Motivations for tailgating?

PittSpeed Automotive PittSpeed Off Topic
1

This thread isn’t specifically driven by anger. I am genuinely trying to understand people that tailgate me and figured this might be a good site to collect some information.

Background:

I drive 80 miles roundtrip to work each day. I budget time for the drive. If I get a late start, I accept that I will be late for work.

About 75 of these miles are highway miles.

As much as traffic allows, I always use my cruise-control. It is always set to 9mph over the speed limit - there are specific PA traffic laws that make this a sure-fire way to avoid getting a ticket. When the speed limit changes, the setting on the cruise-control changes. Simple. Obvious (actually, this seems to blow other driver’s minds in areas where the speed limit changes).

I drive on the right, pass on the left. Religiously.

If I am in the right lane and am coming up on a car to pass, I check to see if a car is coming up on my left to pass me before moving to the left lane. I believe that any move on the highway that causes another driver to brake is the wrong move. I let this individual pass before initiating my pass.

Fairly often, I will come up on a car that appears to be going 7-8 mph slower than me. When I get along side the car, the driver decides that it’s time to go faster and drive along side of me (remember, the cruise-control is engaged). 99% of the time, this individual will eventually lose interest in this “race” and slow back to his/her previous speed. This can happen quickly or not so quickly.

I seem to get tailgaters in two situations:

  1. When I am passing a car but not quickly enough to suit the guy behind me
  2. I find one of these drivers who constantly changes his speed and decides to speed up so that the pass that I initiated cannot be completed without speeding up.

If they catch me on the right day, the tailgater in situation #1 above will get a one-finger salute shortly followed by some hard braking to show them that their ability and car is not as good as they think it is. IMO, these tailgaters simply have entitlement issues - I am exceeding the speed limit and making a legitimate pass. The only issue here is that this individual thinks that because he is tailgating me, I have the resposnbility to speed up to suit him. (just to be clear - I don’t).

The tailgaters in situation #2 might have a somewhat valid point in getting annoyed but seem to be ignorant of what is going on. Regardless, I don’t think that tailgating is the right response. I think the ADD exhibited by the car in the right lane is the problem and I have little interest in increasing the chances of getting a ticket to deal with this person. The only time that I might do something is if more than one car stacks up behind me.

…and to the fool that was tailgating me in the dark red ZX3 Focus on I79 north near the parkway interchange last evening - bear in mind that when I want a new car, I’ll be looking for drivers like you to buy me one via your increased insurance premiums. Your toy car can not and will not out brake my car when I decide to get serious about getting a new car. I was in a good mood last night and my car is running perfectly. I gave you about 30% braking and you failed.

I guess I am interested in other PittSpeed driver’s behaviors and possibly an explanation that could help me understand this tailgating behavior. …speak your mind…

2

respect others attempts to pass slower ppl. soo i will not tailgate.

now if u just going the speed limit crusing in the pass lane, i will ride ur fucking ass esp if i have the plow on the truck. move the fuck over and stop crusin in the pass lane. but i will give in and just go around em.

i hate hate hate it when u go to pass somebody they finally feel the need to speed up, then when u get behind em again they go back to doing 2mph on the high way, soo then i go to pass em i make sure i do, and get very close to em hahah pisses me off when ppl do that shit

3

my favorite is when i am towing or hauling something. even if everything is secure people will tailgate me every time.

4

Generally when ppl tailgate you that means they want to go faster than you and since they do own the road, they want you to move over and let them pass.

I usually just move over fairly quickly and let them go. No point in getting myself angry about it. The only thing that kinda does piss me off a lil’ is: I move over and let them go, then once they have demonstrated their superiority, they slow back down and now they’re in my way.

5

when people tailgate me I go even slower to show them that I dont give in to bullying. If I’m following the law then they have no reason to do that, different story if im going 5 under the limit…

6

I am with you Keith and I have a very similar driving style. I want to add I do not ride people’s asses at all. Considering I drive on the parkway everyday I always stay in the left lane b/c it tends to travel @ about 10 mph faster. Even tho I am passing people at the same rate of speed at the person infront of me, just b/c I am not riding their ass the car behind me flies in the left lane and blows past me, then cuts me off and has to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting the car that was originally in front of me. Now they are a whopping one car ahead and still traveling at the same rate of speed.

Depending on my mood I will do one of the two things.

  1. Just let it go and think what a douchbag.
  2. Gun it until I catch up to the next car in the left lane and proceed to slow down to their rate of speed. Watch the cheesedick in my mirror and either give him the finger or the classic jacking off with my hand.

#2 is much more fun…b/c when I do decide to let them pass (typically 1-2 miles later) I either give them the finger if I am pissed, or if I am in a good mood and want to fuck with them I give them a thumbs up…really cheesy like in the old Mento’s commercials.

7

Not surprising, I have noticed that: when I am following someone driving pitifully slow in the left lane and I finally get a chance to pass them, over 90% of the time, the driver is female.

WTF is up with that anyway???

8

30 in a 55 mph no passing zone to me is perfect reason to ride someones ass.

Now ofcourse the other days it’s snowing and icey and someone rides mine because I’m not going 55 on a sheet of ice, that’s just stupid.

9

I deal with these problems on a daily basis. I love the one where the guys changing his speeds constantly and goes to pass me and gives me a look like I’m speeding up trying to keep him from passing me. That happens about once a week. It’s pretty funny due to the fact that I tend to use my cruise control pretty consistently as well.

10

I don’t feel like getting a ticket so I drive pretty close to the speed limit (five over or less) when I am on normal suburban roads, etc. But when I am on the highway, I do about 9 over. If someone gets up my ass when I am going 5 over on a one lane no pass zone, I make sure to slow down to the exact speed limit. If they are pissed about doing 5 over the limit, it must drive them insane when I go exactly 25.

11

I’m not going to lie… I tailgate. But not on a daily basis, and not on backroads/everyday roads (unless you are 5-10 mph under) . I speed when I’m on the highway. I have three to six 8 hr trips a year, and I usually average 85-95 the whole time. (exception to active work zones, I will always slow down if people are working).

If you pull out in front of me to pass the car you’ve been following for 5 mins and couldn’t wait one more minute for me to pass both of you therefore making me brake from 90ish down to 60 I will be on your ass until you get out of the way.

At the same point, If I see someone who is driving faster than me, I stay out of their way, even if it means slowing down behind traffic and waiting for them to pass

Trucks are a different story, I’ll show respect and stay out of the way of, and won’t cut off an 18 wheeler… afterall, they are just trying to make a dollar…

12

I don’t get out of the left lane when I’m about to pass someone going 5-10 over the limit, If someone comes up on my ass at 85 MPH and I’m going 65 in a 55, they’re just going to have to wait. The hell with them.

I do tailgate once in a rare while, when someone cuts me off, or does some other dickface move. Only when it’s deserved, I don’t do it just out of the ordinary.

13

I guess posting this on a car site won’t get many responses that would be educational. Most car guys are knowledgeable about the rules of the road and understand why they are there…

OK, maybe I’ll ask another question - how many of you typically use the cruise-control when driving on the highway?

14

I do everytime as long as there isn’t traffic…but it drives me crazy b/c I will catch up to someone then they speed up and so on…

15

I couldn’t tell you why tards hang out in the parking lot before the game eating crappy hot dogs, and drinking piss beer

16

I use cruise control about 90% of the time.

17

I tailgate every asshole on the road. If you want a new car, just get in front of me, I have bought others, I will buy you one too.

I HATE anyone that assumes that trying to pass is the same as passing, no matter if the car being passed has changed speed or not.

If you truely do not engage in the “race”, then you should have no problem getting behind the “racer” and letting me pass you.

18

god i never fucking have tailgating problems until I’m trying to tow the boat up 79. then every mother fucker on earth wants past me even if I’m going 10over

19

The worst is when you get momentum in a big truck to go up a hill, then a 4 wheeler decides to cut you off. No choice but to tailgate and push them up a hill.

In a PMV, i drive like grandma and leave room for others to act like fools.

20

I tailgate when someone is just puttering along in the left lane. It’s only bad in Pittsburgh on 28 from Etna on down. How hard is to read the sign that says BOTH lanes go past the Etna exit??

Lane hogging isn’t bad in PA, but go to Ohio and every fat idiot is cruising in the passing lane at 70. I like to go at least 75 on the interstate, but constantly have to slow down and pass on the right. At least in this state, most people will see you coming and move over.

Cruise control is used everytime I can use it.