Tailgaters are frustrating. As soon as someone gets behind you, you know that they’re not leaving you the proper three seconds of space. They’re putting you in danger because they are impatient or they want to pass. They could also be completely oblivious, just not understanding how driving so close to you increases the risks of an accident. This is especially true for younger drivers who may think they’re giving you enough space.
If you ask people how they react to tailgaters, they’ll give you a variety of examples. For instance, some people will tell you that they like to tap on their brakes to startle the tailgater and get them to back off. Other people say that they’ll speed up to try to leave the car behind. But what should you do really do?
Don’t increase the risks
To start with, do not speed away from the tailgater and do not “brake check” them by tapping your brakes. Both of these things massively increase the risks to both you and people in the cars around you. Even if you’re feeling frustrated or angry that someone is tailgating you, you never want to take aggressive action. Remember that your emotional responses is due to the increased risk that the tailgater is causing. If you simply increase it again, you’re working against your own best interests.
Let them pass
The most common actual advice that the authorities would give you is simply to let the tailgater pass. You could gradually slow down so that it makes it obvious to them that you want them to go around. You could find a safe place to pull off to the side of the road. If you’re on the interstate, you could look for a chance to merge into another lane.
At the end of the day, both you and the other individual are going to be safer if they are driving ahead of you and not dangerously behind you. You want to do whatever you can to promote that change in a calm manner to keep yourself from being involved in an accident.
Have you been injured?
Unfortunately, tailgaters cause car accidents every day. If you have suffered serious injuries, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.
