Tailgaters

[is350]

edit: lol that reverse light is awesome, wish it's legal. I think some people also have some bumper stickers that start with "if you tailgate my ass, blah blah blah...". Maybe get that lol

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by zulutango

You will never go fast enough to make a tailgater happy...trust me on this. They don't want you to speed up, they want you the ^$%$^&&!!!!*( out of their way. Just ask them or read their lips. They are a huge risk when they follow you so slowly that they cannot possibly stop.

Zulu, can you please offer some insight as to why this never seems to be enforced? We always hear of speed enforcement blitzes but never tailgating enforcement blitzes.

I'm also willing to bet that tailgating tickets make up a very small percentage of overall traffic tickets issued.

[Drow]

^^^

hard for cops to enforce.

When a marked cruiser / undercover is around, every1 is behaving on their best behaviour.

Sure, you can tell cops to camp behind a bush to pullover tailgaters, but how often do people tailgate? Do u really want the taxpayers money to be funding that crap?

[sebberry]

Seriously? How often do people tailgate? Have you paid much attention to traffic?

[finbar]

Typically I ignore 'em or pull over to let them pass.

If I'm feeling particularly trollish I ride where the traffic seldom rolls and have my tires pelt said taligater with road debris and/or water/slush.

Safety first!

[dared3vil0]

Originally Posted by bmwx1

Thanks for replying. But if I speed up, I lose because I did what the tailgater wanted me to do. Plus, I have heard some unmarked police cars sneak up on your car from behind, so they trick you into speeding, so I think speeding up isn't the right decision to do.

Had a cop in the states do this to me, Didn't want to be that asshole tourist going slow so i sped up... $$$

[Oleophobic]

Originally Posted by wing_woo

This happens to me when I decide that I'll drive at 50 down Kerr Ave. It's one lane only and I'm going 50 - 55 and they'll tailgate me and eventually pass me illegal on the left.
.

I drive down Kerr occasionally and don't remember seeing any places where it's illegal to pass on the left? If it's single lane in either direction you are allowed to cross the yellow line to pass as long as it's not a double yellow. Unless you only meant illegal as in the person would have to be speeding but then that doesn't sound like what you meant...

[is350]

Originally Posted by dared3vil0

Had a cop in the states do this to me, Didn't want to be that asshole tourist going slow so i sped up... $$$

so the "$$$" means that the cop pulled you over and gave u a ticket?

[Sango]

Originally Posted by dared3vil0

Had a cop in the states do this to me, Didn't want to be that asshole tourist going slow so i sped up... $$$

I assume you mean this happened in WA?

This happened to me sometime late of 2010 as I remember it.

On my way back to Canada, I was driving on I-5 just passed Everett. I am on cruise control going 100 KM/H about 2-3 MPH higher than 60 MPH. The highway was pretty much to myself as there were cars far ahead and back from me.

I noticed a vehicle which was slowly catching up to me in the middle lane which I am on. After a while, it catches up to me and gets a bit close to me (not quite tailgating), but maintains distance and matches the same speed I am traveling at. The vehicle gets even closer after a few minutes and I am wondering why is with this driver doing because the driver is not using either the slow or fast line to pass me. Around that same moment, I see my driver's mirror getting reflected from lights and as I look, I see an SUV, probably going about close to +20 KM/H or more in the fast lane coming up.

Just after the SUV passes by me, the vehicle which was close behind me, suddenly goes into the fast lane (as I looked in my rear view mirror to see if the vehicle behind was still tailing me), passes me with a burst of speed quickly and to my suprize, I see "flashing lights" as it passes by my driver's window and almost immediately catches up to the SUV as the SUV has already began to singal to pull to the right. Ahh so, it was a undercover patrol car!

Poor SUV, should not been speeding like that; that driver must of been caught off guard because the vehicle was concealing itself by tailing me. I am not sure if the unmarked car was even after me or just tailing me for to move over to the slow lane, even thou it could of just passed me; Or maybe the unmarked car was maybe trying to push me to make me go faster?

[finbar]

I've had unmarked vehicles follow me like that in Wa. I assumed they were entering my data to see if I was in the system, possibly chatting with dispatch.

Some of those unmarked vehicles are scary stealthy.

[dared3vil0]

Originally Posted by bmwx1

so the "$$$" means that the cop pulled you over and gave u a ticket?

Yup. Was a big ticket too.

[zulutango]

Yes I did pull tailgaters over and ticket them for following too closely. Worked best with our unmarked Chev crewcab pickup with canopy.

[Sango]

Originally Posted by finbar

Some of those unmarked vehicles are scary stealthy.

Yes, that's right. I've seen several of them but they aren't what you expect. The ones in Vancouver are more stealthy I would say.

For WA, they also use spy planes in certain parts of the area. I-5 where the undercover patrol car is one of the areas they monitor. They are so high up that no one on the ground can see it so a unsuspected can think they can do what they want; all the plane needs to do is radio officers on the ground to get the car while the plane follows it.

[is350]

Originally Posted by zulutango

Yes I did pull tailgaters over and ticket them for following too closely. Worked best with our unmarked Chev crewcab pickup with canopy.

damn I so hope that I was an unmarked cop when I was being tailgated like that. You have no idea, I can bearly see their headlights. I so hope these individuals hopped onto your car, so that you can ticket them.

[wing_woo]

Originally Posted by T.T

I drive down Kerr occasionally and don't remember seeing any places where it's illegal to pass on the left? If it's single lane in either direction you are allowed to cross the yellow line to pass as long as it's not a double yellow. Unless you only meant illegal as in the person would have to be speeding but then that doesn't sound like what you meant...

Don't remember if it was single or double. Didn't know that you are allowed to cross the single line to pass. Why do the have dotted yellow lines then? What's the point if they both mean you can pass?

[Rich Sandor]

If someone is tailgating you hard, the BEST thing to do, is to move over and let them pass. Even if you are on a one lane road, just put out your blinker or hazards, pull to the right, and let them go.

You accomplish NOTHING by slowing down when the traffic ahead does not warrant it. In fact you are more likely to get whiplash or injured if you slow down too much and the tailgater rear ends you.

Don't try to teach anyone a lesson. Swallow your ego, pull over or move over, and let the jerk go. It's the best course of action.

[snails]

Originally Posted by Rich Sandor

If someone is tailgating you hard, the BEST thing to do, is to move over and let them pass. Even if you are on a one lane road, just put out your blinker or hazards, pull to the right, and let them go.

You accomplish NOTHING by slowing down when the traffic ahead does not warrant it. In fact you are more likely to get whiplash or injured if you slow down too much and the tailgater rear ends you.

Don't try to teach anyone a lesson. Swallow your ego, pull over or move over, and let the jerk go. It's the best course of action.

i think this will encourage them further if they realize it works.... just tailgate everyone all day to get around

[Gnomes]

Slowing down in response to tailgater is an idiotic move (if you are on the left lane...even in city streets). Not safe for yourself and not safe to the people around you. Some possible scenarios as mentioned previously:
1. You get rear ended and I hope you enjoy that whiplash
2. The tailgater will make an aggressive (and maybe unsafe) pass to overtake you while putting neighboring drivers at risk
3. The tailgater will make a pass to the right lane
4. The tailgater will ease it and back off

Risk assessment and common sense says -> danger to reward ratio is too high. Not worth it.

[Oleophobic]

Originally Posted by wing_woo

Don't remember if it was single or double. Didn't know that you are allowed to cross the single line to pass. Why do the have dotted yellow lines then? What's the point if they both mean you can pass?

I've tried looking into this in the past and as far as I can see there is no difference between a broken yellow line and a single solid yellow. Both allow you to cross it to pass another vehicle on single lane roads.

From the MVA:

Highway lines

155 (1) Despite anything in this Part, if a highway is marked with

(c) one single line, broken or solid, the driver of a vehicle must drive the vehicle to the right of the line, except only when passing an overtaken vehicle.

[is350]

slowing down (meaning lower than 50km/h) is not right/legal in any shape of form. But instead of normally going 55-60km/h, if you tailgate me, I will drive at 50km/h just like I'm taking a class 5 test.

[gars]

Originally Posted by wing_woo

Don't remember if it was single or double. Didn't know that you are allowed to cross the single line to pass. Why do the have dotted yellow lines then? What's the point if they both mean you can pass?

They set the dotted yellow lines in areas where it's "safer" to pass, ie, you can see opposing traffic without obstructions (no blind corners). They don't put those in the city, because they don't want you passing people like that. You can pass people on the left over a single yellow line in the city, but only in extreme circumstances - but it is totally legal. But I'm sure you'll have a hard time explaining that you wanted to pass someone just because they were going 50 in a 50 zone, and you wanted to go 70.

[wing_woo]

Originally Posted by T.T

I've tried looking into this in the past and as far as I can see there is no difference between a broken yellow line and a single solid yellow. Both allow you to cross it to pass another vehicle on single lane roads.

From the MVA:

Highway lines

155 (1) Despite anything in this Part, if a highway is marked with

(c) one single line, broken or solid, the driver of a vehicle must drive the vehicle to the right of the line, except only when passing an overtaken vehicle.

Originally Posted by gars

They set the dotted yellow lines in areas where it's "safer" to pass, ie, you can see opposing traffic without obstructions (no blind corners). They don't put those in the city, because they don't want you passing people like that. You can pass people on the left over a single yellow line in the city, but only in extreme circumstances - but it is totally legal. But I'm sure you'll have a hard time explaining that you wanted to pass someone just because they were going 50 in a 50 zone, and you wanted to go 70.

Thanks for the explanation. I paid attention today and did see that it was a single solid line only.

However, one thing I did find out was that you cannot cross a single white solid line (ie. can't change lanes on solid white line). I have so many friends who didn't know that and when I told them, they're like, it's a white line, I can cross it. If I'm wrong though, someone please let me know.

[Sango]

Originally Posted by wing_woo

Thanks for the explanation. I paid attention today and did see that it was a single solid line only.

However, one thing I did find out was that you cannot cross a single white solid line (ie. can't change lanes on solid white line). I have so many friends who didn't know that and when I told them, they're like, it's a white line, I can cross it. If I'm wrong though, someone please let me know.

I think it depends on where you are and the driving laws. I'm not sure what the fine rule is here either but I don't think you are suppose to even thou people do it but discouraged.

I know for example like in California, if you cross a solid white you could get pulled over depending on which city area you are in.

[matteblk]

Once on my way from New west to Richmond I had a truck on my ass from qweens all the way down to cambie, the whole time while hes flashing me over and over again, tailgating etc... all I did was do the speed limit with my friend in the slow lane doing the same.... I was laughing my ass off when we got in richmond as my buddy called the cops without telling me, the guy gets pulled over...

That HID idea is freaking brilliant though lol

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by matteblk

all I did was do the speed limit with my friend in the slow lane doing the same....

So your friend was in another car and you were driving side-by-side? Why didn't you move over?