Tailgaters

[pconroy328]

We're on our maiden voyage in our Class C. I drive a lot; my commute is 100 miles each day.

But I'm flabergasted at the folks on I-70 who insist on riding my bumper! I'm doing 55mph, far right lane, speed limit is 75. Both left lanes are open.

No exits for miles...

Really?

If I had some cool bumper stickers, then I could understand. But all it says back there is "Coachmen"...

[Veebyes]

I'd sure like to know where these people who claim that they drive at 55, even 60mph are? Cruising at 63-65 I am one of the slower dogs on the track. The only ones slower are usually texting or so old they probably should not be driving.

I get tailgaters sometimes but it seems that once they see my "No, I am not in a hurry" bumper sticker they go around at first chance. The ones who annoy me are the people who drive so close they make it difficult for anyone coming up behind them to get by doing a double pass.

[4X4Dodger]

Bionic Man wrote:
Guess I am going to stray a little to the other side here. The only places I70 speed limit is 75 MPH in Colorado is two lanes each way. You are 20 MPH under the posted speed limit, and the average speed is likely closer to 80 MPH. You are within your rights to be that speed, but if it bothers you, maybe consider getting off the interstate.

Sorry but NO. This is precisely what the right lane is intended for. Slower vehicles. And as Long as they are doing the minimum speed or higher no one has anything to say about it. The real problem is the guy in the FAST LANE pulling his 5th Wheel at 60 trying to pass the other guy with the 5th wheel doing 59.

Now personally I think that a ten or twenty mph of a speed differential here in the US can be dangerous. As for those going 80, you should not adjust your speed because some are exceeding the limit by 10 or 20 mph.

I drive in Europe a lot, across the continent in some cases and I can tell you that "lane discipline" is one of the most important issues there. If you are slow you'd better be in the slow lane. If you are driving a merc at over 100mph you will spend your time in the fast lane. People dont tailgate as much there.

[bguy]

JiminDenver wrote:
We were heading up 285 towards Jefferson and this small car was right on our butt. He never passed and a few times I thought he had turned off only to see him back there as we went around a curve. I don't really push the truck so there are places like Crow hill that we slow down to 40 mph. He stayed back there all the way until we hit the valley even though he could have passed us a number of times.

Why? Who knows. We travel mid day, mid week to avoid as much as possible and we still get idiots. (just fewer)

I conclude that someone following in that manner is texting. The larger vehicle is easier to keep a watch out of the corner of their eye.

edit

I've always said if you want more space on the road, be erratic. 😄

Of course these days that'll likely get you pulled over.

[EBX]

I just tend to stay at my speed (64mph). I do have two bikes on the back. That tends to keep tailgaters off.
You could always put a loose screw through the bottom of a coffee mug on your bumper. So it wobbles as you go down the road.
That will keep them off.

[TInmania]

Bionic Man wrote:

2oldman wrote:

Lantley wrote:
55 is a bit slow on a 75 MPH interstate however if you are in the far right lane and there is room to pass OK.

It's the law when towing in CA.

He isn't in CA, he is CO. And in CO, there is not a lower speed limit for vehicles towing.

While that is true it doesn't change the fact that in CA you have 70MPH interstates where trucks and any vehicles pulling a trailer are limited to 55. Yet there doesn't seem to be an abundance of accidents caused by this. Well, one reason could be because many IGNORE that lower speed limit. 😉

I don't get bothered too much by tailgaters, and I usually go 60 on the interstate. If someone is behind me I will slow a few mph then move over to the right--without going on the shoulder--to politely let them know it is okay to pass.

What really gets me though are the ones who stay behind for miles and miles with plenty of opportunity to pass (interstate or anything 4 lanes or higher). But then JUST when someone else is about to pass, faster than them since they are going my speed, they quickly pull in front of that vehicle to pass--causing that vehicle to have to brake abruptly. And they then take forever to pass, often matching my speed if I slow down to let them pass faster. Strange.




Michael

[jamnw]

K3WE wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

K3WE wrote:
Ummm...the official safety recommendation is to gently slow up 5 or so MPH when being tailgated- so I don't think it's valid to call it "a little game".

#1- most important is that this gives YOU increased reaction time and ability to brake more gently SHOULD you have to brake.

#2- It further encourages the person to pass (as tailgating does indeed have some hazards).

Yeah, some folks are way too dense to get it and STILL tail gate, but the safe answer is to gently slow down and increase your following distance so you can stop more gently if presented with a hazard.

Who wrote this "official safety recommendation" that you quote? I've never heard of it. Did they ever suggest that if someone is tailgating you while you are in the left lane, perhaps you are contributing to the problem?

Your points are valid about increasing reaction time (although if you are worried so much about the guy BEHIND you, are you paying sufficient attention to the guy in FRONT of you?), but again I so that I hope you aren't playing these games in any lane other than the RIGHT LANE.

You are entitled to drive as slow as you (legally) want to drive in the RIGHT lane of a multi lane highway. Its the clowns that think they are volunteer state troopers and regulate the speed of the entire roadway by farting around in the left (passing) lane that cause so many issues. People that want to speed will continue to speed. All that you do by driving so slowly in the left lane is encourage those speeders to pass you on the right interrupting the natural flow of traffic and making it more dangerous for everyone else.

It's disturbing that you have never heard of the recommendation yet go on in great detail about lane usage. You seem to know very much about etiquette- which is important, but know not as much about safety which is more important.

I first heard it repeatedly in drivers education in mid 1970's.

I heard it again in the mid 1980's during defensive driving trainings from the insurance company for the company I worked for that required driving.

I then heard it in three separate defensive driving trainings in the past 6 years from another company I worked for that required driving.

It makes perfect sense to increase safety when you are being tailgated. I hope you might take it to heart.

As to your strong attention to RV's blocking passing lanes, yes, they should not. I am often aggravated by too many RV's, too many Truckers and too many car drivers that park in the passing lane, and block traffic for 5 miles, if not LONGER! That is illegal in most states, as well as a gross violation of courtesy. I am even more aggravated by a small number of posters here who in so many words say, "I have full rights to run whatever legal speed in whatever lane I please and no obligation to do anything to keep towards the right and allow folks to pass".

On the other hand, there are similar numbers of a$$es that tailgate folks who are using the passing lanes to make very reasonable passes that are over with in a minute or two... or tailgate the******out of folks when highways get saturated and the left AND right lanes are a continuous line with EVERYONE under the speed limit.

For those tailgaters, and the tailgaters who stay there with wide open passing lanes which is what the OP was talking about, the safe thing to do is slow down a bit to improve your ability to stop smoothly and avoid being rear-ended and encourage the tailgater to pass you.

The company I work for put us through Smith Driving training. It teaches everything you just said. It also stresses to pay attention to tailgaters. Avoiding the accident from front or rear is the objective. You're constantly trying to CREATE SPACE around your vehicle on all sides.

[K3WE]

spoon059 wrote:

K3WE wrote:
Ummm...the official safety recommendation is to gently slow up 5 or so MPH when being tailgated- so I don't think it's valid to call it "a little game".

#1- most important is that this gives YOU increased reaction time and ability to brake more gently SHOULD you have to brake.

#2- It further encourages the person to pass (as tailgating does indeed have some hazards).

Yeah, some folks are way too dense to get it and STILL tail gate, but the safe answer is to gently slow down and increase your following distance so you can stop more gently if presented with a hazard.

Who wrote this "official safety recommendation" that you quote? I've never heard of it. Did they ever suggest that if someone is tailgating you while you are in the left lane, perhaps you are contributing to the problem?

Your points are valid about increasing reaction time (although if you are worried so much about the guy BEHIND you, are you paying sufficient attention to the guy in FRONT of you?), but again I so that I hope you aren't playing these games in any lane other than the RIGHT LANE.

You are entitled to drive as slow as you (legally) want to drive in the RIGHT lane of a multi lane highway. Its the clowns that think they are volunteer state troopers and regulate the speed of the entire roadway by farting around in the left (passing) lane that cause so many issues. People that want to speed will continue to speed. All that you do by driving so slowly in the left lane is encourage those speeders to pass you on the right interrupting the natural flow of traffic and making it more dangerous for everyone else.

It's disturbing that you have never heard of the recommendation yet go on in great detail about lane usage. You seem to know very much about etiquette- which is important, but know not as much about safety which is more important.

I first heard it repeatedly in drivers education in mid 1970's.

I heard it again in the mid 1980's during defensive driving trainings from the insurance company for the company I worked for that required driving.

I then heard it in three separate defensive driving trainings in the past 6 years from another company I worked for that required driving.

It makes perfect sense to increase safety when you are being tailgated. I hope you might take it to heart.

As to your strong attention to RV's blocking passing lanes, yes, they should not. I am often aggravated by too many RV's, too many Truckers and too many car drivers that park in the passing lane, and block traffic for 5 miles, if not LONGER! That is illegal in most states, as well as a gross violation of courtesy. I am even more aggravated by a small number of posters here who in so many words say, "I have full rights to run whatever legal speed in whatever lane I please and no obligation to do anything to keep towards the right and allow folks to pass".

On the other hand, there are similar numbers of a$$es that tailgate folks who are using the passing lanes to make very reasonable passes that are over with in a minute or two... or tailgate the******out of folks when highways get saturated and the left AND right lanes are a continuous line with EVERYONE under the speed limit.

For those tailgaters, and the tailgaters who stay there with wide open passing lanes which is what the OP was talking about, the safe thing to do is slow down a bit to improve your ability to stop smoothly and avoid being rear-ended and encourage the tailgater to pass you.

[Bionic_Man]

2oldman wrote:

Lantley wrote:
55 is a bit slow on a 75 MPH interstate however if you are in the far right lane and there is room to pass OK.

It's the law when towing in CA.

He isn't in CA, he is CO. And in CO, there is not a lower speed limit for vehicles towing.

[2oldman]

Lantley wrote:
55 is a bit slow on a 75 MPH interstate however if you are in the far right lane and there is room to pass OK.

It's the law when towing in CA.

[time2roll]

I like the one's that are so focused on tailgating they nearly miss their exit.

[spoon059]

K3WE wrote:
Ummm...the official safety recommendation is to gently slow up 5 or so MPH when being tailgated- so I don't think it's valid to call it "a little game".

#1- most important is that this gives YOU increased reaction time and ability to brake more gently SHOULD you have to brake.

#2- It further encourages the person to pass (as tailgating does indeed have some hazards).

Yeah, some folks are way too dense to get it and STILL tail gate, but the safe answer is to gently slow down and increase your following distance so you can stop more gently if presented with a hazard.

Who wrote this "official safety recommendation" that you quote? I've never heard of it. Did they ever suggest that if someone is tailgating you while you are in the left lane, perhaps you are contributing to the problem?

Your points are valid about increasing reaction time (although if you are worried so much about the guy BEHIND you, are you paying sufficient attention to the guy in FRONT of you?), but again I so that I hope you aren't playing these games in any lane other than the RIGHT LANE.

You are entitled to drive as slow as you (legally) want to drive in the RIGHT lane of a multi lane highway. Its the clowns that think they are volunteer state troopers and regulate the speed of the entire roadway by farting around in the left (passing) lane that cause so many issues. People that want to speed will continue to speed. All that you do by driving so slowly in the left lane is encourage those speeders to pass you on the right interrupting the natural flow of traffic and making it more dangerous for everyone else.

[time2roll]

Wishbone51 wrote:

pappcam wrote:
Are you pulling into the left lane when possible to let them merge?

If possible, but it's not always possible.

+1

I had a gal merging onto I5 next to me. She ran out of room and completely stopped toward the rear of my truck. My trailer plowed the side of her car at low speed. (major holiday traffic) She was cited for failure to yield and her insurance paid the entire cost.

I honestly can't believe how many people aim for your door panel vs the open space :R

[JiminDenver]

We were heading up 285 towards Jefferson and this small car was right on our butt. He never passed and a few times I thought he had turned off only to see him back there as we went around a curve. I don't really push the truck so there are places like Crow hill that we slow down to 40 mph. He stayed back there all the way until we hit the valley even though he could have passed us a number of times.

Why? Who knows. We travel mid day, mid week to avoid as much as possible and we still get idiots. (just fewer)

[pconroy328]

pappcam wrote:
Although 55mph is pretty slow for an interstate and I'm not sure why you choose to drive that slow, if you're in the right lane it shouldn't be an issue.

I drive around 63-65mph all the time when towing and don't worry about tailgaters.

I was going up a 5 or 6% grade. This was I70 outside of Denver heading west and up to the Eisenhower tunnel.

I wasn't an impediment to flow.
The left lane was wide open.

I just couldn't fathom why these ijits wanted to ride my bumper?