Other Road Users / 4x4 rant (merged)

[Bluebottle]

Speaking of the police, they have a term for tailgating at speed, overtaking in dangerous places etc etc, they call it 'Suicidal Impatience' Nuff said.

Oh, did I mention that there is no excuse for tailgating?

[maximus]

My friend told me at work today that he has a good cure for tailgaters down country roads.

He just dabs the brakes with his left foot and the driver behind him panicks and drops back! (Dangerous I know but it made me laugh!)

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by maximus

My friend told me at work today that he has a good cure for tailgaters down country roads.

He just dabs the brakes with his left foot and the driver behind him panicks and drops back! (Dangerous I know but it made me laugh!)

I confess I've done that on more that a few occasions. My old Landy (back on topic??) was quite interesting in that the brake lights didn't come on until you had your foot hard on the pedal - I'll never forget the look on that Fiesta drivers face....

[Craig]

I think we should ban the old men in clapped-out Granadas who get in my way and slow me down when driving my white van. Oh and ban Cayennes cos they're pointless and ugly.

[Mike_Wooshy]

here ye here ye !! I agree craig.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Mike_Wooshy

Although I really do think once people reach a certain age they really do need to re take their test, Ive only been driving 6 months or so but I've lost count of the accidents with old people. dangerous to those around them.

Pot.....kettle!

You are, statistically, in the highest-risk group of drivers on the road, yet you see another group as the most dangerous!

[gfm]

No,no. Bluebottle - policeman (english slang). Blimey. Obviously not a goons fan.
Mind you, if you've been hit up the arse twice, maybe there is a common lesson here? What's the difference between queueing traffic on a rush hour motorway and tailgating then? Something to do with being able to stop in the distance between you and the guy in front? Obviously, if you leave that sort of gap, everyone in the middle lane will pour into the overtaking lane.
Actually, all things considered, I think at these high pressure times, motorway driving is incredibly good. Everyone's in a hurry, all close up, everyone hustling but very few incidents. And I think the police do a great job in leaving well alone. They could nick the entire overtaking lane for the speed it travels most days.
All's well till the weekend when part time motorway users get all upset with the pushing and shoving. The regular drivers during the week have no real problem. The best way to deal with fast lane (white van) hogs in any case, is to do 'em up the centre lane!
(Sorry, this is a mainly a UK thread bit)

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by gfm

No,no. Bluebottle - policeman (english slang). Blimey. Obviously not a goons fan.

That's where my name comes from but I missed the refference! I'm more the East Finchley Boy Scout, exept I'm not from East Finchley and I'm not a boy scout....

Originally Posted by gfm

Mind you, if you've been hit up the arse twice, maybe there is a common lesson here? What's the difference between queueing traffic on a rush hour motorway and tailgating then? Something to do with being able to stop in the distance between you and the guy in front? Obviously, if you leave that sort of gap, everyone in the middle lane will pour into the overtaking lane.

Not sure what your getting at here, if you can stop in the required distance at whatever speed your doing, queueing or cruising, then you're not tailgating, if you can't then you are. If your gap gets filled, drop back a little, even when your queueing it won't cost you much time and I find it makes for a less stressful drive which is important for a commute. It always made me laugh when on the M1 people fly off the slip road, cross the 1st and second lanes to get into the 3rd lane, 'their lane', only to come to a hard stop while I carry on in the first lane at a consistant and steady speed

Originally Posted by gfm

Actually, all things considered, I think at these high pressure times, motorway driving is incredibly good.

Yes, but it only takes one idiot to really mess up a lot of peoples day.

Where possible the best way to deal with a tailgater is to let them past so they can have their accident somehere else. (Boy racers in 'modded' cars really hate it when I move over and wave them past with a smile, it means they've done nothing to impress their mates with!!)

[Vicki]

Right, here's my 2p. Why are drivers in Stoke so sloooooooow?! I've got places to go people, me and whoever happens to be driving don't want to waste time because you insist on going at 5.5mph. Sorry if anyone is offended, but maybe it's because I lived in Essex where everyone was in a hurry to get to where they're going? It's like old people who wait til Saturday to go shopping then walk at snails pace in front of me...Oh great, now I've started!

[gfm]

Sorry to read about slow movers in Stoke FerFan!
But, OK I guess we need to own up to this then. I tailgate. Sorry Bluebottle but I drive too close to the guy in front, mainly on motorways. Yes, I know it’s wrong, but I do. But I don’t think I’m the only one, either.
But tell me then, how do you get the guy in front (overtaking lane only) out of the way? “Look, don’t take this personally, but I want to travel faster than you are going”. The body language in his mirror needs to make the picture clear. “I want to go faster than you’re going, move over or I’m up the inside lane. Soon as possible. PLEASE. Thank you.” Otherwise we’re stuck for miles.
Now, couple of caveats. Firstly, I would contend that the safest speed to travel any distance on a motorway is 5 – 10 mph quicker than the next fastest car; you don’t fall asleep, pace is interesting, gets the journey completed quick, keeps your wits about you looking for the boys in blue; and for those who are asleep as you pass, they’re disturbed for a shorter period.
Secondly, it’s no use at all bullying the guy in front when he’s pressed against cars ahead in the 3rd lane with the second lane also full. In fact I watched myself tonight and in fact to my surprise, I do ease back, not too far as I don’t want the gap in front to get filled from the left. But I do take the pressure off when traffic is seriously thick.
Neither do I ‘sit’ in the overtaking lane even when going quickly. If there’s space on the middle lane, I’ll use it.
You definitely do need to think twice when you have to deal with a guy sat in the 3rd lane with a girl in there; he really needs a way out the allows him to concede without losing face. That’s doubly clever.
Then BB just like you, if someone does catch me, then I’m out of it, let them go. They must be genuine head cases!

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by gfm

But tell me then, how do you get the guy in front (overtaking lane only) out of the way? “Look, don’t take this personally, but I want to travel faster than you are going”

You don't. If I'm in the 3rd lane overtaking at 70+mph you don't need to, I'll move back when I've passed whatever I'm passing and not before, it dosn't hurt much to back off for a few moments does it?
If they're doing less than 70 then I would go down the inside- undertaking is allowed when traffic is queuing and less than 70 in the 3rd lane I define as a queue....
If someone is dull enough to just sit in the 3rd lane at 70+ while the middle lane is empty how do you know they're not stupid enough to just slam on the brakes when you come up behind them? Simple- you don't. It's a risk you take but I would prefer to leave it for track days or race days when there are plenty of people in orange suits to pick up the bits.
It all comes down to driver education.

[Mike_Wooshy]

Originally Posted by Bluebottle

It all comes down to driver education.

Thats so true, I find people who have passed later are not so educated in the ways of todays hussle and bussle, but I also notice a big diffrence of standards and how people drive, from city to country.
diffrent education diffrent way of driving.

[Logrence]

I don't think there's any excuse for driving dangerously and endangering other motorists, and tailgating is driving dangerously.

You don't drive aggressively to "let people know" you want to get by, I suggest you ought to practise a little patience.

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by gfm

it’s no use at all bullying the guy in front when he’s pressed against cars ahead in the 3rd lane with the second lane also full.

indeed, that's the kind of tailgating which is most annoying and probably most likely to kill if it goes wrong. what are they thinking? I can't go faster than the vehicle in front, and I'm not going to close the gap.
I don't have any problem at all with anyone driving performance cars fast on our motorways- being passed by something exotic with a great exhaust note adds interest to a journey. Flashing to warn of your presence is fine but if a driver is pig-headed enough to be sitting in lane 3 (or 2, but that's another thread...) then they're unlikely to be bothered with stuff like looking in their mirror anyway- pass on the inside with caution, that's the moment they'll drift into the 2nd lane without looking, signalling, putting down their phone, newspaper, fag etc...

How to get rid of a tailgater no. 2:- (Not condoned by 10/10ths...)
Drive a car with worn rings, valve guides, whatever or better still a desiesel? Despatch that tailgater with a smokescreen!
I know someone who, many years ago, fitted a kit to his Mini which allowed him to inject Reddex while driving- fine untill he did it to an unmarked police car!! Mind you, you have to ask why the police car was being driven dangerously close if not to goad him into speeding......

[Vicki]

Ah yes, Reddex, that makes quite an impressive smoke when put in a 206. You must tell me how your friend did that Bluebottle! And something else, why do people on dual carriageways/motorways drive so badly that it's playing Russian Roulette trying to get off the acceleration/deceleration lane onto the road? My mum hates driving on the dual carriageway near our house because it's so dangerous getting on!

[Kicking-back]

you must remember that most slip roads on have give way lines at the end of them.

too many drivers come charging along them and expect to be allowed straight on to the dual carriageway.

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

you must remember that most slip roads on have give way lines at the end of them.

too many drivers come charging along them and expect to be allowed straight on to the dual carriageway.

True, and at the other end of the scale there are those drivers who don't accelerate down them making it even harder for them to join the motorway/ dual carriageway (when traffic is flowing nicely that is... )

[M Coupe]

How to get rid of a tailgater no. 3:- (Not condoned by 10/10ths...)
Drive a performance car with long valve overlaps, high rpm, lift off, then back on again, cue 18inches of flames out the exhaust, they tend to drop back after that.

Discussion of 4x4 vrs 'normal' cars usually follows the same path, however another problem for us 4x4 drivers is the assumption that we are slow. I commute daily approx 50miles each way and split it between 3 cars, the 4x4 (X-Trail), shopping car (MG ZR) and the toy (Lotus Exige). on top speed (seen on private road or autobahn ) they are as follows, Exige 145mph, X-trail 135mph and MGZR 115mph.
On the motorway I tend to cruise at 80-90ish dependant on traffic and weather, so why is it that cars I catch up move over for the Exige, and the MGZR, although not so much, but refuse to move for the X-Trail, all similar speeds, similar gaps etc. Is it really that difficult for people to understand that if a vehicle catches them up it is going faster than them, and therefore moving over is the decent thing to do. I don't tailgate, primarily as it's dangerous as you can't see ahead if you do, even in the X-Trail forward vision is difficult behind a large van, in the Exige a mini makes it difficult to see ahead clearly. I don't hassle people to move over but it can be very fustrating when you have been doing 85 and suddenly have to drop to 65 as that's all the car in front wants to do and despite the fact the next car in the middle lane isn't for a mile he won't move over. Almost as annoying is the person who moves over once they have made you slow down to their speed, you know the ones who sleep in the outside lane, you catch them up quite quickly, once you match their speed they suddenly see you and move over, okay in something quick but annoying in something which will take the next mile to get back upto speed, thankfully I don't have anything like that now (although the other halfs MG ZR isn't exactly rapid).

As for the handling comments, I've driven large 4x4's on track and have passed so called sportscars, which was a laugh. Driven properly a 4x4 is as quick as a normal car, it's harder work but just as much fun, 4 wheel drifts in something as large as a Disco is hilarious.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by Bluebottle

True, and at the other end of the scale there are those drivers who don't accelerate down them making it even harder for them to join the motorway/ dual carriageway (when traffic is flowing nicely that is... )

And the middle of the scale is the lazy driver that doesn't change lanes (when theres room) or slow down a touch to let you on.

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by maximus

And the middle of the scale is the lazy driver that doesn't change lanes (when theres room) or slow down a touch to let you on.

Absolutely right! There's no requirement to do that but it's a helpful, polite and good thing to do.