Bizarre driving situation: Tailgating in the left hand (slow) lane of the motorway.

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Bizarre driving situation: Tailgating in the left hand (slow) lane of the motorway.

bender84

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#133456 22-Oct-2013 23:15

Have to admit this situation really perplexes me quite intensely

While I can accept that hogging the right (fast) lane of a motorway is a bit of a no no to many drivers, even if you are doing the speed limit, however...

Twice this year, I've been driving along the (Auckland Southern) motorway in the left most lane (and had been for at least 3km) while cruising near the speed limit following other traffic (2 second rule) and have had drivers coming up very fast behind to my vehicle, start tailgating 2m off my rear bumper while at the same time high beaming me

In Both situations, I haven't been able to do anything as A. There is traffic in front of me and I'm already following 2 seconds behind them, and B. The right hand lanes are unavailable as there is already traffic and it will be unsafe to change lanes.

What the heck do these types of drivers want me to do?!

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Vocus

#920052 22-Oct-2013 23:18

Get out of the damn way!!!

No seriously, they're being dicks. Just ignore them. Or if you want to be a dick back, and don't mind a bit of whiplash, slam on your brakes.

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Jaxson

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#920053 22-Oct-2013 23:24

ubergeeknz: if you want to be a dick back, and don't mind a bit of whiplash, slam on your brakes.

Actually I think you brake lights come on a fair bit earlier than your brakes when you put the pedal ;-)

Mate I wouldn't lose sleep over it, there are nut jobs everywhere so it's really not you.

freitasm

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#920054 22-Oct-2013 23:24

I wouldn't slam in the breaks... But I do have a red fog light in the rear so I flick that one a couple of times. Most of the times the guy behind me backs off a good few metres. The other driver probably thinks I am driving an unmarked police car with some "special" lights because they don't get close again.

Granted, never had this kind of problem on motorways but on single lane roads, yes the fog light works...

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#920056 22-Oct-2013 23:44

I'd slam on the brakes ... Carefully

michaelmurfy

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#920057 23-Oct-2013 00:16

I just tap the brakes twice, just give them a scare, but don't slow down for the following reason:

I've once had it where I was doing the speed limit and this guy thought I was tailgating him (I was a good 2 seconds behind him), he fully slammed on the breaks causing me to do the same, the car behind me freaked out a bit too. I got his numberplate number, phone *555 and since the cop house was just down the road a bit he got pulled over for dangerous driving.

If I'm doing the speed limit I don't care what other people behind me think, if they try passing me good on them, since I drive quite a powerful car sometimes if a boy racer tries to pass me and there's nobody on the road (plus I'm doing the speed limit) I try not to let them pass, but this is only if the guy behind me is being a bit of a prick. I then slow down to 5km below the speed limit each time he attempts it.

Maybe I'm a bit of a prick driver, but nothing bugs me more than young people speeding past me when I'm doing the speed limit.

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tardtasticx

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#920060 23-Oct-2013 00:33

I always tap the breaks a few times, usually gets them off my back pretty quickly.

I have however flipped someone off before after they done it for quite a few KM on a single lane section of the motorway when it was being worked on. They proceeded to try and follow me home. Obviously drove to the nearest police station instead, they left rather quickly.

Another thing I really love doing, is if I'm not in a rush or on the way home, and someones driving behind me like a knob, I'll drive the speed limit or just under, by like 5KM/h or so. Come to complete stops at give ways/roundabouts etc. Makes for a good laugh. They probably think I'm a dick, but if this makes them stop tailgating for a little bit then its job well done ;P

michaelmurfy

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#920062 23-Oct-2013 00:45

tardtasticx:
Another thing I really love doing, is if I'm not in a rush or on the way home, and someones driving behind me like a knob, I'll drive the speed limit or just under, by like 5KM/h or so. Come to complete stops at give ways/roundabouts etc. Makes for a good laugh. They probably think I'm a dick, but if this makes them stop tailgating for a little bit then its job well done ;P

It's nice to know somebody else does this :P - except I just don't let them pass, they can suffer.

My mother drives a Nissan Skyline R34 GTR, she gets right pricks tailgate her and does the same, doesn't let them pass. She's possibly got one of the most powerful cars in Nelson but uses it to troll boy racers, the faces of the boy racers are priceless when they realise who's driving: "was that a middle aged mother?!" - she does have a bit of fun however, if there's nobody on the road and somebody pulls up next to her wanting to "race" she really only needs to tap the accelerator to beat them.

Maybe I just get my trollworthy driving from my mother?

SaltyNZ

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#920075 23-Oct-2013 07:03

This is news to me. I was under the impression that due to superhuman Kiwi reflexes, 2m *was* the standard Safe Following Distance at 100km/hr., and anything more represents a waste of precious milliseconds. EDIT: or maybe that's just Aucklanders.

Seriously though, bugs me too. Watched an idiot do it this morning - traffic in the right hand lane is doing 105 (including me) and numbnuts starts tailgating me. As soon as I got a clear space in the left, I moved over, so he proceeds to tailgate the car in front of me... There are 20 cars all in a row, all doing the same speed. That's just being a dick.

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sidefx

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#920093 23-Oct-2013 07:59

Y'know, maybe it's just me, but upon returning from my OE a few years ago, during which I spent a bunch of time driving in the UK and Europe, I noticed that NZ (mainly Auckland I think) has a disproportionately high ratio of total dicks and 'tards on the roads. Tailgating, overtaking in completely unsafe situations, racing through in the left lane at traffic lights, undertaking, Turning right from ahead-only lanes, racing only on the right side of a queue then pushing in... I don't actually drive all that much lately but I'm still left shaking my head frequently at my fellow road users antics. There seem to be a lot of people on Auckland roads who seem to be in serious need of a chill pill, or maybe just a smack around the head.

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#920100 23-Oct-2013 08:25

Report bad drivers here - they get a letter in the mail and it goes on their record, however if the driving is really dangerous call the police as they won't press charges through reports on that website. License plate, vehicle color, and a general description are required. I once had a driver overtaking so badly they were so dangerous I called 111, and was told yes that was appropriate to call 111 for that.

I don't slam on brakes to tailgaters, I take my foot off the accelerator, get down from 100 to 80 or 70, then go back up again. If they get too close again I do it again.

BinaryLimited

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#920119 23-Oct-2013 08:54

this would also work :) looks quite effective too

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hio77

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#920126 23-Oct-2013 08:58

BinaryLimited: this would also work :) looks quite effective too

now, where to legally find one ;)

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xpd

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#920128 23-Oct-2013 09:02

hio77:
BinaryLimited: this would also work :) looks quite effective too

now, where to legally find one ;)

$2 shop - driving at 100kph with a madman waving a gun out the window, noones gonna get close enough to you to see its a plastic toy :)

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hio77

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#920131 23-Oct-2013 09:08

xpd:
$2 shop - driving at 100kph with a madman waving a gun out the window, noones gonna get close enough to you to see its a plastic toy :)

but i wanna be authentic here! ;)

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andrewNZ

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#920134 23-Oct-2013 09:23

xpd:
hio77:
BinaryLimited: this would also work :) looks quite effective too

now, where to legally find one ;)

$2 shop - driving at 100kph with a madman waving a gun out the window, noones gonna get close enough to you to see its a plastic toy :)

The police will. And they'll leave you with gravel rash on your face :)

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