You Don't Increase The Distance If The Cars In Front Of You Are Tailgating

On a Colorado highway two years ago there was a 49-car pileup which resulted in 8 killed and 26 sent to the hospital.  The safe(r) distance between cars is the 2-second rule.  Most drivers, tailgaters, follow the 1-second rule which does not give anyone time to avoid an accident if the car in front develops a serious situation.  Of course, even if the 49th car was following the 2-second rule it most probably would not have given the driver enough time to stop to avoid being involved in that accident.  

Although I (nearly) always follow the 2-second rule, whenever I see the car(s) in front of me tailgating I increase the distance between us by following the 4-second rule.  The easiest way to judge this distance is to use the Tick-Tock method.  Each time you say Tick-Tock, one second has passed.  If you pass the point where the rear of the car in front of you was when you arrive there, you were tailgating.

Two seconds - Minimum safe distance.  Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock = 2-seconds.

Four seconds - Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock = 4-seconds.

Or, you can be part of the 17,000 killed and/or the 800,000 people hospitalized by tailgating accidents each year . . . your choice.

You Don't Leave a Space When Stopped

I've talked about the dangers of tailgating and being tailgated, but what about the distance that you should leave between your car and the car in front of you when stopping at a red light or stop sign.

The rule is, when stopped, you should still be able to see the rear tires of the car in front of you. Why?

1. As the car in back of you usually stops within inches, if you were inches from the car in front, you would not be able to get out of line and escape in the event of an emergency in the car in front of you, e.g., such as if it's on fire.

2. Many times the lead car stops in the cross walk and/or beyond the white line. If a truck is trying to turn left from the street on the right, the car in front of you will have to back up. If you're pinned in, it will take a long time to get everyone to back up. Without thinking, he might just back up into you.

3. If you're up against the car in front of you and get rear-ended, the force of the collision will push your car into the one in front of you. This will cause your car to be damaged both in the rear and in front. The damage caused to the car in front of you by your car may be considered to be your fault. You may get a ticket, For Failure to Maintain a Reasonable Distance and a hike in your insurance premiums.

4. To save time. This will actually save you time in leaving the intersection. When the car in front of me starts to move, so do I, at nearly the same time. If I was within inches of the car in front of me, I'd have to wait until it gets a reasonable distance away before I could even start to move; therefore, I don't save any time by being closer.

 Rule: If you can't see the rear tires, you're too close.

You Allow Someone to Tailgate You

I've mentioned the fact many times that tailgating is very dangerous, so maybe a few of you have taken my advice to heart and no longer tailgate. Good for you.
 

But, do you let others tailgate you? It's just as dangerous to be tailgated than to tailgate. Both cars in a tailgating accident are part of the statistics of 2.7 million accidents, 750,000 hospitalizations, and 15,000+ killed every year in the United States. (Statistics refer to the United States only).
Does it matter to you if it's the other driver's fault if you or a member of your family is killed?
 

Don't let another driver tailgate you. If you can't see all of his front tires, he's tailgating you and placing you in grave danger.
What to do:
 

1. Put on your emergency flashers and take your foot off of the gas pedal and allow your car to slow down gradually.  Only reduce your speed a little to give him a clue.
DO NOT slam on your brakes as he'll most probably hit you and it'll be your fault for causing the accident. This works most of the time. OR
 

2. If possible, turn on your turn signal, slow down gradually and pull off to the side of the road and allow stupid to pass. OR
 

3. Engage your windshield washer and leave it on until the car backs off. This causes the fluid to run up the windshield, over the roof of your car and land on the windshield of the car in back of you. This works (almost) all the time.
 

Whether you're tailgating or being tailgated the danger to yourself is the same.

You Tailgate When Driving Downhill

I live on a mountain; therefore, I have to drive on a 6-degree downgrade roadway to get into town. I also have to drive on a 6-degree upgrade roadway to get back home. The speed limit is 40 mph, but most cars go 50 mph downhill and 35-40 going uphill. That is not so much the problem, the problem is that every single driver tailgates going downhill, but none tailgate going uphill. The minimum, not to tailgate on a level road is the 2-second rule. On the downhill, 95% of the cars are less than 1-second, approximately 1-2 car lengths behind the front car, while traveling uphill on the same road they are 3-4-seconds behind the car in front of them, anywhere between 5 to 10 car lengths. Why? Wouldn't just the reverse be much safer?

Doesn't it stand to reason, because of the pull of gravity, that it would take at least three times the time and distance traveling on a steep downhill roadway to stop than when traveling uphill? These are the same drivers that do this everyday. Why?

One of the reasons is that it's easier to go faster downhill because the driver doesn't have to do anything. The car just goes down the steep grade all by itself. It's nearly impossible, on the other hand, for a driver to maintain his speed uphill as he has to do something that is very difficult; he has to press down on the gas pedal; therefore, he can't catch up to the car in front of him.

By tailgating only: 15,000 killed, 750,000 hospitalized, and 2.7 million accidents yearly in the United States. Keep up the "good" work.

You Think That One Second Is Worth Your Life

As many as 16,000 people are killed every year in the United States because of tailgating, aka following too close.  As many as 80% of drivers tailgate every day.  The safe distance is determined by the 2-second rule, which I have mentioned many times and in my other Posts on Tailgating.
The safe distance, as mentioned in my Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock post, is determined by the element/weather.  Let's go with normal, dry weather and the 2-second rule.
The difference between tailgating and not tailgating is 1-second.  At 1-second or less time, behind the car in front of you will not give you time to stop if the driver in front encounters an obstruction and has to slow down or stop quickly.
At 2-seconds, which equals a car length for each 10-mph of speed, should give you the time necessary to react so you don't crash into it.  Should . . .  if you're paying attention to your driving.
It's only a 1-second difference.  If the road is wet and even if you decide to follow the 3-second rule to give you more time to react, do you think your boss will be able to differentiate whether you're 1-second or 2-seconds later to arrive at work, or wherever you're going?  I don't think so.
So you're not killed, but maybe you'll be one of the 750,000 who are hospitalized each year due to tailgating accidents, or one of the ones involved in the 2,700,000 accidents?
Is your life worth 1-second of your time?  Mine is.  That's why I don't tailgate.

Notice:  To view the other 10 Posts on Tailgating go to Categories in the right-hand column and click on the link at www.youarestupidif.com.

You Don't Even Know Why You Tailgate

As most decent to good drivers know, that there are a lot of aggressive drivers on the road that tailgate, as they get angry if anyone is impeding their travel. But, what is not recognized by the majority of tailgaters is that we're pack animals. There is always a hierarchy within the pack.

The majority of tailgaters do it because they're lonesome. They need to be close to others, to be with a crowd, and to be recognized. These people, the majority of drivers on the road, need companionship, a friend and that it's merely a manifestation of their insecurity and inferiority complex. They drive in packs like wolves. When one of these drivers see cars up ahead, he must catch up to them so he can be part of a crowd to soothe his loneliness.

There are three types of drivers that form the pack. The leader is happy because he has a lot of friends following him. Of course, that's not true as he knows none of them and they don't know him, but to him, subconsciously, he's the leader, the nice guy.

 

The middle group of cars is driven by people who are just satisfied to be part of the pack. They at least feel that they belong.  

The cars in the rear are driven by followers. Those that don't have a lot of self-confidence, but, at least, feel that they are part of the crowd; therefore, at least, feel a sense of being accepted.

The mature driver, on the other hand, drives between the packs. It is done without conscious thought. He just knows, subconsciously, that he is comfortable by himself. Even on a busy highway, I find myself most often driving by myself. I can see a dozen or more cars a thousand feet ahead of me and the same pack of cars far behind me. One time, I drove from Hartford, CT to Philadelphia, PA through NYC on Thanksgiving and didn't encounter more than a dozen cars.

You Can't Maintain a Safe Distance

Going to the store and back, I traveled on the same winding, mountain road. Absolutely no cars within two to three miles in either direction; except for stupid.

Going, a truck started tailgating me, so I slowed down to give him the message. He eventually did, but the rest of the way he got close and then backed off, close, then backed off, nearly a dozen times. The road is two lanes with no passing-zones, so he couldn't go anyplace or any faster than I was going.

On my way back there was an SUV behind me that kept a safe, constant distance all the way. Here is one idiot that speeds up, then brakes, speeds up, then brakes. How uncomfortable is that kind of driving? The other driver just fell comfortably behind me and we did the eight miles in about 10 minutes. In other words, I don't impede traffic.

It's far more comfortable following someone than to lead, as the one following can observe the front car, and therefore, is helped in his driving. Years ago while traveling on a fog covered, slippery road at night for about a 100 miles, I tagged up with another car. We both knew that leading in that kind of condition is very tiring, so we leapfrogged each other every 15-20 minutes to help each other out. If you're a good driver you can easily spot another one, and without communicating, both just know what to do.  

You Don't Occassionally Say, "Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock is the same amount of time to say that follows the 2-second Rule and is equivalent as the distance of one car length for each 10 mph of speed.  While traveling at highway speed, it's nearly impossible to judge one car length for each 10 mph of speed.  This makes it easy to avoid tailgating.

How do you use, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock?  Merely pick a point in the road where the back of the car in front of you is.  Then start saying Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock in your normal speech speed.  If you've passed that point before you said the second Tock, then you were tailgating and you were putting yourself and the passengers in your car and in the car ahead of you in danger.  You will eventually subconsciously determine the safe distance between you and the car in front of you without constantly having to say, in your mind, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.

At dusk and night time:  Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock = 3-second Rule.

Wet, slippery roads:  Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock = 4-second Rule.

Icy roads:  Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock = 5-second Rule.

Safety Rule #1.  If it's dark with wet, icy roads while pouring rain or heavy blowing snow: stay home.
Safety Rule #2.  Revert to Safety Rule #1.
Safety Rule #3.  Revert to Safety Rule #1.

Passengers are responsible for their own safety; therefore, it is imperative that they also do the Tick Tock.  If the driver is tailgating, then it's the passengers duty to tell the driver that he is.  No excuses.  If you didn't and end up dead, or wind up in a hospital it's as much your fault as the driver.  

Don't be a cowardly passenger.  It's your life he's playing with.

http://www.youarestupidif.com/2017/04/you-tailgate.html

You Tailgate

Tailgating is one of the most dangerous activities that a motorist can engage in. A standardized signal should be adopted so all drivers when they see it, will know that the driver in front of him believes that he's tailgating. I've mentioned this signal before and have used it several times with some success.
That is the emergency signal. If you feel that the car in back of you is tailgating merely turn on your emergency signal flashing lights. Isn't the fact that one is tailgating you places you in danger? Then isn't it an emergency? If we all share this post then maybe enough of us will adopt this signal to warn the tailgater and we start to back off from the car in front of us when we see it. We all lose attention occasionally while driving and if the car in front signals that you're tailgating, you shouldn't be upset, but be thankful that he's also looking out for your safety as well as his own.  Everyone should share any successful use of this signal. By sharing our experience we help to bolster others to follow our lead.
If you can't see all of his front tires, he's tailgating.

You Don't Use Your Emergency Flashing Lights To Warn A Tailgater.

The other day I saw a driver put on his emergency lights to advise the driver behind him that he was following too closely.  Tailgating.
It seems that this procedure was taught in the United States by driving instructors back in the 60's.  Why has this technique been dropped?
Isn't it an emergency when one tailgates you and therefore puts you in danger of being involved in an accident?  We use our emergency flashers for many situations, such as when you see an obstruction ahead and will make an emergency stop.  When you merely use your brake lights, usually the driver in back of you feels that you're merely slowing down and will then resume your speed.  But if you use your emergency flashers the driver tailgating will know that there's an emergency ahead and will slow down and back off.  (He doesn't know that he's the emergency but you know you're in danger).  Once he realizes that you didn't slow down he may catch up and start tailgating again.  If you repeat the procedure he should eventually get the message that you think he's tailgating and putting you in danger.
This should become a universal signal to tell the driver in back that he's tailgating -- among other reasons. If you can't see all of the front tires of the car in back of you -- then he's tailgating.

You Tailgate.

Although I've mentioned this in several other Posts there's (almost) always someone behind me that is tailgating.  If you insist on being that close to me why don't we just car pool.  Another great idea is why don't I just tow your car.  It would save you a lot of gas.  Many times you're that close anyway.  I'm an advocate of the two-second rule even though the high school driving classes are teaching a four-second rule, which is a joke.  No one follows the four-second rule.  Most young drivers follow the one-half-second rule.  The leading cause of death of young drivers is tailgating.
When I tap my brakes several times it's not because I don't know the difference between the gas and brake pedals.  And, when I frantically wave at you and slow way down it's not because I know you or want to pick you up.  No.  It's because you're stupid and following too close putting me in danger.  And what about you cowardly passengers; afraid to say something.  The driver is placing your life in danger also.  Statistics show that it's the passenger(s) that gets killed or crippled.  What would you think about the jerk, because of his immature driving, who crippled you for life.  It's your life - say something.  If you're a girl and you believe that the jerk will continue dating you, marry you and give you beautiful children after turning you into a quadriplegic you're more stupid than him.
What is the four-second rule?  At night, low visibility, unfamiliar roads, etc., three-second rule.  Rain, sleet, snow, slippery streets, mountain driving with many curves, four-second rule, and slow down. 

You Put Your Life In The Hands Of The Driver In Front Of You.

I've mentioned tailgating in another Post but obviously few drivers take it to heart even though it's illegal to follow too closely.  When you do you're putting your life in the drivers hands in the car ahead of you.  Who is that driver you're following too close?  Did he just have a fight with his/her wife/husband?  Is he a new driver that will panic when he sees you on top of him?  Many drivers panic and quickly change lanes without regard whether a car is next/near him and he doesn't have the room.  If his maneuver causes an accident with the other car it will be directly in front of you and you won't have time to stop and will be involved in the accident also.  Did he just steal the car and doesn't care what happens to it or to himself - or especially to you?

You Don't Maintain Your Distance

This person is different than the "Gap Filler." The Gap Filler can't stand any distance between you and him. He sees you up ahead, gets lonesome, and speeds up until he's too close behind you and stays there.
This type of driver, like the one who followed me the other day, runs up to you, probably realizes he's too close, backs off, now thinks he's too far from you and runs up to you again. In a two mile stretch this driver must have done it at least a half-dozen times. You wonder if one of those times he's out to get you and will crash into you. It's very nerve racking so don't do it anymore. (The only time that maneuver is acceptable is if you do it to your mother-in-law to scare the dickens out of her). Why can't you just find a safe distance between the car in front of you and maintain your speed. This driver had distances of between two car lengths and a thousand feet. How much of a nervous jerk is he?

You're 16 or 17 And Still Tailgating

Tailgating (aka following too closely) is the #1 cause of accidents for 16 and 17 year old. Although the 2-second rule is generally accepted for most drivers it is now recommended that those in this age group should follow the 3-second or 4-scond rule. Why?
Because you don't have the time behind the wheel, knowledge or experience yet.
Rule: Pick a spot where the car in front of you is, start counting, 1-1,000, 2-1,000, 3-1,000. If you passed that spot before you got to 3-1000 then you were tail-gating.
Or use the tick, tock, tick, tock, tic, tock, rule on my other Post.

You don't follow the two (2) second rule.

It used to bother me when another car would 'fly' up to my car and hang on to my rear bumper. I finally realized that you must be so much more important than me and that you have places to go and people to see. Me, I'm retired so I never have anything remotely important to do. Another reason it doesn't bother me is because if you hit me you are at fault and you will usually suffer more injuries than me; which of course is fair. And, your insurance premiums will skyrocket for the next three years. The passenger(s) most often suffer the gravest injuries so you, the passenger, have the right to tell the driver to stop tailgating.

Two second rule: Pick the spot that the car in front of you just passed. Start counting 1-1,000, 2-1000. If you passed the spot before you ended the count - you are tailgating. During inclement weather or poor road conditions this should be stretched to 3 or 4 seconds.