To slow down when tailgated

[HoneyIshrunktheBiscuit]

Nothing annoys me more than arseholes who tailgate. When I was a new driver I found it incredibly intimidating and now I refuse to be scared by these road bullies.

Just been tailgated, right up my bum, on the motorway in the left lane. Plenty of space to overtake but not the guy was right up there. So I slowed down to about 65 - I couldn't have gone much faster anyway as there was a car only a little in front doing just under 70. When I pulled off on tothe exit junction he was effing and jeffing and gesturing at me.

I always slow down when someone's tailgating me. If they want to overtake me, they are more than welcome.

Arses.

I hate this. I live where there are lots of windy narrow country roads, and people get right up your bumper when you slow down (so you don't die!). I get slower and slower and slower until they get the message.

Me too

I slow down too, and in day light flick my lights on and they think I am braking - you should see the panic in their faces

I slow down too.
Tailgaters are putting you in a very dangerous situation, and it's better to have a collision at a slower rather than faster speed.!
I also want them a) to know that they won't bully me into speeding up, b) to realise that falling back may get me to a speed up a little, and c) to overtake if my slowing down has made this easier.

That's fine unless you're in the fast lane then you should get out of the way

I don't like tailgating.

But doing things to deliberately annoy an already irritated driver just strikes me as odd, childish and potentially dangerous (yes, I'm aware tailgating is also risky before any soap boxes get stood on).

It reminds me of the thread where people got some weird kick when someone who overtakes them gets to the traffic lights with them.

You should but even if you are in the fast line there is no excuse for tailgating.

I've had it happen on more than one occasion where there was another land the person could overtake me with as well and they just don't.

I wish I could flick on a lit up sign on my bumper saying 'I'm slowing down because you're right up my backside moron'

I slow down too. The advice is to increase the gap between you and the car imfromt isn't it?

Either over take or abuse by the 2 second rule. There's no need to he a dick :(

Only if there's room, Now, and the outside lane is clear ahead! Sometimes its Very busy and some twat still tried to bully you into moving over!

Abide

*tries

But doing things to deliberately annoy an already irritated driver just strikes me as odd, childish and potentially dangerous

That isn't why you do it. You slow down to make them either slow down as well or back up. You shouldn't have to but if they are determined to be dangerous twats it's better to slow down.

Never look at other drivers. So you never see the Eejits gesticulating or mouthing -a rule I always stick to.
Likewise if they beep- completely ignore.

When I was learning to drive, I was told by my instructor that the safest thing to do was slow down. That way it would make it easier for them to over-take if they wanted. But it sounds like your guy didn't want to over-take, just wanted to be a PITA.

It's not just about slowing down to annoy them. It's also about slowing down to a safe speed in case they hit you.

It is scary to have someone tailgating you. Not just annoying.

I don't like it either, it is dangerous, but so are the people who drive so slowly because they are clearly petrified behind the wheel and therefore drive at a ridiculously slow speed breaking every 5 seconds as soon as something appear in the range of vision. I think some of such drivers think they own the road. They are no better than the outraged tailgaters.

Agree op it's such bad driving

Yeah I do it all the time. Made some prick miss his junction once as I was in the far right lane overtaking traffic and he wanted me to do 80mph instead of the 75 I was doing.

He wasn't happy, but fuck him. He could've moved in earlier and waited.

I thought the advice was to slow down to increase the space in front of you so if they hit you from behind you don't get slammed into someone else.

I live in a very rural area and I get tailgated every single day. It's scary and dangerous the way some people drive, especially in work vans. I'm often tempted to call the companies to let them know how the vehicles are being driven.

There's one particular stretch, it's long with two junctions and an unbroken white line. Without fail, every single time, someone overtakes doing 120km/hr. Speed limit 80.

Ignore babble about other kinds of crap driving. Slowing down is correct, will reduce the impact if dickhead drives into you, the laws of physics apply whether he likes it or not.

You were in the left lane and driving correctly.

I also find a flick of the foglights helpful, dickhead then thinks you are braking and will slow.

Otherwise ignore. Hopefully a nice solid tree awaits him somewhere.

I'll happily slow down a little when there's good visibility so someone can overtake if they want.

I agree with swing too. The extremes are bothered equally problematic. I was driving in a rural area and had someone tapping breaks every 5 seconds around a corner etc despite driving at 25 mph. There was one safe straight bit to over tale and as I was mid overtake they decided to speed up to 40.

Really, simple road rule is not to be a dickhead.

AtHomeDad yes, what is it with these idiots who insist on overtaking in the outside line half a minute before they're due to leave the Mway on the inside?