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How Do YOU Deal With Tailgaters?

Tailgating

I have several - if there is traffic in front of me and no way to dodge - left hand down palm out (wonder if that is instinctive sign language). Do the mirror look, too. Avoid car gaggles per David Hough, and look for empty spots, but they never last long.

Sadly, I live in Louisville, land of "slinky" traffic; a continually expanding and contracting spring of tailgaters. It is the worst city for tailgating and automotive road rage I have ever lived in and shouldn't be. Right now the freeways are bad due to bridge and ramp repairs but they usually aren't. I see a car-car road fight almost every day on the way to work. San Diego was safer with all of it's traffic!!! It is why a motorcycle commute for me is a rare thing and I used to do it every day in CA. I actually had someone ask me at the Georgia Mountain Rally why Louisville traffic is so Foxtrot Uniform and felt a little bad because of it.

I've tried the brakelight flash and that one is iffy - sometimes if it's someone distracted then they'll back off. If it is a rager/aggressive driver, then you can end up with the car inches behind you or worse.

With an aggressive driver, gassing it is akin to waving a red cape - a challenge to them, though I'll get out of the way if I can.

People also seem to "hate" my sportbikes more than my GSA; that's probably due to the squid "stunta" high mph wheelies and traffic weaving that some less responsible riders engage in on them. Those guyz are doing uz a dizzervice!
 
As a daily commuter, tail-gaiting doesn't happen to me often . Maybe my protective gear, my safety vest , and my cool head help subdue other drivers. I do see aggressive drivers daily, but I move out of their way. Most aggressive drivers are huffing and buffing and only looking a few feet beyond their front bumper. There movements are rash and very hasty. They stick out like a sore thumb in traffic. When you position yourself in front of a good driver, you have a buffer.

Additionally, when congestion gets high, drivers get impatient and angry. So, I take side streets when the main road is congested to avoid situations that stimulate aggressive driving. Also, drivers can see around bikes, so it may not be apparent to them they are tailgating. If they are really being aggressive, drivers are highly territorial. So, throwing rocks or ball bearings is not really going to help you.

With that only 16% of motorcycle accidents are from behind. So, it is illogical to think being tailgated is going to put you in much danger. It is safer just to just slow down if in congestion. At slower speeds, you will have more space to stop/ or maneuverer. Also having more space will make my movements more predicable/smooth when being tailgated.

I must live on the wrong side of the Chesapeake Bay. My normal commute is Delaware Route 1 from Middletown to Wilmington, about 60 mile round trip. The drivers in the morning are inattentive while the afternoon drivers are just plain aggressive. Hard to say which is more dangerous.

The tailgaters usually run about a half-second behind me. If I tap my brake light, they often get the hint, but not always. People will cut me off by a matter of feet off my front wheel. I have to be very aware of spacing and lane position at all times.

If it comes down to it though, a motorcycle will never win a battle against a car. The only thing you can do is sidestep the problem and let them by. I'd rather witness an accident ahead of me than to be involved in one.
 
I whip out my camera & take a picture of the them in my mirror. This picture is of a semi truck that was tailgating me on a hwy. in central FL. I had rode from Charlotte NC to a RTE in Lake Wales FL. and came up on a group of (20 or so) SLOW riding Gold Wings. He backed way off after I took the picture. I also turn the camera around & point it at them. Works every time

On the occasions I've mounted my GoPro on my top case, facing rearward, the cars behind me tend to keep their distance.
 
Listen to OLDnSlow

... Finally he did pass me and all was well, but it really pissed me off. :bangheadQUOTE]

Accept the first part of your sentence, and learn to ignore the second part!:)

In bumper to bumper traffic at 50 to 60 mph (think I-270, west St Louis rush hour) I just leave a small space cushion between me and the vehicle in front, being aware that in those conditions others will try to occupy my cushion if they can. I focus mainly on what's ahead of me and ignore whats behind me.

Bumper to bumper at 10-20 mph, hey we're all tailgaiting at that speed.

If its heavy traffic but space to pass and such, I move to the right lanes and let em go.

If it's two lane and bumper to bumper, I just leave a cushion between me and the vehicle in front, and realize my danger is if "I" have to stop suddenly and he runs up my tail pipe, so I keep aware on whats happening several vehicles in front of me so I don't have to stop suddenly.

Its really just human nature to crowd to the front. Try this experiment sometime. When you are standing in a line, any line; movies, grocery store, amusement park, stand about 6 feet behind the person in front of you, and keep that distance. People behind you will start to crowd you, wanting you to move up, as if that will get them there faster....human nature:dance

I think that "OldnSlow" has the best and safest solution and is what I usually do. First of all, pay attention to the traffic ahead of you and ignore the nut behind you. Pissing him off will do you no good. You are not going to change this nuts driving habits; they drive like that when they are in a hurry or just going to church on lazy Sunday morning.

If you are on a two lane road in bumper to bumper traffic, no one is going anywhere. If you are on a four lane and can get over, then do so.

When I was young and stupid, I used to do other things which I won't mention here. But, it has to do with those things we can't talk about here, the thingie we carry in a holster or tankbag. Before anyone tells me, I said it was not smart.
 
I agree to play it safe and just pull over somewhere and let him pass and be someone else's problem, but... I'd still be very tempted to just let my jacket ride up high enough to- accidentally of course- let him catch a glimpse of the 9MM on my hip and see if that does the trick. But then you'd run the risk of being pulled over after someone calls in "there's a guy with a gun on a motorcycle", even if you are legal to carry it could still be upsetting one way or another.
 
As someone mentioned, there are two kinds of tailgaters; the no-mind drivers seat occupants posing as "drivers" and the agro psycho hateful vermin. I find a pronounced flip-flop weave works well on the first type.
If that doesn't work, then it is time to escape/evade, any way possible. These people are extremely dangerous; I consider this no different than having a gun pulled on me. I have even had these degenerates follow me. I will try to pull right, preferably accelerating suddenly into a traffic hole on the right, then rapidly slowing down so they are somewhere in front. I will exit suddenly if they also slow.
There is nothing you will do to change their malicious behavior; the law is relatively soft on them. You also will not win a contest between a cage and a bike. And since you own every bullet, especially your misses, that is not a realistic choice in a bouncy heated high speed situation. You have to play rabbit to their coyote.
 
The typical tailgater is clueless, and doesn't even realize he is tailgating. For these, I will slow down on a multi-lane road like an Interstate, and pretty much force them to go around me. Where I ride, traffic jams are rare and other drivers can easily go around me.

At times I will use my left arm to vigorously signal to them with a downward motion that they are tailgating me and I don't appreciate it. That sometimes works very well, especially in town.

For the more menacing type, the ones with anger and personality problems, I keep in mind that I am low on the food chain out on the mean streets. I avoid making eye contact with them or attracting their attention. The strategy is to have them pick someone else as a target. I avoid giving them a reason to target me.

Harry
 
I comute in my car,motorcycle is for pleasure/fun. Standing up on the foot pegs gets em back,or a wave is good too! a sandwich bag of flour in my rt fairing pocket released at a opportune time really gets em off fast and its harmless as far as any damage.It really freaks em out.

So how do you explain the bag of flour if say you get pulled over and a cop finds it? :nyah
 
Or, if you hit their windshield, blind them and they run off the road?

Seems to me if they hit a tree & it killed them, you are guilty of 2nd degree manslaughter because you obviously did it with pre-meditation.

Ken
 
Lot of interesting ideas!

I generally just try to slide over and give them enough room to get by. Keeps it a lot simpler and I think safer for all.
 
I usually gesture, try to put space between if possible, or pull to the side and let them by. But again I stay on back roads and not often have a problem.

As far as dropping/throwing things, I have heard hard candy, makes a heck of a noise when it hits the windshield, but doesn't do damage, an the evidence is gone.
 
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Best thing to do, if possible, is to let the tailgater go by you. I usually ride at a pace that keeps most cars a good distance behind me, but if someone comes up fast fast behind me I move over and let them pass. One of my complaints about freeway driving is that many people, particularly cagers, stay too long in the passing lane. I also drive a BMW 535xi and I appreciate drivers and riders who move over in the passing lane and let me pass. Many people just drive in the passing lane at 70 or so and won't move over for passing cars and force these drivers to pass them on the right and make them weave in and out of traffic so that they can pass these slower drivers. More states have signs that tell drivers to only use the passing lane for passing. Motorcyclists also need to move over and let cars pass them.

Of course, in rush hour traffic all these rules go out the window. Personally, I prefer not to ride during rush hour. There are limited routes of escape and you have no way to let a tailgater get around you.
 
My old friend Jack always carried a lug nut in his shirt pocket. If he couldn't get some distance he'd flip the lug nut over his shoulder. Even if he missed the car it slowed them down. His thought was the driver would slow down to avoid anything else the bike might "kick up". According to him it worked every time.
 
I surely would not do anything aggressive to anyone driving a vehicle that outweighs mine by a couple of tons. You never know what kind of tricky day some marginally sane person is having. A few years ago a couple of guys were having at it in southern Mass. after a road rage incident and one pulled a crossbow out of his trunk and fatally shot the other. That is not the way I want to check out of this life.
 
If it is in traffic, when safe I get in the other lane and let them pass. Then I give a friendly honk and a wave when I end up passing them because their lane has slowed.

If there is no traffic, I am either in the slow lane doing the limit, or I am in whatever lane trying to get somewhere like everyone else. Either way, they eventually go around. That being said, I don't camp in the PASSING lane. (left lane)
 
give a couple of warnings with a tap on the brake and if that doesn't work, slow down and let the idiots pass
 
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