Anyone else have a problem with tailgaters?

[Mud Pie]

The Powers That Be that govern the roads around my subdivision decided that the 2 lane road going to the highway was no longer sufficent. They have begun widening the road to a 4 lane. Since they can only do a section at a time, we now have to share lanes, going back to the completed part at they see fit. This involves doing two 90 degree turns.

Without fail, every morning, I have an SUV or pickup on my tail. When we get to the 90 degree turns, my smartie handles it without letting off the gas. Actually, it's kinda fun ! The SUV's, on the other hand, need to slow down to a crawl.

When we get to the light, I always smile and say "Where'd ya go ?"

Sometimes I get a smile back, sometimes I get the finger, sometimes I get a carfull of diesel exhaust.

It's all good !!

[ArthurRW]

I've been getting tailgated getting off an exit going to work, there's a pothole, (read "ravine") that stretches across the lane that people have to slow down for or else get their teeth rattled. There's also a narrow shoulder with a steep embankment. I can slow down a little, do a quick on/off the shoulder while the SUVs and trucks slow down to almost a crawl to get over that hole. By the time they get on the road I'm a good 1/10th of a mile down the road.

[raiden658]

Driving from Miami to Orlando yesterday at about 85 mph, Out of the corner of my eye, I keep seeing a flash of light. After about 5-10 flashes, I finally turn my head and there in my blind spot is a BMW and a guy snapping pics of the smart. As they blast past he gives me the thumbs up and a big smile. Kinda hard to get angry when they are smiling and shooting a camera and not a gun (we call it road rage in Southern Florida, where anyone over the age of 6 can and does own a gun.)

[DFDureiko]

I'm in Brooksville, FL, for the winter (home in CT) there certainly appear to be alot more "monster" trucks in this neck of the woods. the other day at a BP station filling up I pulled up behind one. if I rearended it the only thing I would have hit is the differential.....
My question: Aren't there federal bumper height laws? These trucks are dangerous to almost all small cars not just smarts. Not to meantion stability. Either police and highway enforcement don't care, or the trucks only have to meet standards coming off the assebly line?
one other thing I think I just realized, LOTS of people tailgate, perhaps no more so behind the smart, it's just that the rear window/bumper is a foot behind your head)
Dan

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by DFDureiko

I'm in Brooksville, FL, for the winter (home in CT) there certainly appear to be alot more "monster" trucks in this neck of the woods. the other day at a BP station filling up I pulled up behind one. if I rearended it the only thing I would have hit is the differential.....
My question: Aren't there federal bumper height laws? These trucks are dangerous to almost all small cars not just smarts. Not to meantion stability. Either police and highway enforcement don't care, or the trucks only have to meet standards coming off the assebly line?
one other thing I think I just realized, LOTS of people tailgate, perhaps no more so behind the smart, it's just that the rear window/bumper is a foot behind your head)
Dan

Probably not enforced much is all. I'd say hit them and then take them for all their worth (their truck and trailer house)
Florida Law: Front Rear


Trucks:Net weight of less than 2,000 pounds
24" 26"
Net weight of 2,000 or more,
but not more than 3,000 pounds
27" 29"
Net weight of 3,000 pounds,
but not more than 5,000 pounds
28" 30"

[jose3030]

Devil's advocate -
If you have tailgaters, it's possible because you're slowing down the flow of traffic.
Either get to the right or speed up to the flow of traffic as long as it's not putting you in danger.

[NCC1701]

Originally Posted by jose3030

If you have tailgaters, it's possible because you're slowing down the flow of traffic.

You're not from around 'these parts', are you? LOL
It's damned hard to go faster than the car in front of you. I'm a lead foot, not slowing anybody down.

You're blaming the victim.

Besides that, running on my ass is going to get the opposite result you're seeking ... assuming you want me to do 20 MPH over the limit because my 10 over isn't fast enough. I slow down for tailgaters. Two reasons, and one of them is NOT to aggravate the person riding too close. One is to allow them to get around me more easily. More importantly, tailgating causes accidents (pure and simple) and if I'm going to be in a wreck, I'd chose it to be at a lower speed. Also, if someone is on my butt, I want to INCREASE the distance between me and the car I'm following.

[jose3030]

By the way, I also would take a commuter bus and the same stuff that we see in Smarts is seen by bus drivers.

I guess since folks assume that buses will go slowly, they tend to cut them off, drive around them, brake suddenly in front of them, etc. We're not immune and it doesnt just happen to Smarts or motorcycles. It even happens to the huge buses.

[Kermit]

I was thinking about this today as I drove and one thing could be because it is so easy to see what is in front of the smart people subconsciously want what they do not have. They aren't leading the pack so they have to get around to be first.

As far as tailgating "around these parts", NCC, I blame a good bit of it on the transplants. You know what I mean.

[jose3030]

Originally Posted by NCC1701

You're not from around 'these parts', are you? LOL
It's damned hard to go faster than the car in front of you. I'm a lead foot, not slowing anybody down.

You're blaming the victim.

Besides that, running on my ass is going to get the opposite result you're seeking ... assuming you want me to do 20 MPH over the limit because my 10 over isn't fast enough. I slow down for tailgaters. Two reasons, and one of them is NOT to aggravate the person riding too close. One is to allow them to get around me more easily. More importantly, tailgating causes accidents (pure and simple) and if I'm going to be in a wreck, I'd chose it to be at a lower speed. Also, if someone is on my butt, I want to INCREASE the distance between me and the car I'm following.

It's simple.
If you're going slower than the guy coming up behind you, get the heck to the right.
I usually am ALWAYS in the left lane going 70 mph.
Hard to tailgate me then.
If I see someone come up to me much faster, I get in the middle lane then go back into the left lane. Not many people go faster than 70 anyways.
If I were going 60-65 however, I'd still to the middle or the right lanes exclusively.

You shouldnt even allow folks to tailgate you anyways.

I can say this tho cuz I'm almost always going faster than everyone on the road. So it's easier to "get out of the way" or "control the flow of traffic" if you're one of the faster vehicles out there. I just hate being around other cars. People just dont know how to drive. As soon as I'm all alone , I get all the way to the right lane and maintain 65-70mph. I follow the European code of driving.