Tailgating drivers everywhere

[mag2305]

I'm sure this isn't really something new and I might be totally wrong but since the pandemic, I feel like there's always cars sitting really close behind and often kind of agrressive, like swerving out slightly to created pressure I guess or some overtake. Has driving become more aggressive? Is it because people are frustrated? Is it just this area (busy area in Essex)?
Maybe it's just me noticing it more. I'm not a slow or fast driver, just stick to the speed limit. I've got a toddler and one of those baby in board stickers which might piss people off and make them tailgate even more, I don't know. I was always quite a confident driver as I used to drive in Central London regularly which can be interesting, lol! So I was never easily intimidated by other drivers. But the tailgating and overtaking is every day round here and I'm more nervous now on the road which I never felt before. Maybe it's also being a mum now too, just feeling more protective. Don't know.
Anyone else feel this?

Luckily I drive one of the most powerful Minis and leave them standing.

And what happens if they’re in something quick? Presumably you get your arse handed to you?

I'm amused at the idea from a pp that it's Honda Jazz and VW up drivers who don't indicate.

There must be a hell of a lot of these cars on the road, judging by how little indicating goes on.

@Disneyblue

Tailgaters behind someone doing the speed limit? Yep, impatient. However people who are doing like 40 in a 60 zone with no traffic in front are asking for it really. So many accidents occur because of impatient drivers trying to get past unreasonably slow drivers. I'm not saying it's right, but slow drivers are as dangerous as fast drivers at times.

Depends. There are plenty of roads where 60 is ostensibly the limit but where you would be driving dangerously to get anywhere near that.

There must be a hell of a lot of these cars on the road, judging by how little indicating goes on.

In my experience, it has got worse and worse over the years and there is no model of car that is any more guilty than others. I admit to getting irritated when people don’t indicate before leaving a roundabout when I am waiting to enter it and people who don’t indicate when changing lanes on motorways/dual carriageways.

I remember a motoring journalist moaning about the two second blink on motorways back in the 1990s, now many people don’t even do that.

My experience of Baby on Board signs is usually one of distracted or flustered driver. People carrier where you can see the driver repeatedly turning round and looking in the back etc. It’s just as bad as texting and to be honest I would definitely prefer those otherwise engaged by crying in the back to be behind me on the road so when they do veer around it’s not into me.

That said, the overall quality of driving has decidedly dropped during the pandemic. I’d love to see people have to both manoeuvre a truck around some cones or something and ride a bike on the road as part of the licence (though would probably have to be done on an airfield somewhere). If I had a quid for every car I see try and squeeze up the inside of an artic on a roundabout and then not realise that the trailers don’t go neatly round the outside i’d not need to work again.

@Etulosba

There must be a hell of a lot of these cars on the road, judging by how little indicating goes on.

In my experience, it has got worse and worse over the years and there is no model of car that is any more guilty than others. I admit to getting irritated when people don’t indicate before leaving a roundabout when I am waiting to enter it and people who don’t indicate when changing lanes on motorways/dual carriageways.

I remember a motoring journalist moaning about the two second blink on motorways back in the 1990s, now many people don’t even do that.

I remember a motoring journalist moaning about the two second blink on motorways back in the 1990s, now many people don’t even do that. Or hilariously, the ones who do a two second blink after they have already started the lane change - might as well not bother.

@Disneyblue

Tailgaters behind someone doing the speed limit? Yep, impatient. However people who are doing like 40 in a 60 zone with no traffic in front are asking for it really. So many accidents occur because of impatient drivers trying to get past unreasonably slow drivers. I'm not saying it's right, but slow drivers are as dangerous as fast drivers at times.

So many accidents occur because of impatient drivers trying to get past unreasonably slow drivers. Exactly how many, professor?

Why are so many people in favour of impatient and bad driving practices? Obviously people need to stop tailgating, stick to speed limits, indicate. The arrogance of some people behind the wheel is incredible. Hundreds of people die on the roads and it's idiots like these, who think they know better, who are often the cause.

I slow down a little if someone is tailgating me. Not much, just one or two mph that's all. I don't like it but if they haven't got the balls to overtake, well it's not my problem (talking about the ones who fail to do so on a straight road with no traffic, not in the centre of town). And hey, if I'm on the speed limit or driving to road conditions then I ain't going faster for anyone am I?

My granddad fitted a switch to his braking system that turned the brake lights on, probably illegal but worked very well .

I haven’t noticed as I’m still not really driving anywhere, but when I was, it used to irritate the hell out of me and I’d stick rigidly to the speed limit if it happened... tailgating I found was usually done by men in sports cars or white vans.
DH got his dream car last year. We discussed the stereotypes that this kind of car garners and he has really modified his driving style to one of serious toleration and consideration, not wanting to be seen as a flash w*ker! So not all sports cars are driven by twts!

[quote Hashtagforaname]@Yondergoat so if I'm doing 30 in a 30 area and have someone right on my bumper which has happened, I should be going faster. Even when I'm right on the speed limit and sometimes a touch over, these idiots appear from nowhere. Good to know it is my fault and I'm going too slow. I should be doing 80 on a 40 road to appease some of the tailgaters we see.[/quote]
No, I didn't say that.

If you are on a dual carriageway in the outside lane doing 35mph and someone is on your bumper then pull over and get out of the way.

If you are doing 30mph in a 30mph zone then the person on your bumper is a knob and feel free to brake.

But particularly on MN we get this all the time. "I'm always being tailgated. I like to drive at 10mph below the speed limit and I don't feel safe in the inside lane..."

Lots more coked up drivers imo

People are too busy, stressed, late and not concentrating on the actual job in hand - in control of a 1.5 ton moving piece of metal.

I find that when I drive through a 30 zone, at 30, people take more chances because I am 'slow'

So many accidents occur because of impatient drivers trying to get past unreasonably slow drivers

Even if they do, it's not the fault of the slow drivers, it's the fault of the impatient drivers trying to overtake when it's not safe. If it's not safe, you don't go.

I have to say like middle lane sitting, I also think there are varying definitions of tail-gating. For me, it's someone who doesn't like the fact I am doing 30 in a 30 zone and tries to get into my boot.

But I think some people think if you come round a corner and end up close behind them, that's tail-gating and they slam their brakes on. Actually I've seen you, my foot is already off the gas, so just leave me time to drop back without slamming my brakes on - there's no need. 10 seconds and I'll have dropped back a bit.

slow drivers are as dangerous as fast drivers at times

They’re really not. Impatient drivers are the dangerous ones.

@Littlemoons

Yep, loads more drug drivers in my area these days.

@poppycat10

I have to say like middle lane sitting, I also think there are varying definitions of tail-gating. For me, it's someone who doesn't like the fact I am doing 30 in a 30 zone and tries to get into my boot.

But I think some people think if you come round a corner and end up close behind them, that's tail-gating and they slam their brakes on. Actually I've seen you, my foot is already off the gas, so just leave me time to drop back without slamming my brakes on - there's no need. 10 seconds and I'll have dropped back a bit.

this comes back to everyone giving everyone a little more space on the road, doesn’t it. They wouldn’t tailgate you in that situation if they had given you distance to start with.

Nothing to do with tailgating but e-scooters are becoming quite a hazard in my area just to add to the mix. Had one today scooting down the middle of the road into oncoming traffic!

@mag2305

Nothing to do with tailgating but e-scooters are becoming quite a hazard in my area just to add to the mix. Had one today scooting down the middle of the road into oncoming traffic!

Totally agree. Had 2 kids on one scooter cut right across the road in front of me. Came right off the pavement without looking. They came from behind a van waiting to come out of the street i was turning into, my heart was in my mouth. They were lucky this time. The amount of kids running around the streets on these things is very worrying.

@Iluvfriends it is worrying because the majority I see out on them are just children/teenagers. And put this together with the dangerous driving out there we've all described, it's a worrying combo.

We had a man (not teenager) come off his e-scooter right outside our house. It wasn't the cars fault at all in this instance. The scooter man was going too fast and dodging about. He was knocked off and thrown up the road a little way. Luckily he wasn't seriously hurt but when I went outside to offer him a chair whilst he waited for the ambulance, he smelt so strongly of weed. So e-scooter + weed, not good!

I can see the environmental logic. But they are an unpoliced menace. No protection, unregistered, unrestricted, quiet menace. Then there’s the loan ones which are allowed just dumped anywhere for pedestrians to navigate.

[quote mag2305]@Iluvfriends it is worrying because the majority I see out on them are just children/teenagers. And put this together with the dangerous driving out there we've all described, it's a worrying combo.

We had a man (not teenager) come off his e-scooter right outside our house. It wasn't the cars fault at all in this instance. The scooter man was going too fast and dodging about. He was knocked off and thrown up the road a little way. Luckily he wasn't seriously hurt but when I went outside to offer him a chair whilst he waited for the ambulance, he smelt so strongly of weed. So e-scooter + weed, not good![/quote]
Same here mostly kids or just turned teens. No parents out to check on them. One of them is going to get killed.

Escooters are a drop in the ocean compared to the death and carnage that cars cause

@Macncheeseballs so far