yet another tailgating thread

[footz]

First off, I'm not a truck driver, but I've been lurking around some
of the forums a little trying to get a better idea of how the driver
community thinks and operates. As a fellow user of the roads but at
a fraction of the weight, I'm here to ask a serious question or two.

We've all seen this picture many times:

which I have modified a little here. Way too often I find myself
where the red "X" at the right is, but in the far right lane and
through no fault of my own. There I am minding my own business and
suddenly there's the monster set of teeth in my rearview. And I'm
usually doing around the limit, maybe 60 - 65 MPH, so it's not
like I'm holding up traffic.

I do try to think about the needs of trucks on the road, give 'em
plenty of space, stay out of the other no-zones, pass or be passed in
a predictable way, not dive across the granny lane to make an exit,
etc... and what I'm looking for is twofold: to learn more about what
you guys and gals want from the 4-wheelers besides what I've already
read about here, and to ask for some consideration in return. For
everybody, not just me. Sure, we've all heard the same song a lot.
But the tailgating thing is a huge issue, and often happens when
there's plenty of room elsewhere. Or a driver waits way too long to
swing out to pass, getting much closer than needed which just tells
me he isn't planning ahead. I can't explain it, it doesn't make any
sense but it definitely puts me in harm's way very frequently.

What could I or anybody else do to signal to a following truck that
I'm uncomfortable with not enough following distance, so they back
off or go around? The last thing I really want to pull on somebody
is a brake check, that's likely to just make it worse. Sometimes a
flick or two of the 4-ways and maybe a thumb pointing left out my
window gets the message across, and sometimes it doesn't. What I
would really like to see is some unwritten cultural custom start up,
like CB 19 or the dip-headlights-to-pull-in thing which I guess are
less popular now... something to unquestionably mean "please back
off, you'll get there fine without crowding my butt". Some clear and
unambiguous action that's a little more low-key than rearward-firing
paintballs. Something that even the drivers who don't frequent the
internet might eventually hear about and know what it means. What
would that be?

And no, flip answers like "go faster" aren't what I'm looking for.
Like the Smith trainers I see mentioned pretty often, I want us
ALL to stay safe out there and if it means everyone thinking about
distance a lot more, that's great. I'd like to open a reasonable
dialogue about this and try to SOLVE the problem. I hang out in
some other car forums where this topic comes up a lot, and I'll be
happy to carry the good answers back there for more discussion.
Most of them are already fairly respectful around trucks, but they
may not have all the right information.

Oh, and if there are other well-traveled trucker forums where
asking the same questions might do some good, please let me know.

Thanks

-f

[Ron-MARS Trucking]

Well I don't know if you would want to do this but...I have a trailer brake control on my pickup. you can manually activate the "brakes" by squeezing the slider switch and that not only activates the electric brakes but the lights on both the truck and trailer. It works even if the trailer is not connected and it will activate the brake lights on the truck. This gives the illusion that you're "on the brakes" and believe me I have scared the *&^% out of many a tailgater doing this little trick. You can buy a cheap after market brake controller like this one

or just go to an automotive shop and get one of these and just splice them inline with your brake switch.

[Truckerjo]

Sure, we've all heard the same song a lot.
But the tailgating thing is a huge issue, and often happens when
there's plenty of room elsewhere. Or a driver waits way too long to
swing out to pass, getting much closer than needed which just tells
me he isn't planning ahead. I can't explain it, it doesn't make any
sense but it definitely puts me in harm's way very frequently.

(I may agree and disagree with the following comments, just a little insight into what the trucker may be thinking..)
There is real no excuse for tailgating..

1. Plenty of room somewhere else
Well are you in the middle Lane? If so then the driver is thinking you need to move to the right lane, most states drivers are not allowed to be in the 3 rd, or really dislike to be in the 3rd becuase they stand out like a sore thumb, cops love to wright big trucks tickets..

Truckers (the ones that have brains, but then if they are tailgating ado they have brains? lol anyways most truckers) like the ideal
right lane slow
middle lane faster
Left lane fastest
If sombody comes up behind you and seem like they want to pass
GET OVER

Trucker really dislike people picking any lane and driving in thier own little world and could not care less about the FLOW of traffic...

2. Driver waits to long
Well this may be becuase he can't go any faster, most trucks are governed and they don't have enough speed to pass.. Not saying anything here but perhaps you may be speeding up and slowing down.. This leads me to the next comment. Trucks are heavy, the smallest hills will cause trucks to change speeds a lot more then a car.

What could I or anybody else do to signal to a following truck that
I'm uncomfortable with not enough following distance, so they back
off or go around? The last thing I really want to pull on somebody
is a brake check, that's likely to just make it worse. Sometimes a
flick or two of the 4-ways and maybe a thumb pointing left out my
window gets the message across, and sometimes it doesn't. What I
would really like to see is some unwritten cultural custom start up,
like CB 19 or the dip-headlights-to-pull-in thing which I guess are
less popular now... something to unquestionably mean "please back
off, you'll get there fine without crowding my butt". Some clear and
unambiguous action that's a little more low-key than rearward-firing
paintballs. Something that even the drivers who don't frequent the
internet might eventually hear about and know what it means. What
would that be?

Sorry but to be honest there is nothing going to "catch" on for a universal signal.. Its society today period.. They could care less what you think or care about.. I wish we could bring back "flash you headlight if you see a cop behind you" back when I was a kid everybody let sombody know there was a cop by flashing thier light too oncoming traffic..

Not going to happen..

And no, flip answers like "go faster" aren't what I'm looking for

Well thats what your going to get, or slow down and let them pass (when there is room for him to get out and do so)
Cause let me tell you what... You break check a big truck, 90% of these guys out here are going to put it 3" of the back of your bumper.. Is that what you want??? sorry its society today, not just truck drivers..


By a hand held CB and listen to most of the idiots out there.. they don't care about each other let alone care about a four wheeler.. Hell 50% don't even care about themselves..

Sorry it is harsh but I am not going to butter it up for you.. Its the truth


Oh one more thing I want to bring back
Turn them dang running lights off (most call them fog lights, they are not fog lights) can we go back to that?????

And what about Elvis and Kurt cobain can we bring them back????

Can we go back to where America actually stood together as one nation??

Can we go back to having the pledge allegiance in our schools?

[footz]

Well, no, as I said I'm usually in the right lane when this
happens. Going a perfectly reasonable speed, even it's a little
slower than some others want. Trucks have the middle lane to go
around and cars have whatever lane they want. Even if there's
traffic in the middle, I don't think that gives a following
truck any right to crowd up on me before finding the opportunity
to swing out - in fact it probably helps him if he stays back
at 4 seconds or better while waiting so it gives everybody
more leeway to maneuver and less dangerous mental pressure.

So I'm looking for some way to reliably express that, over and
above leading by my own example where there's usually plenty of
room in front of me. I want to stay away from brake-checks or
even the ILLUSION of brake-checks for the reasons you point out,
so about the only other lights available are the 4-ways (to stay
legal) or something I add on (probably not a good idea and I
want this to be able to work for ALL cars w/o modification).

I've updated my original post to include the picture I was trying
for in the first place, by the way.

-f

[myminpins]

I see that happen a lot and it's all on the trucker. If you're in the right lane and doing approximately the speed limit, they should not be tailgating you. Mike NEVER tailgates. If someone's going slower than you, it's simple - you pass them. NEVER EVER TAILGATE!! It's dangerous in every way, shape and form.

I don't think there's anything you can do to tell the trucker to back off. You COULD pull over in a safe area and let the truck go by but I know that's not really feasible most of the time.

I'd just ignore them and carry on my merry way. You are in the correct lane for what you're doing so flip up your rearview mirror so it's not so obvious someone is behind you, continue on and drive safely and defensively best you can.

I can't stand being tailgated and will often pull to the side and let people go but there's a lot less traffic around here so it's easy to do. Good luck and thanks for being aware of trucks !

[CMoore2004]

I see cars where that little red X is far too often. Here I am, doing 65 on a 65MPH highway.
Car comes up behind me
Car sees big truck
Car driver says "I can't be stuck behind a big truck"
Car passes me
Car slows back to exactly 65
I drop the cruise down 2MPH until I get a safe following distance
Car driver calls up friends, family, horse carriages, etc, and informs them there's a big truck that needs to be passed.
I get to do it again!

Is it possible these trucks moved over to let you on the freeway? I move over for cars quite often, to the middle lane, the traffic merges then can't fall back a little to give me back my place. I get passed on the left, on the right, and get some other driver tailgating me.

Now, the most likely scenario: you did nothing wrong. Seriously, you wouldn't be here if you were trying to be part of the problem instead of the solution. Most drivers simply don't care and get over-confident with their driving. You'll hear me on the CB every once in a while asking other trucks if the car in front of them has an interesting bumper sticker and what it says. Sometimes they get the hint, most of the time they just cuss you out and complain about what trucking used to be and how I'm just a young pup and need to shut my mouth.

[tuckerndfw]

Just slow down and keep slowing down until he goes around.

No reason to do anything else (such as waving, using signals, braking, etc).

Our local rock haulers are real bad about trying to force drivers out of "their" lane.

I was driving my four wheeler down I 635 one fine day when a local rock hauler proceeded to try to push me out of his way with intimidation (tailgating).

So, I slowed by 5 mph.

Then I slowed by another 5 mph.

I didn't need to slow any more than that since he got the message and went around.

When someone tailgates you, just slow down. And, if you have to, stop.

They will get the message.

[Scarecrow03]

Originally Posted by tuckerndfw

When someone tailgates you, just slow down. And, if you have to, stop.

They will get the message.

That is precisely what is taught to new drivers and is even a question on a lot of CDL tests.

The best, and in my opinion only, way to get rid of a tailgater is to increase the following distance of the vehicle in front of you (even if you don't see any vehicles in front of you).

Remember, you can only drive the vehicle you are in. This is why rear end collisions are the fault of who ever does the rear ending 99% of the time.

[tuckerndfw]

Originally Posted by Scarecrow03

The best, and in my opinion only, way to get rid of a tailgater is to increase the following distance of the vehicle in front of you (even if you don't see any vehicles in front of you).

It works for me.

On the day in my comment, there was very light traffic, I was in the second inside lane out of five available lanes, no truck lane restrictions, I was driving a little over the posted speed limit, and the rock hauler came roaring up behind me as if he thought I would just move over for him.

But, that is typical of our local rock haulers, most of whom are probably illegal immigrants with phony licenses.

[Gio]

When they rear end you, GO TO THE HOSPITAL! , the higher your hospital bills, the bigger your settlement, get MRI's. Let them get real close then downshift and hit the brakes. The closer they are the softer the hit will be, but you will GO TO THE HOSPITAL! , whether they hit you hard or not, because your neck and back are hurting really bad. wink wink.