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"...

[K3WE]

spoon059 wrote:

amandasgramma wrote:

korbe wrote:
I'm not quite sure how it happens, but when somebody gets on my asss, my vehicle begins to slow down. Can't quite figure out why.....

Mine, too!!!!! Not sure what it is...something about space quotient .......the smaller the space, the slower we go....:) 🙂

I hope the both of you are in the RIGHT lane when you decide to play these little games.

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.

As a big, slow vehicle, we do owe it to our fellow man to not be an unreasonable obstruction to traffic, but conversely, when we are driving reasonably and truly being tail gated I generally don't worry about it- it' more their problem.

[Dtank]

pconroy328 wrote:
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"...

Wild guess......

*ALL* those/the tailgaters -past, present & future- have read your rant by now....

and will *never* do it again!..:S

.

[ve7prt]

mwachel wrote:
In Alaska if you are on a two lane highway and there are 5 or more vehicles behind you then it is illegal. You are required by law to pull off at the next pull out and let them pass. There are even signs in many places.

Yes, I have seen tickets given.

Yup, even British Columbia has that law now. Not that it has really made much difference. Now they are introducing a left-lane law to target left-lane hogs. Will see how that works.

Cheers!
Mike

[Tlauden]

When pulling a trailer I rarely go over 55mph, which around here is the posted speed on a lot of the interstates... A few areas the speed is posted at 65mph but most folks go 75-80 in those sections.. I try not to get bothered by tailgaters, they certainty aren't slowing me down by tailgating me.... They figure it out and go around eventually.

What I hate is when someone speeds around you then cuts you off to take the exit that has been posted for 2 miles....

[Bigdog]

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.

I'm sorry, but the sign on the freeway onramp says for them to yield when coming onto the freeway, not you.
With the TT and Excursion PSD, my sweet spot was 65 and in the DP, I try to run right at 61. It has no real sweet spot.

Running down I-5 to Portland a couple of weeks ago in the MH, I had a guy in a Smart try to park himself in one of my compartments as he was trying to get onto the freeway. I couldn't move over as there was heavy traffic in the left lane. As soon as he could, he pulled into the left lane, passed me and cutback about ten feet in front and hit his brakes and then sped up. Her then proceeded to pull right up behind the semi ahead of me and, I guess, draft. The second time he almost lost it in the turbulence and went sideways, he backed off and passed the truck.

On pulling over to let folks pass, we were told where I drive school bus to NEVER cross the fog line and to only pull over at a pullout because that's the only place it's legal and safe to do so. You never know how solid the shoulder is.

[mwachel]

In Alaska if you are on a two lane highway and there are 5 or more vehicles behind you then it is illegal. You are required by law to pull off at the next pull out and let them pass. There are even signs in many places.

Yes, I have seen tickets given.

[Kevarino]

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.

When in "city" traffic I usually try to leave the right lane for people to merge onto and off of the freeway.
Most of the time that leaves me using the middle lane, or the first lane to the left of the right most lane.

Kev

[Wishbone51]

pappcam wrote:

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

If possible, but it's not always possible.

[pappcam]

Wishbone51 wrote:
Not quite on topic, but what's the deal with merging traffic not noticing that you have a trailer? Many times people merging on the interstate almost hit my trailer. I don't understand why they don't look to see if there's a vehicle (or trailer) behind me.

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

[Wishbone51]

Not quite on topic, but what's the deal with merging traffic not noticing that you have a trailer? Many times people merging on the interstate almost hit my trailer. I don't understand why they don't look to see if there's a vehicle (or trailer) behind me.

[pappcam]

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.

[boostedone]

Funny.. Out of 55 posts, I see two that are what I consider truly balanced..

When I am pulling, do I care *that* much about someone tailgating? Not really. I am in front and I have to worry about keeping my own load under control. On a 4 lane or more road, if they want to get around its easy. Im not going to go 10 over when I barely feel comfortable going 5 under just to appease people.

But on the other hand, I get the gist from many on here y'all don't give a dang about who's behind you or what kind of issues you are causing whether you are technically right or not. Some people do have places to go(like work). If I am on a heavily traveled 2 lane road that has a speed limit of 55 that sees most people normally going 65, even if I am going 55 or so and I see cars piling up behind me that can't get around because of oncoming traffic, I will usually pull over every now and then and let everyone go by.

Do I have to? No.. But it doesn't make me feel superior to everyone else by sitting in my seat and laughing about how i am holding people up. I also know that sooner or later having that attitude is going to result in some unstable persons blood pressure boiling to the point that they do something stupid and pass when it is not safe, and possibly take themselves out, someone coming in the opposite direction out, as well as possibly me. I'd rather just add a few extra minutes to my already long trip and be safe, rather than being life-flighted to an emergency room with the comfort of knowing "Hey, I was in the right, that guy was just being an jerk"...

[pnichols]

Boy ... this topic will probably go on for pages.

A speed limit is an "upper" limit, not an "at" or "5 MPH over" limit.

What's the matter with driving below the speed limit? RV's, especially, should be able to travel along below the limit without harassment.

If I'm below another vehicle going too slow such that I want to pass, I stay well back from them until I make my passing move. Dah.

[koda55]

When driving my car or motorhome, the first question I have is , if the vehicle ahead of me jams on his brakes do I have enough distance to stop and if needed, do I have an out. I do not worry about the vehicle behind me. I do keep an eye it though. If I feel you are to close to me I will put my flashers on. If you do not back off then I will slow down or even get off the road so you will go around me.

[Lantley]

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