Impatient Tailgaters

[Spannerfiend]

I wonder why, when you are travelling at the proper speed limit, have given a perfectly good, long signal, having carefully checked the road behind, that these impatient, self important, arrogant nobs come flying up behind you, flashing and generally trying to intimidate you out of the way?
Does it not occur to these thick people that the REASON they are behind a 'slower' driver, is because THEY are breaking the speed limit, and have put themselves into that position by SPEEDING.

Does anyone know how their brains work, or indeed, if they even have any?

[Milvus]

Don't you think there is a high level of self importance and arrogance in the person blocking the overtaking vehicle? They have no idea why that person is speeding, could be responding to a family emergency, could be a psychopathic maniac who hates being blocked. Either way it makes no difference to the blocking driver. other than proving he/she is in the right. Move out of the way and be safer

[Graham-W]

Can you tell if it's a doctor on the way to an emergency or an undercover cop trying to catch up with a drug dealer?
I agree 99% of the time it's just speeders, usually Audi and BMW owners, who want to be in front of you, but just occasionally ...........

[Graham-W]

Heck. One and threequarters of an hour without reply and then two come along at once. Just like buses.

[Milvus]

Couldn't get past in time to answer :)

[Baldric]

I drive a Beemer, a 320, I also drive a Octavia VRS estate which is quicker, what amuses me is the number of drivers in ordinary family saloons who must overtake you at all costs because of what you're driving then slow down to their cars comfort zone speed again!

[ummmm]

It's most annoying when the car can't go anywhere except one place in front.

I can understand flashing when someone is plodding along in the outside lane on a fairly quiet motorway.

[Spannerfiend]

Thanks for your answers guys. . Nobody is talking about deliberately BLOCKING the lane, just carrying out a perfectly safe, and legal overtaking manouvere and being tailgated and flashed by Mr Impatient whilst doing so. I think we all know the sort of drivers were talking about here, without being smart.

No police car, or emergency vehicle would ever tailgate, and sorry but family emergencies do not qualify drivers to break the law. I have a 97 year old family member, so know about 'emergency calls' but I still have to drive the 85 miles to the hospital without speeding or being a pain to other road users.

[Spannerfiend]

Baldric, you have made my day. THAT is just the sort of *** I am talking about. :-)

[Baldric]

It's gotta be down to what we're driving, it doesn't happen when we're out in the Yeti 4x4, having said that with 170bhp under the bonnet that has surprised some ;-)

[Spannerfiend]

Yeah, Baldric, We have a 3.5 litre Nissan which is more than powerful enough, and I don't dither on the roads, (I don't break speed limits very often either because I need my licence), but is it that they want to be ahead, or is it because they are just arrogant?

I really can't get my head round them.

[Svejk]

use your mirrors and don't pull out in front of fast approaching cars. It might be Baldric doing 140mph.

[baza]

never had a speeding ticket, not because I have not been caught but stick to the limits, most tailgaters that I have seen appear to be richards in beamers or reps in vauxhalls, not much to choose between either.

[gina32]

why do people feel the need to do more than the speed limit anyway???

[Baldric]

^^^^ Displays a certain preconceived opinion/prejudice, I'm surprised, but then I suppose Bandwagon Jumping is quite popular at some levels!

[sunny-dave]

Just one question to the "I'm doing the limit so you can wait behind me" brigade

"How accurate is your speedometer?"

I've got a GPS calibrated speedo thingy in my car - it's amazing how many of the "I'm doing 70/60/50/40/30 so you must be speeding" winkers are actually at least 10%-15% under the limit.

And no I don't tailgate them, or flash, but if they ever use their mirror (which is doubtful) then they may lipread some fairly direct comments on their (lack of) legitimate parentage.

[WELSHYORKIE]

The Richards, as baza calls them, that p1ss me off most are the ones who come speeding down the fast lane at silly mph and the cut straight across 3 lanes of traffic to get to a sliproad. 3 times on our last visit to York that happened to us. Oh yes, and the r-soles that fly down the outside lane approaching roadworks where the outside lane is coned off to force their way in - blue tyre smoke must be obligatory in their line of work it seems

[WELSHYORKIE]

lol at S-D - I find the Gareth Hunt coffee beans motion suffices

[baza]

s-d, if my speedo says I am going at 70 on a motorway then as far as I am concerned then 70 is legal, the bloke who mouths off is imo a little childish.

[chrissa1]

Back in the 70's, I was in convoy with my late husband who was driving his Escort Rally Car up to Glasgow.

He was in front of me and we had just overtaken a line of cars on the dual carriageway. Behind me a car had charged up to my back bumper and was flashing at me to move over.

I pulled in and watched as he started to do the same to my husband. After the two of them had overtaken the last car in the inside lane, my husband pulled over, and waited until this guy pulled alongside him.

He then dropped the Escort into 2nd gear and disappeared. The guy was left in the empty outside lane, looking decidedly stupid.

I laughed like a drain as I watched from behind.

[ludwig]

// Does anyone know how their brains work, or indeed, if they even have any? //

No, but obviously the thing to do is slow down and ignore them.