Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tailgating. Pull over or keep driving?

200 replies

Staffielove23 · 21/02/2023 22:01

I was driving on a country road this morning. It’s national speed limit so 60mph, and I drove at this speed for the straight bits slowing right down for the corners as it’s so bendy and I don’t want to end up over my line with a tractor oncoming or something like that. I had someone behind me, I think they must drive that road everyday, as they were getting right up my ass even on the bends. I mean I couldn’t even see their bumper and I had my kid in the back. So I indicated and pulled over to let them past as they were making me feel nervous. They lean on their horn and make some kind of hand gesture as they pass me. Was I being unreasonable to pull over?

OP posts:
knittingaddict · 22/02/2023 09:26

vodkaredbullgirl · 21/02/2023 22:03

I would have kept driving and slower.

Me too. 😀

DistrictCommissioner · 22/02/2023 09:27

The gesture wasn’t for pulling in, it was for driving too slowly (as they perceived it).

journeyofinsanity · 22/02/2023 09:30

vodkaredbullgirl · 21/02/2023 22:03

I would have kept driving and slower.

So your response to a twat is to act like an even bigger twat? Grow up. Their stupid actions don't make it a free for all for you to be an idiot. You're still being an idiot.

vodkaredbullgirl · 22/02/2023 09:31

journeyofinsanity · 22/02/2023 09:30

So your response to a twat is to act like an even bigger twat? Grow up. Their stupid actions don't make it a free for all for you to be an idiot. You're still being an idiot.

Show quote history

Go slower so they could pass, not to piss them off 🙄

Original poster
Staffielove23 · 22/02/2023 09:33

@Arrrrrrragghhh drive automatic. Can’t drive slower without breaking.

OP posts:
DogsDryWineAndCheese · 22/02/2023 09:34

I think you did the right thing.

I had this a few weeks ago but nothing I did seemed to stop him. At one point I sped up to try and create distance, so he sped up to. So I gradually slowed down because as we reached more bends it wasn’t an appropriate speed. I tried coming right over to the verge slowly with my indicator on to gesture for him to overtake, he didn’t.
There we’re no lay-bys for a few miles. Literally I couldn’t get him out of my arse.

We then got onto the outskirts of a town and he started weaving to overtake when there was oncoming cars. There was no where I could go but I didn’t want to contribute to a head on so I came to a stop as did the car coming the opposite way as it was very obvious he was weaving. He then overtook me, a car that had pulled out in front and drove through a red light.

I still wonder what could be so urgent!

SinnerBoy · 22/02/2023 09:35

Staffielove23 · Yesterday 23:29

- - Just tap the brakes intermittently....freaks the fucker right out. - -

Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.

If you're being tailgated, you're supposed to brake gently, so that they (should) realise you're slowing and back off, if not, it reduces the severity of a potential crash.

If I'm tailgated, I try to let them past, when an opportunity presents itself. I don't want them behind me. If I'm in a built up area and they can't get past, I stick to the limit and sometimes dab the brakes, which often works.

SinnerBoy · 22/02/2023 09:40

Hmm. My instructor told me to dab the brakes to show the lights, but that doesn't seem to be the advice, after a bit of searching online.

underthelights · 22/02/2023 09:44

I’d have done the same as you OP but slow down on the straight. Once they’re in front they soon disappear out of sight then I can relax. If they’re right up my butt on tight corners they’re obviously maniacs and I need them gone before they do a dodgy overtake

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 22/02/2023 09:45

I go slower. Ignore them (it's hard I know). If you let them overtake, sometimes they slam on the brakes (had this done to me by an old man once lol... thought he'd gotten away with it until it turned out I was following him to where he was going...)

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 22/02/2023 09:47

l was in a car that was being tailgated. Our driver did the slowing down thing.

When we came to a red light, the tailgating twat got out with a hamner. We were in a soft top. Fortunately the lights changed and we got away.

Manchester late 80’s

MexicanDrinkingWorm · 22/02/2023 09:51

if they’re making you feel uncomfortable it’s definitely best to pull over. Some people just like to be angry regardless

I once had a really aggressive driver behind me, I was already doing just over 60 on a 60 road, he was fuming he couldn’t get past me.
I caught up with a car in front me who was going a little slower, I slowed down, left space etc.
car behind, clearly furious by this point, overtook us both approaching a bend and a car coming the other way had to swerve him.
turns out the car id caught up with was an undercover police officer 😀 the sheer joy on my face when that car light up in lights and pulled him over.

or the time I had a another one following me aggressively on a 60 road during rush hour, after a few miles I needed to turn left. On the same left turn a tractor was waiting to pull out. Definitely flashed him out onto the road in front of me before I turned in.

karma is wonderful.

AlisonDonut · 22/02/2023 09:55

Everyone drives like this here in France.

You pop along to a shop or market and have someone right up your arse the whole way there, roads are bendy so little room to overtake. As you get to the town and the road becomes straight they overtake and when you get there 10 seconds after they park up, it's a little old lady who then proceeds to hold the whole line up writing a cheque for the purchases.

Before bombing her way back home, tyres screeching.

Minfilia · 22/02/2023 09:56

Yes, pull over. Or at least slow down on the straight so they can overtake.

we are surrounded by country roads and it’s safe to drive on them at 50-60 but they are a bit windy at times. It is exasperating to be stuck behind someone driving at half the speed limit who speeds up on the only overtaking opportunities just to slow down to half the speed limit again 30 seconds later, apparently completely oblivious to the line of 10+ cars behind that have caught up to them because they are driving too slowly for the road conditions…

(and yes, I do think that if you are incapable of driving above half the speed limit on a perfectly clear, dry and sunny day with good visibility of the road, you probably shouldn’t be driving)

Phos · 22/02/2023 10:02

Pulling over is the right thing to do if it is safe to do so - but when they lean on the horn and gesture that properly pisses me off too! So I carry on driving at the pace I was going at unless for some reason I am having to go well below the speed limit. If they want to overtake they can wait until it’s safe.

Grumpybutfunny · 22/02/2023 10:07

Staffielove23 · 22/02/2023 09:33

@Arrrrrrragghhh drive automatic. Can’t drive slower without breaking.

Buy a car that can handle corners if your going on country roads? I have an auto but knock it into manual on country roads so I can take the corners at a reasonable speed. If the speed limit is 60mph it's safe to take the corners at 60 in dry conditions. It's rarely pure speed that's responsible for accidents on country roads more inappropriate cars that haven't been maintained and drivers driving inappropriately (both to quick and to slow).

Also you should be accelerating after the apex of a corner to get the most traction (have a look at racing lines).

DownNative · 22/02/2023 10:08

I'd advise getting front and rear dash cams fitted along with a rear sign stating this. I've had zero issues with idiots on the roads ever since.

And loads of space around my car too wherever I go. Win-win!

DownNative · 22/02/2023 10:11

SinnerBoy · 22/02/2023 09:40

Hmm. My instructor told me to dab the brakes to show the lights, but that doesn't seem to be the advice, after a bit of searching online.

Brake checking is illegal, I believe....your instructor is an idiot.

xogossipgirlxo · 22/02/2023 10:14

No, you were right to do it. My husband once stopped in the middle of the road (no chance of overtaking there) and told woman behind him to keep the space. She was shocked, so she only honked, but at least stopped tailgating 😂

longtompot · 22/02/2023 10:16

YWNBU for pulling over and letting them past.

Someone was tailgating us on a main road which we have driven pretty regularly for many years. There were several places he could have overtaken but didn't. We knew a section of dual carriage way was coming up so he stayed in the left lane and slowed down. The driver stayed behind us and didn't overtake! Dh slowed right down to about 25mph before this driver overtook. It was most bizarre.

lazycats · 22/02/2023 10:17

As many twat drivers in the countryside as the city in my experience. They seem to think that because they know the roads well everyone should be driving over the limit.

Couldyounot · 22/02/2023 10:27

Best advice I ever saw about how to react to this sort of thing was "whatever their problem is, why do you want to be part of it?"

Frabbits · 22/02/2023 10:29

You absolutely did the right thing. You were in a potentially dangerous situation and you removed yourself from it.

Ignore the morons people who say you should slow down/tap the brakes etc. Just pull over, let the fuckwits past and forget about it.

Babdoc · 22/02/2023 10:41

It’s a simple matter to slow right down on a nice long straight bit to let them overtake you safely. You don’t need to pull over and stop.
I used to be on emergency call at nights and weekends to two hospitals from my home in rural Perthshire, and I would have been very angry if some driver in front had tried to force me to drive slowly out of bloodymindedness. Fortunately it only ever happened on the dual carriageway section, so I undertook them at 100mph when necessary, ie when they hogged the outside lane and wouldn’t move over despite me flashing them.

purpleboy · 22/02/2023 10:47

I thought the advice was to reduce your speed so that any impact would be lessened? Is that no longer the correct thing to do?

Swipe left for the next trending thread