Tailgaters?

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#1787102 23-May-2017 21:27

PeterQ:

Mike: There is actually a law called inconsiderate driving AFAIK but its not enforced

It is. They ticket speeders for their inconsiderate driving all the time.

There is a reason they don't ticket people who are doing 95kph-100kph in a 100kph zone.......they aren't speeding and can't by any reasonable person be described as "inconsiderate".

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Linuxluver

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#1787104 23-May-2017 21:31

dafman:

geekbhaji:

Anyone who drives over 100kmph in 100kmph speed limit zone is plain STUPID. Its OK if they want to crash themselves to a pole or something similar , but if they crash with another car or a cyclist or anything alive, they have the potential to ruin families.

I would rather prefer calling police if find someone driving like that. Think of it like saving someone's family.

I have seen any drivers passing at 120 or more and then stopped at next red lights just ahead of me, how much time they save- may be couple of seconds, how much they risked for these few seconds- too much.

Ah, but if you are in the left lane, and the STUPID speeding person is passing you in the right lane, then their stupidity is unlikely to affect you at all. As you rightly point out, let the police deal with them.

Unfortunately, there are many kiwi drivers that insist on staying in the right hand lane, highway vigilantes on self appointed missions to slow speeding drivers down. In which case, stupidity, sadly, is no longer the sole domain of the speeder.

But in the left lane their may be campers and trailers and others doing 90kph or less...and it's perfectly reasonable to be in the right lane and pass them without exceeding the speed limit.

What I'm seeing here from some people is a clear sense of entitlement to exceed the speed limit - breaking the law - and then they consider everyone ELSE to be inconsiderate.

...and it won't matter how many times you explain to them they have it the wrong way around.....completely.

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frankv

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#1787247 24-May-2017 08:48

Linuxluver:

NzBeagle:

I found in Italy there was general acceptance of speeding in an orderly fashion... Nobody died.

Italy has 6.1 road crash deaths or 100,000 population.
NZ has 6.0 road crash deaths per 100,000 population.
(2015 data)

Road deaths per 100,000 population really isn't relevant as a measure of road safety. In Italy, for example, there is a very good passenger rail network, so people don't drive as much.

I suggest that fatalities/injuries/accidents per billion km driven would be better measures.

NZ has 6.7 fatalities/billion km driven. I couldn't find stats for Italy.

FWIW, I believe the same attitude applies to the USA, where road speeds seemed to be typically 10mph above the speed limit. USA had 7.1 fatalities/billion km driven.

BTW, this (like the Italy & NZ figures quoted above) is 2013 data.

PeterQ

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#1787298 24-May-2017 10:10

Linuxluver:

dafman:

geekbhaji:

Anyone who drives over 100kmph in 100kmph speed limit zone is plain STUPID. Its OK if they want to crash themselves to a pole or something similar , but if they crash with another car or a cyclist or anything alive, they have the potential to ruin families.

I would rather prefer calling police if find someone driving like that. Think of it like saving someone's family.

I have seen any drivers passing at 120 or more and then stopped at next red lights just ahead of me, how much time they save- may be couple of seconds, how much they risked for these few seconds- too much.

Ah, but if you are in the left lane, and the STUPID speeding person is passing you in the right lane, then their stupidity is unlikely to affect you at all. As you rightly point out, let the police deal with them.

Unfortunately, there are many kiwi drivers that insist on staying in the right hand lane, highway vigilantes on self appointed missions to slow speeding drivers down. In which case, stupidity, sadly, is no longer the sole domain of the speeder.

But in the left lane their may be campers and trailers and others doing 90kph or less...and it's perfectly reasonable to be in the right lane and pass them without exceeding the speed limit.

What I'm seeing here from some people is a clear sense of entitlement to exceed the speed limit - breaking the law - and then they consider everyone ELSE to be inconsiderate.

...and it won't matter how many times you explain to them they have it the wrong way around.....completely.

PeterQ

84 posts

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#1787300 24-May-2017 10:13

No not the wrong way around at all, what about the ignorant drivers that do 90kmh in the right hand lane when there's plenty of room in the left lane where they should be according to the road rules, it only causes other drivers to undertake to pass

surfisup1000

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#1787774 24-May-2017 20:31

I've tailgated, but only when the other driver is being an absolute jerk.

Such as blocking the fast lane of a dual carriageway by driving the same speed as the adjacent car in the slow lane. Tailgating doesn't really work with these drivers though, they simply are not paying attention .

At least I admit my crimes, some people are very preachy.

There is much truth in this....

dickytim

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#1787846 25-May-2017 06:24

Linuxluver:

I've noticed it doesn't much matter what speed I drive, there's always *someone* running up the back end of my car.

Yesterday (Saturday) I drove from Opotiki to Auckland. I was doing 100-110-ish for as much as you can without spinning off the road into a ditch. The rain was torrential at times and the wind was pretty high from the west. Visibilty was pretty poor at times.

Yet there were guys (always a guy) following others at maybe 2 car lengths.....if that.

I generally just pull over as soon as one of these tos.....um...drivers appears behind me. I have no desire to save them from earning a well-deserved ticket and demerit points somewhere down the road ahead of me. If not this time, then next time or the time after.

I've also noticed they tend to run in "clumps". Up front is the guy doing 10km over the speed limit who sees no need to pull over. Behind him will be a series of vehicles, each closely tailing the other, all waiting to pass I suppose.

When one of these 'clumps' turns up I generally pull over before they even reach me.......let them pass.....and I then enjoy 5-10 mins of empty road (on a weekday.....weekends sees more people about on the highways).

To be honest if I was doing 100 - 110km/h I would not pull over, if they go to over take I button off a little to help keep them safe. If I am doing 90km/h in 100 zone and it is safe to do so I try and let people pass, especially when I was towing my horse float.

As someone said above on a dual lane road the story if different, as soon as I am no longer passing another car I move to the left, or on the 3 lane motorway in to the middle, it is however frustrating how many people wont do that and will travel at 10-20km/h slower than the traffic is going and still stick to the right.

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jonathan18

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#1787921 25-May-2017 09:00

What about when in the right-hand lane, and one is travelling faster than the left-hand lane, but not that much faster so as to stay at an acceptable speed?

I find myself in this situation a lot either on the Wgtn motorway or the new Kapiti Expressway - I'm comfortable being in that right-hand lane when I'm travelling at about 103-105km/h (GPS-measured), and the traffic in the left lane is doing about 92-95km/h (probably 100 on their speedos). Technically I'm passing them, just not at a terribly fast rate (and for good reason - ie staying at a reasonable speed). But then some speed freak comes up behind and starts tailgating, and the pressure is to shift lanes. Often it's not that feasible to change to the left lane as the traffic is constant and to do so would disrupt the flow.

More generally, I've found using radar-based cruise control makes tailgating well-nigh impossible - the only thing is leaving a safe space (which at 100km/h is a decent length) seems to be an invitation for others to move into that gap. Too often people don't think about either safe travelling distances or the ripple effect from changing lanes and forcing cars behind them to slow down. The faster this technology trickles down into more cars the better.

And, if I was to make a generalisation, the most common people I find tailgating are middle-aged males in Commodores (Apologies to the many Commodore-driving members on this forum - I'm sure you don't fit this stereotype!).

adimw

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#1787934 25-May-2017 09:19

jonathan18:

And, if I was to make a generalisation, the most common people I find tailgating are middle-aged males in Commodores (Apologies to the many Commodore-driving members on this forum - I'm sure you don't fit this stereotype!).

No offense taken, I have a Calais, not a pleb Commy

surfisup1000

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#1787980 25-May-2017 09:52

jonathan18:

What about when in the right-hand lane, and one is travelling faster than the left-hand lane, but not that much faster so as to stay at an acceptable speed?

This driving would be fine by me -- as long as you aren't going the same speed .

MikeAqua

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#1788119 25-May-2017 13:54

jonathan18:

And, if I was to make a generalisation, the most common people I find tailgating are middle-aged males in Commodores (Apologies to the many Commodore-driving members on this forum - I'm sure you don't fit this stereotype!).

If I was to make that generational (about urban areas) it would be females in late model SUVs.

When rural driving I rarely have any one tailgating me

Mike

tripper1000

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#1788127 25-May-2017 14:06

SepticSceptic:

Bung: Keeping left is more than a Road Code suggestion. From the Road User Rules

"2.1 Keeping left

Passing on the left is only allowed if vehicles are in separate lanes or 1 vehicle is stationary, indicating a right turn. There are many reasons why adjacent lanes might be moving at different speeds.

Aww c'mon, a few smart Auckland drivers know that the inside lane is generally the fastest when the motorways are busy.

Many drivers, as soon as they get on the motorway, make a mad frantic dash for the far right lane, no matter how dense the traffic. Indicating furiously, and much head turning - they NEED to get to that far right lane, in as short a distance as possible.

Meanwhile, I just saunter along in the left - passing trailer trucks clogging up the far right lane.

Doesn't matter which motorway, north, south or west, inside lane is generally the quickest - maybe slower, but there is not the stop start tailgating as compared to the right lane, so overall, it is quicker.

Ah-ha! I've now discovered you are the driver using my private lane on the motorway! Don't go blabber-mouthing, you'll ruin it for the both of us if everyone else catches on.

In all seriousness, it usually is the fastest lane off peak. It seldom has anyone else in it - just the occasional driver who knows the Road Code - which isn't very often. I've had the odd person comment that you're not supposed overtake on the left, but since the Rule is Keep as far left as practical except when overtaking, they're telling me off for not obeying the exception to the rule that they're not obeying them selves. They usually don't grasp the irony.

I think a lot of the sentiment in this thread is based on the principle that the average kiwi driver thinks on one is allowed to get there before them selves - as if it is some kind of race and they're shutting out the competition. When using the left lane and doing the speed limit, it is interesting how many cars speed up, as if they don't like you "beating" them with an underhanded overtaking manoeuvre.

tripper1000

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#1788131 25-May-2017 14:11

SepticSceptic:

Bung: Keeping left is more than a Road Code suggestion. From the Road User Rules

"2.1 Keeping left

Passing on the left is only allowed if vehicles are in separate lanes or 1 vehicle is stationary, indicating a right turn. There are many reasons why adjacent lanes might be moving at different speeds.

Aww c'mon, a few smart Auckland drivers know that the inside lane is generally the fastest when the motorways are busy.

Many drivers, as soon as they get on the motorway, make a mad frantic dash for the far right lane, no matter how dense the traffic. Indicating furiously, and much head turning - they NEED to get to that far right lane, in as short a distance as possible.

Meanwhile, I just saunter along in the left - passing trailer trucks clogging up the far right lane.

Doesn't matter which motorway, north, south or west, inside lane is generally the quickest - maybe slower, but there is not the stop start tailgating as compared to the right lane, so overall, it is quicker.

Ah-ha! I've now discovered you are the driver using my private lane on the motorway! Don't go blabber-mouthing, you'll ruin it for the both of us if everyone else catches on.

shk292

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#1788136 25-May-2017 14:25

surfisup1000:

jonathan18:

What about when in the right-hand lane, and one is travelling faster than the left-hand lane, but not that much faster so as to stay at an acceptable speed?

This driving would be fine by me -- as long as you aren't going the same speed .

This is what I was trying to explain much further up the thread - to me, this is perfectly reasonable driving, and it would be stupid to expect you to be constantly fighting into the left lane, so that some entitled "special" person can drive at 20-30kph above the limit. This is often the case on my commute into Auckland - left lane doing 85-90, right lane doing 90-100, both lanes full of cars. And the occasional jerk who thinks everyone in the right lane should slow down and squeeze into the left lane so he can drive at 120. Sorry, not happening

tripper1000

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#1788140 25-May-2017 14:28

...back on topic...

If you find yourself always tailgating, you're the problem, not the 90% of other drivers and you're making travelling a misery for the normal drivers.

Conversely if you find your self always being tail-gated, you're the problem, not the 90% of other drivers, and you're making travelling a misery for the normal drivers.

Neither of you capable of self evaluation or we wouldn't be having this conversation so neither of you are going change based on this thread - so go see a professional driving instructor and get a professional 2nd opinion.

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