How to Handle Tailgaters on the Road
Remain calm and don’t allow your emotions to get the better of you., Pull over and allow the vehicle to pass., Keep to the right., Slow down on the straight sections of road., Maintain a constant speed., Do not force yourself to travel faster than...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Remain calm and don’t allow your emotions to get the better of you.
If you notice someone tailgating you, your first instinct might be to panic or get upset.
You might either feel nervous that someone is following too closely, or you might be angry that someone is following too closely.
Either way you need to take a couple of deep breaths and put your emotions aside for the time being.Remaining calm also ensures you’re able to stay in control of your vehicle and avoid causing an accident.
Turn the radio down or off if it helps you to concentrate and calm down.
Pay extra attention to your driving until you’ve been able to remove yourself from the situation. -
Step 2: Pull over and allow the vehicle to pass.
The easiest thing to do if you have someone tailgating you is to pull over and let that person pass you.
If it’s safe, just pull to the side of the road and allow whomever was following you to pass.
Get back onto the road when you feel it safe to do so.Always remember to signal your intention of pulling over in advance of actually pulling over.
Keep your signal on while you’re pulled over, until you’re ready to merge back into traffic.
If the area allows, you can also pull into a parking lot and remain there until the tailgater has passed.
Do not attempt this on a major, multi-lane highway as it may be difficult to merge back into traffic later or the shoulder may not be wide enough. , When driving on a multi-lane road, always keep to the right-most lane unless you are passing someone.
Leaving the other lanes available for other drivers to pass you will help ensure you do not get a tailgater in the first place.This is especially important in areas where the passing lane is not constant.
When a passing lane appears, keep to the right unless you need to pass the person in front of you.
In these situations the passing lane may only be available for a few kilometres. , When travelling on a road that is winding and curving significantly, and only has 1 lane in either direction, chances are there will not be a lot of places for someone to pass you safely.
When you reach a straight piece of road and passing is allowed, slow down.
Give your tailgater a chance to pass you and get ahead of you before the next winding section.If it helps, you can even move over slightly to signal to the car behind you that they’re welcome to pass.
If another driver attempts to pass you on an unsafe part of the road, slow down.
If they get into trouble, they may instinctively swerve back into your lane and hit you. , Tailgaters may be stuck behind you because your speed is inconsistent and they may not feel it’s safe to pass you.
Keep your speed as constant as possible so the tailgater has a chance to judge if it’s safe to pass you.If your car is equipped with cruise control, this is a great time to take advantage of it.
Don’t purposely change your speed just to annoy the person who is tailgating you.
This may only end up inflaming the situation and causing an accident. , When being tailgated another instinct may be to speed up so the gap between you and the car behind you widens.
This is usually only a temporary fix, as the car behind you is also likely to speed up, thereby closing the gap again.
The problem is, you’re now travelling at a faster speed and you still have a tailgater.Don’t speed up to appease a tailgater.
Keep to a speed you feel comfortable with based on the road conditions. , When in doubt, follow a truck! If you find yourself constantly being tailgated, maybe because you are driving a little slower than other drivers on the road, try getting behind a truck (at a safe distance of course).Chances are the truck is travelling at a speed you’re comfortable with, so you don’t have to pass the truck.
The truck is also big enough for other drivers to see it from a distance.
When they see a truck ahead, they’ll likely prepare themselves to pass it.
If you’re following the truck, they’ll pass you as well before they’re able to tailgate you. , While it may seem logical to tap on the brake pedal so your brakes light up in an attempt to “ask” the tailgater to back off, it’s unlikely to work.
Plus, one of two things might end up happening:
One, the driver behind you may not have been paying attention and may panic when they see your brake lights.
They may then slam on their own brakes and cause a chain reaction behind them, resulting in an accident.
Two, the driver may catch onto what you’re doing and start to ignore your brake lights.
If you need to brake for real at some point, the driver behind you may not react at all. -
Step 3: Keep to the right.
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Step 4: Slow down on the straight sections of road.
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Step 5: Maintain a constant speed.
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Step 6: Do not force yourself to travel faster than you feel safe doing.
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Step 7: Follow a truck.
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Step 8: Avoid tapping on the brake pedal.
Detailed Guide
If you notice someone tailgating you, your first instinct might be to panic or get upset.
You might either feel nervous that someone is following too closely, or you might be angry that someone is following too closely.
Either way you need to take a couple of deep breaths and put your emotions aside for the time being.Remaining calm also ensures you’re able to stay in control of your vehicle and avoid causing an accident.
Turn the radio down or off if it helps you to concentrate and calm down.
Pay extra attention to your driving until you’ve been able to remove yourself from the situation.
The easiest thing to do if you have someone tailgating you is to pull over and let that person pass you.
If it’s safe, just pull to the side of the road and allow whomever was following you to pass.
Get back onto the road when you feel it safe to do so.Always remember to signal your intention of pulling over in advance of actually pulling over.
Keep your signal on while you’re pulled over, until you’re ready to merge back into traffic.
If the area allows, you can also pull into a parking lot and remain there until the tailgater has passed.
Do not attempt this on a major, multi-lane highway as it may be difficult to merge back into traffic later or the shoulder may not be wide enough. , When driving on a multi-lane road, always keep to the right-most lane unless you are passing someone.
Leaving the other lanes available for other drivers to pass you will help ensure you do not get a tailgater in the first place.This is especially important in areas where the passing lane is not constant.
When a passing lane appears, keep to the right unless you need to pass the person in front of you.
In these situations the passing lane may only be available for a few kilometres. , When travelling on a road that is winding and curving significantly, and only has 1 lane in either direction, chances are there will not be a lot of places for someone to pass you safely.
When you reach a straight piece of road and passing is allowed, slow down.
Give your tailgater a chance to pass you and get ahead of you before the next winding section.If it helps, you can even move over slightly to signal to the car behind you that they’re welcome to pass.
If another driver attempts to pass you on an unsafe part of the road, slow down.
If they get into trouble, they may instinctively swerve back into your lane and hit you. , Tailgaters may be stuck behind you because your speed is inconsistent and they may not feel it’s safe to pass you.
Keep your speed as constant as possible so the tailgater has a chance to judge if it’s safe to pass you.If your car is equipped with cruise control, this is a great time to take advantage of it.
Don’t purposely change your speed just to annoy the person who is tailgating you.
This may only end up inflaming the situation and causing an accident. , When being tailgated another instinct may be to speed up so the gap between you and the car behind you widens.
This is usually only a temporary fix, as the car behind you is also likely to speed up, thereby closing the gap again.
The problem is, you’re now travelling at a faster speed and you still have a tailgater.Don’t speed up to appease a tailgater.
Keep to a speed you feel comfortable with based on the road conditions. , When in doubt, follow a truck! If you find yourself constantly being tailgated, maybe because you are driving a little slower than other drivers on the road, try getting behind a truck (at a safe distance of course).Chances are the truck is travelling at a speed you’re comfortable with, so you don’t have to pass the truck.
The truck is also big enough for other drivers to see it from a distance.
When they see a truck ahead, they’ll likely prepare themselves to pass it.
If you’re following the truck, they’ll pass you as well before they’re able to tailgate you. , While it may seem logical to tap on the brake pedal so your brakes light up in an attempt to “ask” the tailgater to back off, it’s unlikely to work.
Plus, one of two things might end up happening:
One, the driver behind you may not have been paying attention and may panic when they see your brake lights.
They may then slam on their own brakes and cause a chain reaction behind them, resulting in an accident.
Two, the driver may catch onto what you’re doing and start to ignore your brake lights.
If you need to brake for real at some point, the driver behind you may not react at all.
About the Author
Sharon Taylor
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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