Tailgater's Logic
- Thread starter ZeeOSix
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Real tailgating is a southern thang'
Gotta admit, if the car ahead of me is pacing the car ahead of him at 10 car lengths and people are coming from behind me and getting in front of him, I will ride his tail to encourage a lane change.
Not even close ..
Depends on the speed. Many drivers use the 3 second rule which is 3 seconds between them and the vehicle in front.
Suppose you're only going 35MPH, which is about 51ft/second, so x3 seconds is 153ft. That is VERY close to 10 car lengths, with the average car being about 15ft long.
If someone else drives recklessly to cause less than a a safe gap @ speed by passing and getting in front, that is all the more reason for you to drive more cautiously in that situation, rather than tailgating. That's exactly how some pileups happen, people cutting off the gap then have to suddenly slow down with the normal spacing of vehicles, compressed due to both behaviors.
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If the person behind me is tailgating, I slow down. There will need to be even more of a gap in front of me, so that if I have to suddenly slow down a lot, I can do it a little more gradually so the fool tailgating me has enough time to react. If they get even more anxious about tailgating closer, time for some brake light action.
This in the context of not being someone who hogs the left lane except to pass, but I've seen my share of drivers who aren't content with me passing a mere 5-10MPH faster than the vehicle in the right lane and seem to think they should be able to drive fast enough to pass everyone, which is just not how shared public roads work.
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Why? You aren't implying that you'd break the law and drive recklessly are you?
There isn't a driver out there that at some point hasn't driven above the posted speed limit. You Sir, added "recklessly" to skew the conversation. I routinely drive above the posted speed limit but I do not drive recklessly. Some of this is regional. If you drive in the NorthEast you know what this is.
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I'm speaking of those (yes you CT driver) that drive in the left lane in such a manner to slow down everyone else and have the ability to move over a lane and let those who want to travel at a higher speed by them. Common courtesy. If I'm in the left lane traveling 80mph and someone wants by me, I move to the next lane, no issue. I'm not talking about driving recklessly or weaving in and out to get a car length ahead. I'm speaking of light to moderate traffic and THAT person is holding everyone else up. When multiple cars make aggressive moves to get around you and cut you off to get ahead of you, it's YOU.
^ If you're doing 80MPH and someone wants by you, that is reckless driving on their part.
When cars make aggressive moves to get around you that exceed 80MPH, that's 100% them being reckless, not at all you.
There are of course exceptions, areas with 80MPH speed limit and even one or more with 85MPH speed limit, but those are the exceptions rather than this generality than whoever wants to drive the fastest, owns the road no matter how fast they have to go to get there. If we were talking about lower speeds it would be a different situation, but near 80MPH no, at that speed it is absurd to tailgate and make aggressive moves in traffic to go faster still.
When cars make aggressive moves to get around you that exceed 80MPH, that's 100% them being reckless, not at all you.
There are of course exceptions, areas with 80MPH speed limit and even one or more with 85MPH speed limit, but those are the exceptions rather than this generality than whoever wants to drive the fastest, owns the road no matter how fast they have to go to get there. If we were talking about lower speeds it would be a different situation, but near 80MPH no, at that speed it is absurd to tailgate and make aggressive moves in traffic to go faster still.
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Well to be fair, it sounds like both of these people were in the wrong lane to begin with.
How's that?
Both should've been in lane 4 prior to the moment of passing.
Not sure how the towing laws in New Jersey work but in Cali towing is right lane 55 MPH even in a 70MPH zone.
The far right lane is dog slow in Cali. An auto cannot hope to maintain even the limit stuck w the semis in the far right lane.
The next lane to the left is the right place to be. This leaves two open lanes for the guys hauling A.
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I don't know about all that. The rule is "Keep right, except to pass" here. Speed is irrelevant to lane selection. You're either passing (should not be in the furthest right lane) or not passing (should be in the furthest right lane).
The #3 lane is always passing #4 as trucks have a lower overall limit than autos.
What is the max towing speed in NJ?
Curious can tow vehicles travel in the #1 lane?
Total right lane travel in Cali will have you making more lane changes than mario andretti.
Only some roadways have limitations. The GS Parkway and the NJ Turnpike have lane restrictions for trucks and buses to stay right. Towing speed is 55.
I change lanes frequently to stay to the right. I often outpace those who just stay in the two left lanes.
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