Why do people tailgate?

[mickle]

The trouble with pulling over to let drivers on to the motorway is that it's come to be expected. I had a moron recently try to elbow his way in to the lane I was in. I was driving a van and trailer in heavy traffic with another vehicle in the lane to my right and a truck on my tail, so I had nowhere to go. I couldn't accelerate away and, as i was expecting him to do the right thing and slow down, I didn't want to slow because we could have both have ended up stationary. So I maintained my speed. He spent the next few miles letting me know his feelings by gesticulating and getting in front of me and slamming his brakes on etc. A complete tool , the trouble with stupid drivers like him as that they tend to take others out with them when their idiocy catches up with them.

 

[winjim]

To be fair, I probably would, but if you think of it as a give way junction, which it is, the onus is on the vehicle on the minor road not to just pull out, in the same way it is at other give way junctions.

For me it's a failing in the test that motorway driving isn't included and not a lot of emphasis seems to be placed on the correct way of using a slip road or multi lane roads.

When I was on my speed awareness course, the majority of people seemed to be under the impression that the responsibility lay with the traffic already on the motorway to give way to the traffic joining from the slip road.

 

[vernon]

When I was on my speed awareness course, the majority of people seemed to be under the impression that the responsibility lay with the traffic already on the motorway to give way to the traffic joining from the slip road.

What did the speed awareness instructor say about it?

 

[winjim]

What did the speed awareness instructor say about it?

He put it very clearly and succinctly. If you're the one crossing the dashed line, it's your responsibility to make sure you do it safely and you should cede priority to those not crossing a dashed line.

 

[swansonj]

it's irrelevant because i don't think sitting on a rolling road in laboratory conditions is the same as being on the public highway...

Is anyone seriously arguing that reducing speed (in the range we are talking about) does not improve fuel consumption? It's a real world observation that is trivial to observe if you have a mpg meter in your car and only slightly harder if you don't, it flows from basic physics, and is common currency in every discussion of the subject among experts. Please tell me you're not really doubting it?

 

[vernon]

Is anyone seriously arguing that reducing speed (in the range we are talking about) does not improve fuel consumption? It's a real world observation that is trivial to observe if you have a mpg meter in your car and only slightly harder if you don't, it flows from basic physics, and is common currency in every discussion of the subject among experts. Please tell me you're not really doubting it?

He's a citizen of Cloudcuckooland.

 

[DaveReading]

He's a citizen of Cloudcuckooland.

No, I think he's got a point.

He's from Merseyside - if you drive slowly there, your fuel economy suffers because the Scousers creep up and syphon fuel from your tank.

 

[earlestownflya]

No, I think he's got a point.

He's from Merseyside - if you drive slowly there, your fuel economy suffers because the Scousers creep up and syphon fuel from your tank.

ooo you're so cruel..i have no problem with vern's...."chart"..let's all drive at 90mph..and then ease off to the maximum speed limit for the road,,think of the fuel you'd be saving then....economy AND nobody gets p*ssed off...everyones a winner

 

[Dan B]

It's a real world observation that is trivial to observe if you have a mpg meter in your car and only slightly harder if you don't, it flows from basic physics

Pshaw. You can prove anything with physics

 

[swansonj]

Pshaw. You can prove anything with physics

Bull. Red rag.



John CPhys FInstP

 

[swansonj]

If you really want to minimise fuel consumption, you slow down up hills and speed up down hills. Slowing to 40 up a hill on motorway then speeding up to 70 over the top just as some lorry was half way through overtaking you; now that really is calculated to annoy other drivers.

 

[Tin Pot]

If you really want to minimise fuel consumption, you

Drive less.

End.

 

[bozmandb9]

A simple question that I suspect has complicated answers. Whenever I have to drive anywhere there is always someone driving less than 20ft behind, I have tried to form a picture of the type of person / car that usually does this but so far it does not seem to matter, all makes, all ages and both genders.
It is now an offence to do this but of course with virtually zero policing out on the roads nothing has changed, in fact it appears to be getting worse. I personally find it difficult to deal with having been in a very serious accident 3 years ago and occasionally will pull over to let them go past.
Why are seemingly intelligent people [some must be] putting their own lives and others at risk by driving in this manner?

In Europe, it seems to be almost a cultural norm. Basically it is a statement, I want to go past. If it doesn't yield immediate results, lots of flashing lights can result. I think it's more in line with the Southern and possibly Eastern European mindset, and of course offends our logical sensible and polite native mindset. But as we have more and more diversity in the country, it seems to become more and more the norm.

I found it quite offensive a couple of days ago being tailgated by a really crap car, I think it was a 52 plate Citroen Xantia. I thought, if I had to do an emergency stop, he'd smash into me so quickly! My car has an all electronic braking system (Mercedes SBC), and I would guess would stop me in about half the distance of the Xantia at motorway speeds. So I moved over, let him past, so he could progress a couple of hundred yards, and do it to the next car, you get the picture!

 

[vernon]

I
I found it quite offensive a couple of days ago being tailgated by a really crap car, I think it was a 52 plate Citroen Xantia. I thought, if I had to do an emergency stop, he'd smash into me so quickly! My car has an all electronic braking system (Mercedes SBC),

I didn't realise that there was a pecking order for driver status based upon the cost of the car being driven.

 

[bozmandb9]

I didn't realise that there was a pecking order for driver status based upon the cost of the car being driven.

Was my explanation about braking distances too complicated? ;-)