Speed limits and tailing drivers

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Fri 6 Aug 2021 08:54
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Kriskris

Hi Everyone,

I am based in NE Scotland and driving for almost five years now. Never had a speeding ticket and would very much like to keep it that way. I am a stickler for speed limits, never underspeed and where safe keep to the top end of the speed limit.

I often find myself in front of a annoyed driver who clearly doesn't appreciate my respect for the speed limit and tries to intimidate me by driving so close that you could mistake it for my trailer. Needless to say I find it unsafe and uncomfortable but I won't budge.

I feel the problem is more acute on 20 mph roads and 50 mph roads.

Generally though I feel as if most drivers know something I don't know and they can speed without facing any consequences. I wish drivers who want to speed do so in a way that's not putting others in danger for merely following the rules.

Any thoughts or suggestions on how to avoid tailing drivers and keep myself and my family safe?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 09:06
Speed limits and tailing drivers - SLO76
Install a camera system and put a sticker on the rear making it clear or just the sticker could be enough to deter.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 9 Aug 2021 07:55
Speed limits and tailing drivers - edlithgow
Install a camera system and put a sticker on the rear making it clear or just the sticker could be enough to deter.

Something like this might help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg00FV9S6is

Probably not compatible with a cat, though. Yet another advantage of running an old car.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 09:08
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Xileno

They may be familiar with the roads and know there are no fixed cameras but that won't stop them getting zapped by a mobile one.

All you can do is make sure you keep a decent distance between you and the car in front, so when you need to slow you've got time to do so slowly which will give the tailgater more time to stop.

There are times when I can detect frustration particularly from vans when I stick to the limit, I appreciate they have their tight delivery schedules to make but I can't run the risk of getting zapped again. So if I'm going too slow then they will have to overtake.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 09:21
Speed limits and tailing drivers - nellyjak

As the OP suggests, I too find it happening more on 20 & 50 mph roads....I'm certainly not driving any slower (but obeying the speed limits in force) so I can only assume that patience is becoming increasingly rare.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 10:48
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Engineer Andy

As the OP suggests, I too find it happening more on 20 & 50 mph roads....I'm certainly not driving any slower (but obeying the speed limits in force) so I can only assume that patience is becoming increasingly rare.

I find the issue is bad on roads - mostly single-lane country trunk roads - that have multiple speed restrictions through (small) villages and hamlets, i.e. from 50/60 down to 30/40 for (say) half a mile or less, then back up again.

Many drivers, including of HGVs and vans, don't like slowing down and regularly tailgate, as do many other impatient drivers who presumably think if you know there's no speed camera or waiting Police/camera van to catch you, you should continue through at the higher speed - especially when the road is clear.

As someone who lives in an area that has lots of accidents involving traffic on such roads hitting vehicles and especially motorbikes/cyclists turning out of (often hidden) side roads, there is a very good reason why such speed limits are introduced.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 09:24
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Andrew-T

I often find myself in front of a annoyed driver who clearly doesn't appreciate my respect for the speed limit and tries to intimidate me by driving so close that you could mistake it for my trailer. Needless to say I find it unsafe and uncomfortable but I won't budge.

You should remember that you are limited to your true speed, not the speed shown on your dash, which will be up to 10% more than that, as they are required to do, to provide a safety margin. Other drivers may realise that, and go up to an indicated 33, as I do. In my experience the automatic roadside signs show true speed.

I've not been caught speeding in almost 60 years either. But there will always be a twitchy driver behind, itching to get past.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 10:02
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Sofa Spud

I keep to speed limits too and so I'm used to being intimidated by tailgaters. They've always been around but the problem seems to be getting worse again these days. Often these tailgaters will drop back when you come up behind a line of slower vehicles in front, but as soon as they clear they'll start tailgating again, as if to make it obvious that you should be breaking the speed limit so that they can go faster.

On one occasion some years ago I was going along a 30 mph stretch within the speed limit, as indeed most people did on that stretch of road. I was being tailgated by an annoyed driver who then overtook me, cut in and slammed on his brakes in front of me.

I can't remember ever finding slower drivers in front annoying enough to make my annoyance obvious to them.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 11:10
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Stackman II

I think that part of the problem with 50 and 20mph limits is that they have often been reduced from NSL or 30mph roads for what might seem arbitrary reasons.

Habitual users of the road may resent the imposition of a lower limit they have safely and legitimately exceeded in the past.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 11:44
Speed limits and tailing drivers - badbusdriver

I'm also in NE Scotland (Peterhead based), so am quite possibly on the same roads!. I cover a fairly wide area as a window cleaner. For the last couple of years now I have stuck fairly close to the limit for my van (classed as an LCV, or light commercial vehicle), which on our predominantly single carriageway roads means 50mph. Assuming you are doing 60mph, I'm sure you can imagine my experiences doing 10mph less!. But I also used to drive buses, and that attracts its own level of idiocy in other drivers, so I've seen most of it and can still scarcely believe some of it!.

There really isn't anything you can do, other than what you are already doing, to keep yourself and your family safe. The rear facing camera is certainly worth getting in case something does actually happen, but I'm not convinced its presence, or a sticker, will stop you from being 'tailgated'.

The only thing I'd suggest is simply to not allow yourself to get distracted or stressed by these other drivers, which I know is easier said than done!. It is all too easy to lose concentration on what is in front of you if you are constantly looking in your mirrors and getting 'het up' about what is happening behind. Focus on your own speed and maintaining a safe distance if there is a car in front of you. Make it as easy as possible to let the tailgaters pass rather than speed up (which can just escalate matters as they will invariably still want to go faster). To this end, move a little closer to the verge to allow them a better view, if you are behind another car leave a bigger gap so they can pass you and slot in (rather than having to pass several cars at once), if they do pull out to pass and you don't consider it safe, lift off the throttle or brake lightly to get them passed.

Ultimately, the best way to deal with tailgaters and keep you and yours safe, is to get them passed you ASAP.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 12:09
Speed limits and tailing drivers - John F

I just ignore them , but at night I activate the rear window blind on my A8 to eliminate dazzle.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 28 Aug 2021 20:13
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Bilboman

"I just ignore them , but at night I activate the rear window blind on my A8 to eliminate dazzle."

I find that dipping the rear view mirror down so that the following driver can't make any kind of eye contact hampers their intimidation tactics tremendously.

Edited by Bilboman on 28/08/2021 at 20:13

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 15:23
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Andrew-T

Habitual users of the road may resent the imposition of a lower limit they have safely and legitimately exceeded in the past.

Absolutely. Until a few years ago the A5104 in NE Wales was NSL for most of 20 miles between Coed Talon and Corwen. That is now all 50, with patches of 40. It is not a busy road, although parts may be of interest to the biker fraternity. It is also 95% rural, so limiting urban pollution isn't a valid explanation. Average-speed cameras appeared soon after the new limits, so I must assume it's a revenue-earning strategy by the Welsh govt.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 18:04
Speed limits and tailing drivers - sammy1

I see nothing wrong in ""cheating" a few miles an hour on a speed limit where it is safe to do so but not in town. Tailgating in town is the norm at slow speeds.

Have you considered slowing down or even pulling over to let other traffic go by if you don't like them driving too close especially on open roads

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 18:30
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Engineer Andy

Habitual users of the road may resent the imposition of a lower limit they have safely and legitimately exceeded in the past.

Absolutely. Until a few years ago the A5104 in NE Wales was NSL for most of 20 miles between Coed Talon and Corwen. That is now all 50, with patches of 40. It is not a busy road, although parts may be of interest to the biker fraternity. It is also 95% rural, so limiting urban pollution isn't a valid explanation. Average-speed cameras appeared soon after the new limits, so I must assume it's a revenue-earning strategy by the Welsh govt.

I agree that some new lower speed limits are daft, and likely imposed because a few locals are very heavy on campaigning despite no appitite from others. Local i****, virtue-signalling politicians and officials just then think that means everyone locally wants it.

I think that some lower speed limits are worth it on a blanket basis in villages, but others are not at all, and some only which should be in place at the times when children are going to/from school.

Unfortunately a lot of lower speed limits are an incorrect reaction to a few i****s who ignore existing speed limits by some margin. In such cases it would be far better to have limits for specific hours and ones covered by average speed cameras. But then that would be more expensive.

Perhaps better driving instruction and more draconian enforcement is in order, especially for new drivers or repeat offenders to stop them driving danergously.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 20:06
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Smileyman

This constant dumbing down in speed limits is a pain, hitherto safe speeds being deemed unsafe far too often ... clearly there is an agenda in play and it is not road safety. Having said this, I do consider side residential roads with lots of cars parked on both sides and lots of pedestrians ought to have a 20mph limit, another idiosyncratic madness of the speed limit setting process.

A few days ago I went to the office for a rare visit, driving home there was someone driving at 10mph below the limit, 40, 50, or NSL. I would usually make better progress by driving at the posted limit, being held up for no good reason was uncomfortable and more stressful than driving at the limit.

It is reasonable that should a motorist feel uncomfortable with the vehicles around they pull to one side to let the road clear until they are more able to be more comfortable again, but of course, limits are enforceable in law, even an incorrectly set limit as once happened on a motorway carries legal force (20mph set in error)

Edited by Smileyman on 06/08/2021 at 20:09

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 6 Aug 2021 22:47
Speed limits and tailing drivers - bathtub tom

The area I live in is destined to have a 20 limit (if the council gets their way). There's no schools in the proposed area and I've entered an objection. There's a 20 limit nearby on roads that I use to get around, with three schools and I can understand that. Local roads nearby have a 20 limit during school arrival and departure times. I'm not impressed by the number of drivers that are determined to get inside my boot while I'm obeying that limit!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Aug 2021 07:39
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Kriskris

Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. I agree, the most effective way may be to let the tailgaters pass by slowing down or even pulling over. I do that sometimes while on country roads where it's easier to let them pass than in cities.

Once I was driving through Aboyne in the Highlands and there is a long stretch of 30 mph road going through the town. I was doing 30 mph exactly and the driver behind me became so agitated that he started not just tailing but waving his hands and erratically accelerating the car dangerously close to me. With two little kids in the back I just did not want to take chances and pulled over to let him go and he raced away like he was on a race track.

Where I live (in Aberdeen) the nearby roads used to be 30 mph speed limit before the pandemic and due to changes in road layouts etc most roads are now 20 mph. Most drivers still do 30 mph anyway.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Aug 2021 08:55
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Will deBeast

I found it a particular problem in my mx-5. I think it's because drivers can see over the top of the car.

I installed a unit which flashes the centre brake light several times before it goes solid. It is remarkably effective - it someone wakes them up, and they tend to drop back.

Subsequent brake applications (within a time period) just bring the centre light on as usual.

It's been on there for at least the last 5 MOTs, so no worries on that score.

I usually run google maps, which shows my real speed. I tend to stick to limits based on that when speedo might be showing 54-ish in a 50.

Edited by Will deBeast on 07/08/2021 at 08:57

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 7 Aug 2021 10:03
Speed limits and tailing drivers - movilogo

Just ignore them - they are not going to hit you. Even if they hit you it will be their fault anyway.

They can't indimate you if you refuse to be intidimated.

Having said that most speedos overestimate speed so your actual speed possibly lower than indicated speed. In my car when speedo shows 55 MPH I am doing 50 MPH as per GPS.

Scotland is so beautiful. In the congested South East England driving at 50 MPH is a dream ;-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 07:41
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Will deBeast

Just ignore them - they are not going to hit you. Even if they hit you it will be their fault anyway....

Except for the one that did.

I was on my motorbike too. My neck still hurts regularly.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 12:18
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Engineer Andy

Just ignore them - they are not going to hit you. Even if they hit you it will be their fault anyway....

Except for the one that did.

I was on my motorbike too. My neck still hurts regularly.

It is indeed often difficult to ignore tailgaters, especially when it's a far larger vehcile within a couple of metres of the back of your car at high speed.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 12:30
Speed limits and tailing drivers - barney100

Seems to me there is more of this sort of thing going on, tailgating, middle lane hogging, flashing lights when you don't do a Lewis Hamilton away from the roundabout etc. Sheer intimidation and never gets caught by the boys in blue, much more profitable getting the fines in.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 12:54
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Andrew-T

Sheer intimidation and never gets caught by the boys in blue, much more profitable getting the fines in.

The problem is that, even assuming that the B-in-B are interested in doing something, that would cause much greater delay and aggro than doing nothing. So that is what they do.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 22:35
Speed limits and tailing drivers - alan1302

Sheer intimidation and never gets caught by the boys in blue, much more profitable getting the fines in.

The problem is that, even assuming that the B-in-B are interested in doing something, that would cause much greater delay and aggro than doing nothing. So that is what they do.

If they were there something would be done - but more often than not they won't be there - the police only have limited resources and policing the roads is nota top priority.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 22:43
Speed limits and tailing drivers - galileo

Sheer intimidation and never gets caught by the boys in blue, much more profitable getting the fines in.

The problem is that, even assuming that the B-in-B are interested in doing something, that would cause much greater delay and aggro than doing nothing. So that is what they do.

There are several reasons why the B-in-B don't deal with tailgaters and other offenders.

1) There aren't anywhere near as many (if any) Traffic cars in the roads, not even as many on M-ways as there used to be. Largely due to it being cheaper to install cameras.

2) If a cop actually pulls an offender over, anything more than a FPN or verbal warning can lead to lots of paperwork, possible need to attend court and sit around waiting for the case to be heard

3) Sentencing guidelines and previous examples of drivers causing life changing injury or death leading to derisory light sentences make them wonder if it is worth the effort.

This is why some cops are demoralised and frustrated by their inability to do a good job. (I have heard from the horse's mouth an instance when senior levels actively discouraged enforcing illegal parking by members of a certain community 'in the interests of social harmony'. Wouldn't put the instruction in writing, of course.)

Edited by galileo on 08/08/2021 at 22:44

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 8 Aug 2021 22:56
Speed limits and tailing drivers - galileo

Here is a n example of ludicrously lenient sentencing of a tailgater who rammed the car in front deliberately.


https://uk.news.yahoo.com/drunk-driver- ... 40334.html

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 9 Aug 2021 07:23
Speed limits and tailing drivers - barney100

The paperwork certainly puts them off, seems like we have to grin and bear it with the tailgaters. Recently I've had my fair share even though I keep up with the limits where possible.Another lot that are on the rise are the weavers, changing lane, cutting people up. Saw one of the large Range Rovers driving like a scene from the terminator on the M40 but to be fair there are many excellent drivers on the roads too.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 9 Aug 2021 08:29
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Cris_on_the_gas

Do what the highway codes advises, let them pass you. Then when they crash you can be their witness in court !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 9 Aug 2021 16:11
Speed limits and tailing drivers - edlithgow

It should be possible to use cameras, possibly including drone mounted cameras, to police this sort of thing quite economically.

They don't seem to have any problem enforcing speed limits with cameras, and a failure to maintain vehicle separation isn't so very much more complicated.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 28 Aug 2021 20:20
Speed limits and tailing drivers - Bilboman

I saw a brilliant response from a car in Spain once, sadly one that we civilians can never hope to emulate. (Not even with one of those programmable rear window mounted LED signs, ahem.) A yobbo in a tuned Seat Leon with a couple of friends on board decided he was king of the road and charged up the backside of a nondescript Fiat Brava millimetres from his back bumper as the two cars headed out of town on a single lane highway which had a 50 km/h limit for the first few hundred metres. The driver activated a pop-up LED sign that suddenly flashed the heart-stopping words GUARDIA CIVIL into the driver's face. The ashen faced driver tailgated no more.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link