If you deliberately brake hard and without warning in order to "scare someone" or to provoke a crash, yes it's a criminal matter that you did so.

Heres the BBC articles

I have also read articles in the paper it seems this compoensation culture thing is finally getting tackled.

I have had some people tailgate me but they can wait until I have found a safe spot to let them pass.

One of the best idiots I have seen was on the motorway once tailgating a lorry of all things flashing, flashing and the twunt decides to undertake then realised the trucker was in the middle lane because he was overtaking another lorry.

Another complete moron also on the motorway was in the middle lane behind this truck, I found a gap and went into lane 3 I was alongside said lorry at about 65-70mph when it pulls in.

Car behind the lorry accelerates then matches my speed alongside even though I have my left indicator on. So I want to move in to allow the faster traffic past but brain donor on the left cant make his mind up on whether to undertake me or not.

Edited 12 November, 200817 yr by Captain Sisko

i would wham on my brakes as hard as i could then phone my solisitor for to start my claim

I generally work on the theory that if a car catches up with me and I am not being slowed by a vehicle in front of me, then the car behind is travelling at a faster average speed, so I do what ever I can to assist the overtake. If I am unable to do this and the car behind persists in pushing me at close range (very rude if we haven’t been formally introduced)I make a very obvious gesture of turning my rear-view mirror to let him/her know I won’t be hassled. Plus, I wash my windscreen frequently making sure my headlight washers squirt at the same time. It amazing how often these twerps don’t have much fluid in their washer bottle and pull back to avoid further smearing of their own screen. After that I just shoot them with the AK47 under my seat.

That's all very well if you're not doing 60 in the outside lane of the motorway and the lanes left of you are clear!

Passed on the left in the end, but saw the driver in question doing just this to the people behind him as I went by, two lanes across from him... :thumbdwn:

So, what about the back lanes where there is nowhere safe to let them past?

I regularly do the back roads on my way home and really 40mph is pushing it for sensible speed (even though technically they're NSL roads), i find more often than not, i am being tailgated down these lanes and it really worries me that if i come across some horses/oncoming-traffic-of-equivalent-mindset-of-idiot-behind-me etc...how safe is my bumper...

...now usually, i back off a LOT more for the corners and hit the loud pedal on the straight bits to give myself some air - pulling over isn't usually an option.

As always, i feel driver education is a factor in these situations - how to react if you're being tailgated, and why you SHOULDN'T tailgate (a sad thought that this should be considered as education material :()

MPM

When I country roads, which are windy with blind corners etc I use the rule that the closer they drive behind me the slower I go. I did see a people carrier on the M27 a few months back with a sticker which read something like 'this vehicle automatically slows down when tailgated'.

What do you do when travelling at 50 mph on the inside lane of the M1 going south between J9 & 6A in the fifty average speed camera zone when a lorry drives about 300 mm from your rear bumper?:(

i get pi**ed off with ppl who tailgate the best thing to do is during the day put ur lights on and it luks as tho ur brake lights hav come on n the driver behind craps himself, oh if im n a bad mood ile jst slam on my brakes coz if he goes n the bk its his fault

What do you do when travelling at 50 mph on the inside lane of the M1 going south between J9 & 6A in the fifty average speed camera zone when a lorry drives about 300 mm from your rear bumper?:(

If he's really that close, the Scameras physically can't see you!

i get pi**ed off with ppl who tailgate the best thing to do is during the day put ur lights on and it luks as tho ur brake lights hav come on n the driver behind craps himself, oh if im n a bad mood ile jst slam on my brakes coz if he goes n the bk its his fault

And in English?

More seriously, I have some "famous last words" for you, "I was in the right!"

lol sorry text talk

...What do you do when travelling at 50 mph on the inside lane of the M1 going south between J9 & 6A in the fifty average speed camera zone when a lorry drives about 300 mm from your rear bumper?:(

I'd move out into the second lane, since "50" is the fastest anyone can go you won't be holding anyone up.

What do you do when travelling at 50 mph on the inside lane of the M1 going south between J9 & 6A in the fifty average speed camera zone when a lorry drives about 300 mm from your rear bumper?:(

have this on the m25 through the specs, but funny enough whilst the lorrys are up my **** (im in a lorry too) the inside lane is clear as all cars drivers seem to suddenly sit in the middle lane leaving inside and outside empty so i can crawl past at 50 whilst they are doing 40-45:thumbup:

have this on the m25 through the specs, but funny enough whilst the lorrys are up my **** (im in a lorry too) the inside lane is clear as all cars drivers seem to suddenly sit in the middle lane leaving inside and outside empty so i can crawl past at 50 whilst they are doing 40-45:thumbup:

This would look well wierd if we hit that bit at the same time, cos we'd both be passing the lemmings, one either side!

its because a lot of drivers are not educated properly to the law of the road and think inside lane is lorry lane except when joining or leaving a motorway. they come into these average speed zones and panic brake down to 40-45 and then brake even slower at each spec vulture which make them even more of a danger, as they keep braking i roll through in the inside lane as clearly stated in the highway code about undertaking in traffic

Do HATO officers have the power or even pull these middle lane hoggers over?

On "lighter trafficed" stretches, say M6 up over Shap and up the A74(M) into Scotland, I'll be in the inside lane between wagons, MLOCers permitting of course.

Of course HATOs don't have any powers to deal with MLOCers; that would be useful, unlike doing forensic searches of 3 miles of road for grains of taillight plastic.

At the time I was on the M1 all four lanes were doing pretty much the same speed and it was very busy with the odd time when we came to a standstill. I always leave a sensible gap between me and the car in front, because there are often minor shunts where drivers are too close driving at fifty. I can understand the lorry drivers frustration in going at fifty, but as every one else is going at the same speed what did he gain by driving so close? He moved to the second lane after a few miles, but when that lane slowed I cruised passed him still in lane one. If you drive too close to the vehicle in front your concentration, reactions & anticpation have to be spot on and you must arrive at your destination stressed out.

I think a lot of it comes down to confidence and how you conduct yourself on the road with regard to getting up to the legal limit and also positioning on the road. There are lots of little signals your car gives away about your current state that are (subconsciously?) evident to a following driver and will shape how he/she treats you.

As I mentioned in my earlier post it's all about management of the environment and it's amazing just how much of an influence you can have on those around you.

Chris

I'd definitely agree with this. My wife tends to get tailgated and it flusters her. I hardly ever get tailgated (although I do admit to driving faster than she does). I think that as you say that road positioning and driving style seems to have a subconscious affect on other drivers. If you're seen to be hesitant then they're all over you.

I'd definitely agree with this. My wife tends to get tailgated and it flusters her. I hardly ever get tailgated (although I do admit to driving faster than she does). I think that as you say that road positioning and driving style seems to have a subconscious affect on other drivers. If you're seen to be hesitant then they're all over you.

Yeah, keeping up sufficient pace to make tailgating difficult does seem to help there too!

Yeah, keeping up sufficient pace to make tailgating difficult does seem to help there too!

My favourite technique!I rarely get tailgaited out on nsl roads tbh... and if I do its some pr*ck who's got some point to prove that his car is faster (well derrr... of course your 320 cdi merc is faster than my car!)

What a Merc 320CDI faster than a Felicia? i'll believe that when i see it

I always lose tailgaters on NSL roads as I dont have to brake hard for the bends

i always remember seeing a sticker on a car saying "good drivers use the inside lane, why dont you?" made me laugh . i know its dangerous but alot of the time i either undertake on the motorway if people are insistant on sitting in the middle lane and making it only a 2 lane road. or i swing out from the inside to the 3rd lane as close as possible to them then swing back into the 1st. youd be surprised the amount of people that dont take the hint!

I think the current emphasis on speed is wrong. Too many local authorities are lowering speed limits in a vague attempt to reduce casualties, yet the people who drove too fast will continue doing so and it's the law-abiding motorist who suffers. Dig up the cameras and put more patrols on the road where they can be effective in ridding our roads of the tailgaters, uninsured drivers, drunks and criminals.

Excessive speed for the conditions kills, but plenty of roads still have a national speed limit of 60 mph which is wholly inappropriate. A review of speed limits would assign speed limits based on the road characteristics, zones of visibility and the presence of vulnerable road users. Cyclists may be environmentally friendly, but too many drive without lights, on footpaths and through red lights.

Mr PC Plods may not be to everyone's liking, but it would make our roads a much safer place to be.

i always remember seeing a sticker on a car saying "good drivers use the inside lane, why dont you?" made me laugh . i know its dangerous but alot of the time i either undertake on the motorway if people are insistant on sitting in the middle lane and making it only a 2 lane road. or i swing out from the inside to the 3rd lane as close as possible to them then swing back into the 1st. youd be surprised the amount of people that dont take the hint!

You're right there. I'm still surprised as to why some people avoid the inside lane when its as clear as a summer day :confused:

Just seen a sign on the m62 near buttonwood saying "don't hog the middle lane" made me giggle.

Just seen a sign on the m62 near buttonwood saying "don't hog the middle lane" made me giggle.

Surely it should more helpfully say "Keep left - unless overtaking"