I am about to lose my s**t.

[ADoyle90815]

I think tailgaters are annoying, but I'll give my brakes a light tap which usually gets them to go around me. A friend mentioned that a no tailgating sticker seems to work, so the next time I see one of those, I'm getting it.

[PepperElf]

i'm more of the "break-check" gal. i don't SLAM them but i slow down enough to make a point

[Sylvia727]

I gradually slow down, just easing off the gas. Some tailgaters will pass me when I reach 10 under, even if it's a no passing zone. Most will back off by half a car length and flip me the bird. If they're tailgating, they're running the risk of hitting me no matter what I do, and I'd rather have it be a slower collusion. Slowing down also seems to be the best to communicate "ain't gonna intimidate me, asshole."

[nomorecarts]

people everywhere don't know how to drive

that said, I have a bit of a lead foot, I like to go about 70-75, but what's the point in tailgating? you don't go any slower than if you're not tailgating, you're just a few feet back. brake checking FTW

[Nashida]

I always, always, always brake check when I get tailgated. Because odds are, if you speed up to try and get him off you, a cop's gonna be more likely to pull you over for speeding than him for tailgating. Because he saw you first.

Also, I'm pretty sure (but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) that in a rear-end collision, if person A was doing the speed limit, person B is tailgating, and person A has to step on the brakes to avoid, hitting, say, a child in the road, and person B rear ends them, it will be person B's fault automatically because they weren't following at a safe distance. So in this instance, if you had to stop, and DFW hit you because of tailgating, he'd be at fault for it.

[blas]

What never fails to boggle my mind is tailgaters on my commute to and from work that is a little over 10 miles. Nearly all of that is freeway (standard freeway with 65 mph speed limit) and the rest is a regular joe blow highway (speed limit 50). People prefer to ride my ass while I'm going 70 the whole 10 miles rather than to just pass me. Nevermind the fact that I go to work at nearly 10:30 at night and there is almost NO ONE else on the road.....just pass me up already!

Another thing that boggles my mind. Freeway = 65 mph. Highway = 50 mph. Why is it so many people try to go 50-55 on the freeway, and 70 on the highway? WTF?

[MystyGlyttyr]

I'm a brake-checker.

But hey, they have to prove I didn't "see" a deer coming off the side of the road...

Rural living FTW.

Also, I'm confident in my ability to survive being rear-ended. Your mileage may vary on that one. *Pun intended*

[Kogarashi]

I'm with crazylegs. If you're not on a major highway, observe a safe speed limit for conditions rather than speeding to keep the tailgater off of you. You're just giving them what they want, and making things less safe for you to boot.

I prefer to ease up on the gas rather than brake. A little less sudden, and less likely to suddenly get a car lodged in the back of my jeep. I will usually make sure I go exactly the speed limit (or the flow of traffic, if on the highway), and if they've got a problem with that, tough for them. Plus, as Sylvia727 has said, the accident will be less bad if it's at a slower speed.

Nashida, I've been led to believe similar. In rear-end collisions, the person who rear-ended the other car is usually at fault, because they were not following at a safe distance. There might be an exception if the rear-ended car got that way by backing into someone, but don't quote me on that. IANAL and all that jazz.

[Nashida]

I figured if they were backing up, it's the backer-upper's fault. I just remember the tailgater being at fault thing from my days in Driver's ED.

But as you said, IANAL, and heck, I'm the last person to be asking. I Tease tailgaters.

[Misanthropical]

I keep getting cut off by people who then insist on driving half a mile an hour on their way to the All You Can Gum special at the supper club.

Darn you! Ice tea up the nose HURTS!

I do the break check and slowing down thing when someone tailgates me.

[wanderingjoe72]

My GF is from Maine and she was warning me about driving there since everyone brake checks. Even the cops, and then they will ticket you for failure to control your vehicle among other possible charges.

I am the type that will let my foot off the gas and gradually slow down. Most of them get the message.