Why do people tailgate?

[ClichéGuevara]

I often call on someone that lives on a narrow street that gets used as a rat run.

Some drivers are tight to my bumper no matter what speed I do down there. They're so close, they can't see my indicator.

They get flustered when I get to where I'm going and they realise I can't reverse park and get out of the way because of them.

One guy seemed to expect me not to park, but carry on so I was out of his way and he refused to reverse.

I simply locked the car where it was and walked off with a shrug of the shoulders and pointing at where I wanted to park, but couldn't because of him.

When the penny dropped that I would happily leave the car there , he had to persuade the queue now behind him to back up to give him room.

 

[vernon]

if someone is up my arse...i just move out of the way at the earliest and safest opportunity...i will add though in the case of speed limits,the speed limit appropriate for your vehicle on the road you are on should be achieved if it is safe to do so and your vehicle is capable...see too many cars travelling on motorways not doing 70mph.... it inhibits traffic flow and can be an obstruction that other drivers have to deal with...no doubt leading to accidents.

70 mph is a limit and not a target. If dealing with a slower moving car ahead of you leads to an accident then the cause of the accident is you and not the car in front.

I see too many people travelling above 70 mph.

If speed limits were rigidly enforced at 70 mph then the KSI figures would drop. Likewise if the speed limit was dropped to 60 mph

Are the few minutes gained through speeding worth the increased accidents and death rates and the costs of dealing with them?

From the RAC

Despite their higher speeds motorways are generally the safest roads across all networks, and this is generally due to their higher design standards and the absence of pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving vehicles. Most European countries’ interurban motorways have a speed limit of 75–81 mph, and whilst there is no legally enforced limit on one third of Germany’s motorway network the recommended top speed is 81 mph. If involved in an accident a driver on the German motorway network is held responsible if they are travelling more than 81 mph. The speed limits on European motorways range from 56 mph (Norway) to 93 mph (Italy). The average speed limit for all countries across Europe is just under 76 mph. The most frequently occurring speed limit is 81 mph (ETSC, 2010b).

4.7 4.8 31 Speed Limits
Some 50% of the driving population currently exceeds the 70 mph limit in free-flowing traffic on UK motorways. If this limit were more strictly enforced by average speed camera detection the following effects have been estimated (Sexton & Johnson, 2009):
• 37 fewer lives would be lost per year on the motorway.
• There would be a decrease of 138 serious and 817 slight casualties.
• There would be an emissions reduction of 2.9% CO2 and 4.0% NOx .
• Journey times would increase by 3 minutes in every hour (5%). It was assumed in the above estimation that all drivers currently exceeding the speed limit travel at 70mph and all other drivers’ speeds are unchanged.

The same calculation has been done for raising the current 70 mph limit to 80 mph with the higher limit enforced by average speed camera detection. It has been found that this would have the following effect (ibid.):
• 18 extra lives would be lost (full-year estimate).
• There would be an increase in 64 serious and 363 slight casualties.
• There would be an emissions increase of 1.7% CO2 and 1.8% NOx .
• Journey times would decrease by 4.1 minutes every hour.

If the current 70 mph limit were lowered to 60 mph with the lower limit enforced by average speed camera detection the following effect is anticipated:
• 94 fewer lives lost per year on the motorway.
• There would be a decrease of 371 serious and 2,376 slight casualties.
• Emissions reduction of 7.3% CO2 and 10% NOx .
• Journey times would increase by 6.8 minutes in every hour. The net present value of this approach is negative due to the large offset for the increase in travel time.

Similar assumptions were made to those used for the stricter enforcement of the 70 mph limit, and it is important to recognise the greater the departure from the current speed limit/enforcement regime the less reliable these estimates become. Decisions on speed limits essentially come down to a policy decision on weighing up the costs and benefits. If the government were to take a Swedenstyle ‘Vision Zero’ approach it is unlikely that they would increase the speed limit to 80 mph.

 

[Dan B]

I doubt if many motorists crash into trees and walls because they are going too slow.

i wish I had your rosy view of general driving standards

 

[albion]

So what is the recommended safe following distance for a VW ahead?

 

[bikingdad90]

In dry it is usually considered 2 second gap and in wet at least 6 seconds. I seem to remember the rhyme "don't be a fool, remember the 2 second rule".

 

[glasgowcyclist]

So what is the recommended safe following distance for a VW ahead?

Petrol or diesel?

GC

 

[Jayaly]

There is a particularly twisty turny road nearby which is used as a rat run to avoid going through Durham city centre. It has few safe overtaking places. I drive at the speed limit and if I get tailgated, I'll slow right down (almost to walking speed if the tailgating is particulary aggressive). Like Drago, I too have a self-gratifying great big tow hitch on the back of the car, so I'm not particulary fearful of someone trying to shunt me in a fit of pique.

Mr Jayaly once had a car rear end our van at a set of traffic lights because the driver was too busy watching some car accident aftermath on the other side of the road. Our van has a tow hitch. The police officer came over to read the riot act on rubbernecking, saw the damage to the van (zero), the damage to the car (lots), laughed, suggest they exchange details and returned to the first accident.

I love having tow hitches.

 

[swansonj]

...i will add though in the case of speed limits,the speed limit appropriate for your vehicle on the road you are on should be achieved if it is safe to do so and your vehicle is capable...see too many cars travelling on motorways not doing 70mph.... it inhibits traffic flow and can be an obstruction that other drivers have to deal with...no doubt leading to accidents.

Double plus unlike. But an unfortunately common view, that reinforces a completely mistaken view of what roads are for.

 

[Drago]

A couple of twunts who should be banned for life...
http://m.northdevonjournal.co.uk/WA...d-40-MINUTES/story-27861116-detail/story.html

 

[earlestownflya]

i have no problem with cars on motorways driving within 70 mph...as long as they're doing 68 min.i will add,i failed my 1st driving test.many years ago for going too slow...i was doing 50 on a 60 road...annoyed me at the time..looking back now the examiner was right to fail me.

 

[Smurfy]

Had several people overtake me today because I eased off when I spotted a red light or a queue ahead. People who have so little foresight shouldn't really have driving licences, but I console myself with the fact that their driving style contributes more to the Inland Revenue than mine does.

 

[Smurfy]

i have no problem with cars on motorways driving within 70 mph...as long as they're doing 68 min.i will add,i failed my 1st driving test.many years ago for going too slow...i was doing 50 on a 60 road...annoyed me at the time..looking back now the examiner was right to fail me.

I think the requirement in the driving test is to make 'safe and reasonable progress'. In my opinion 10 below in a 60 limit should not have been a fail. There's far too many drivers that regard the speed limit as a speed minimum or a target, regardless of road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions etc. etc.

 

[earlestownflya]

i just think the limit should be achieved if conditions allow..thats my belief.by "conditions" i'm taking all safety issues into account

 

[earlestownflya]

how much slower?

 

[Smurfy]

Had this debate with the guys at work once. Not surprisingly the only one who agreed that the speed limit should not be a speed minimum or target was another vulnerable road user, a motorcyclist.