Follow the tail-lights out of the city

[venta]

One of these days I am going to get round to rigging up some LEDs in my rear windscreen so I can spell "BACK OFF" to the person driving way too close behind me.

I hate tailgaters :(

(Today's finally passed me when I was in the middle lane, pulling onto a roundabout to go straight on. He turned right, from the left hand lane, straight across my bows without a signal.)

Comments

[smiorgan.livejournal.com]

I hate tailgaters too. It's effectively threatening behaviour in a vehicle, except it's even worse because half of the time it's out of incompetence - so should the person be driving at all?

In London I tend to tap the footbrake, that usually wakes them up.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I do that too. Sometimes, though, particularly on motorways, people can get sufficiently close that you're worried to put the brakes on at all. I sometimes turn my headlights on and off to create the brakelight effect, but I'm always worried I'll be confusing the person in front of me by flashing.

Tapping the brake didn't scare this morning's specimen. I have a suspicion that he was very impatient - driving too close, constantly sitting over the white line in case he could overtake, drumming his fingers on the dash in queues. Worse, I suspect him carving me up at the roundabout was probably something he was proud of; it was certainly entirely deliberate, since he pulled out of the correct lane and into the wrong lane when he saw it was free. I bet he thinks he's a great driver :(

[nalsa.livejournal.com]

I sometimes turn my headlights on and off to create the brakelight effect

Foglights have a better effect, 'cause they're the same wattage as brakelights. The downside being that some cars don't have them, or have them in odd places. The upside is that you don't confuse the person in front :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Good thinking, Batman.

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

> The upside is that you don't confuse the person in front :-)

I have found that they don't always come on unless the headlights are on as well, though.

Left foot braking...

[grumblesmurf.livejournal.com]

Well, it works for me. Keep your right foot on the go faster pedal just as normal, and since you're unlikely to be changing gear at the time you're dealing with a tailgating fuckwit just slide the left foot across and tap the brakes lightly for a second or so. Not enough to actually slow you down, but enough to brighten the brakelights.

Of course, the trick I used to use that only worked in my first car was to flip the switch that was the manual reversing light. Amazing how quickly tailgaters find the brakes when they think you're going directly towards them...

However, I'm with you - a big, programmable LED sign with a suitable variety of 'appropriate' messages sounds like a fine idea.