Just driving back to work on my lunch break and had this idiot behind driving really close to my car - it makes me so nervous and edgy - well at least I think he was too close..... I couldnt read his number plate this is too close right?!?!
2007-09-17 02:18:41 · 25 answers · asked by Katie 5 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Insurance & Registration
When I was learning to drive I remember being taught "tyres and tarmac", ie. that you should be able to see the rear tyres of the car in front and some of the road! Given that, I'd say that yes, the plonker behind you was indeed too close!! When someone does that to me I slow right down and think "happy Sunday driver" thoughts!! If they're quite persistant I briefly put on my hazard flashers (only briefly though, it's not good to be driving around like an illegal motoring Christmas tree!) and that tends to sort them out and they drop back wondering what on earth is going on!!
2007-09-17 02:32:40 · answer #1 · answered by helenness 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A good rule of thumb is a yard per mph, so at 30mph there should be 30 yards between. Or the "two second rule", already explained here. The "tyres on tarmac" thing is for when stationary, gives you enough room to pull around if the car in front breaks down.
Sometimes I wish I still had the old landie with monumental ex-military tow-hitch on the back; a gentle application of the handbrake soon wakes up the tailgating twerp!
2007-09-17 05:34:08 · answer #2 · answered by champer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should be able to see the headlights of the car behind you. If following a car, you should pick an object on the roadside and count three seconds when the car in front of you passes it, if you can count to three seconds before you pass by the object, you are a safe distance from the car in front of you. Other/all cars/drivers should do the same.
If you feel you're being tailgated by the car behind you, call 911 and have a police officer sent to catch the driver in the act and they'll be ticketed. I know, I've called 911 and the officer was waiting on the road ahead of me and witnessed the car behind me tailgating, and the officer pulled over the car/driver and ticketed them.
Tailgating is against the law and is also very dangerous.
2007-09-17 02:30:41 · answer #3 · answered by deiracefan_219 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a car tailgating me tonight. It was dark and they were so close that I couldn't see their headlights. This happens almost every time I drive. I live in SE Wisconsin so we have a lot of Chicago drivers (the worst drivers in the country) even worse in the summer months. Back to tonight, they kept backing off then back to tailgating me, so I got pissed and downshifted into 1st with no brake lights and they rear ended me and totaled their parents car. It ended up being a few 16yr old kids in there parents brand new car which was pretty messed up and my old truck didn't have one scratch on it. I felt kinda bad but I doubt that kid will ever follow too close to another vehicle ever again.
2015-02-27 12:14:44 · answer #4 · answered by JDS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The distance between you and the car in front should be "3 seconds." The car in front passes a stationary object or line on the road, you start counting... 1... 2... 3, and you should pass the same object/line when you say "3." Any sooner and you're too close. So, basically, the guy behind you was too close.
That being said, you should ALWAYS yield the left lane to faster traffic. If you're in the passing lane and not going faster than the car beside you, yield the lane to faster traffic. You're not a cop, it's not your responsibility to moderate the speeds of other cars.
2007-09-17 02:27:23 · answer #5 · answered by This is SPARTAAAA! 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
ONLY A FOOL BREAKS THE TWO SECOND RULE!!!
that is to say when the vehicle in front passes a stationary object eg. a lampost, count one little second, two little seconds and if you pass the same object b4 you count two YOUR WAY TOO CLOSE this is good till your in excess of 30mph then count an extra second for every 10 mph over that you are so at 40 mph you count to 3 and so on.
the next time you have some idiot on your rear bumber just flick on your rear fog lights at the same time indicate right this will get his attention real quick! as he will think your turning and the fogs are your brake lights.
2007-09-17 02:30:39 · answer #6 · answered by scooby d 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
this really is a country wide problem have you ever heard"only a fool breaks the two second rule"
what happens is when the vehicle in front of you passes a static marker say a lamp post you then count and if you count for more than two seconds before you pass the same marker then this is okay or as a rule of thumb you should be able to see the wheels of the vehicle in front on the road.
2007-09-17 04:53:26 · answer #7 · answered by maclaren 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The general rule is 2 seconds behind. In this case, find a landmark that you are passing, then count 1001, 1002, if his front bumper passes the land mark before you get done counting then he was following too close.
2007-09-17 07:17:31 · answer #8 · answered by ckcool192000 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It wont be long with any luck till they make tailgating unlawful in the united kingdom. you may desire to attempt to get the drivers registration selection and record him to the police for risky driving, greater beneficial nevertheless, in case you have one, take a image including your cellular telephone and modern the info to the police. The morons who in many cases do it are: youthful drivers, van drivers, or maybe worse articulated autos, you may desire to record them, and with any luck they are going to settle for penalty factors or greater beneficial nevertheless a ban. i do no longer advise which you do what i do, particularly in case you have a toddler on board, yet for those of you that decide to grant it a pass, you is in basic terms no longer disillusioned with the consequence. Applies to equipped up areas basically, in case you're being tail gated on the city, sluggish right down to approximately 15 mph, then %. up velocity, stay close to to the centre white line, as quickly as they're interior of a metre or so out of your bumper, head for the mandatory reservation bollards, they dont be conscious of that they are there, on the very final 2d, you swerve to leave out it, the tailgater writes he's motor vehicle off, if he does be in a position to keep away from it, he will probably drop suitable lower back, happy searching.
2017-01-02 07:25:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is way too close - and it bugs the life outta me. The only thing to do is tap your brake so he knows to back off - funny how it's always men that drive too close, isn't it? If he still does it, drive incredibly slowly so he'll get the pic
2007-09-17 02:48:07 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋