Tailgaters

Tailgating goes beyond just following a vehicle a bit too closely. When you tailgate somebody there is no way you will stop in time if the driver ahead of you so much as taps the brakes. Forget the two second rule. You will not even begin your count when you reach the spot that the lead vehicle just passed.

Tailgaters perform this reckless action because they are in a rush and completely clueless as to the threat they pose. They may also be angry at the lead driver and are using their vehicle as a weapon. Whatever their reason for tailgating you – none of them are good – your options are limited, but you are not helpless. Try to maintain a steady speed. If at all possible, let any vehicle ahead of you get further ahead by very gently easing up on the gas. That way, if you must eventually stop, you’ll have more space and the tailgater, we hope, will have more time to stop. If possible, signal and make a lane change if you can. If the tailgater changes lanes with you, you may find yourself in the middle of a road rage incident. Call 911 to report your location. When a driver follows you that closely, you may actually be able to read their facial expressions in your rear view mirror. Are they angry? Impatient? Completely clueless to what they are doing? At some point in your driving career, you will witness tailgating on a highway. If you have picked up good defensive driving habits from this course, you should immediately see how dangerous a practice tailgating is.