver.

Thank you for asking! I’m feeling okay with it now. I didn’t crash and that’s the main thing. I was also in a nasty car crash as a passenger a few weeks ago on a similar lane so i probably felt more upset because of that. It was a 2023 car so a bit odd that they’d risk wreaking it to ruin my 2007 landy

What a horrible experience. I hope you're okay, there are some total idiots out there.
As for reporting it, unless you have dashcam footage I wouldn't bother, there's not much I'd bother reporting to the police these days, and I say that as a retired police officer.

What was the difference between your braking and their braking to make theirs a brake check?

Tapping your brakes with someone that close is brake checking. Obviously their driving was dangerous/careless. Do you have dashcam? Without it the police are unlikely to do much as it’s your word against theirs about what happened

Definitely was not a break check, which is determined as a sudden breaking to cause an accident (or close to it). I didn’t noticeable slow. I was going downhill and approaching a sharp bend, so I had to break anyway. I’d tapped on the breaks sooner than Normal as I A) wanted to slow for the bend, and B) needed to come off as I wasn’t safe.

They intended to cause a crash and slammed on the breaks. I lightly tapped my breaks going downhill because I was approaching a bend and a junction that I’d like to come off at. If I’d breaked like normal (for a junction or bend) they would have gone into the back of me, and I was trying my hardest to stop that while also trying to get them to give me space so I could drive a
ssfely and also leave the road.

If it was that bad I would report it.

Police may not do anything with one report but if his driving is that bad you might not be only person who reports/has reported and then a pattern starts to build up.

I'd recommend getting a dash cam, not just because of this incident but there are so many dickheads on the road these days in general.

Please report.

Who knows what they will do, if anything, but they will definitely do nothing if it isnt reported.

Get a dash cam and report. When this has happened to me I put my hazards on and pull over to let them past. I reported someone for doing this to me with dash cam footage and they were prosecuted.

Report it. You could have been braking to avoid an animal in the road or something, which should have been a warning to them to leave more space. Then you let them go past, and they still drove badly.

As others have said, definitely report it and definitely get a dashcam as it stops all the "he said, she said" bullshit