# Why Do People Tailgate? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 9, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533 "2002-12-09T16:11:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/261 "2002-12-13T20:21:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blown & Injected \* > I drive modified vehicles, hi-performance everything - even the brakes in my Explorer are not stock. DO NOT presume that I am endangering you are anybody else. With my foot hovering over the brake in my vehicles I will stop faster than anything that I have gotten close to - \*\*you just make sure you are not following me so close that you will hit me if I have to stop/slow. \*\* This is fucking laughable. You’re saying that you can tailgate, but don’t anyone tailgate you. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/262 "2002-12-13T20:26:02Z")
In Conceivable did not say quote above, my bad – In Conceivable, —sorry… but to who ever did say that… ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/263 "2002-12-13T20:38:43Z")
Actually I did say the quote above but I was arguing same thing you are. I am many others manage to drive every day **without** tailgating. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/264 "2002-12-13T20:44:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by In Conceivable \* > \*\*Actually I did say the quote above but I was arguing same thing you are. I am many others manage to drive every day **without** tailgating. \*\* :smack: Ahhhhh okay. LOL I wondered… Onward… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/265 "2002-12-13T21:00:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blown & Injected \* > \*\*BTW Mr. Miskatonic would you care to elaborate on what was lame - try to support your argument Like I said, In Conceivable already covered why. > [@](#): > > Also, when does something become dangerous? > you say 100 times before an accident happens - OK, what about 1000 times before an accident happens. > > Usually at those odds there are modderating variables that can better explain the accident as a chance happening that would have occured regardless of the “other driver” \*\* Don’t try to quiblle numbers and stats with me, a dangerous act is a dangerous act. Tailgating is inviting an accident to happen, just as pointing a loaded gun invites trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/266 "2002-12-13T21:06:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blown & Injected \* > \*\*I drive modified vehicles, hi-performance everything - even the brakes in my Explorer are not stock. DO NOT presume that I am endangering you are anybody else. With my foot hovering over the brake in my vehicles I will stop faster than anything that I have gotten close to - you just make sure you are not following me so close that you will hit me if I have to stop/slow. \*\* This is so fucking stupid it’s unbelievable. Do you live in some fantasy world where the realities of human reaction time don’t exist? I don’t care if your brakes can bring your vehicle from 90 MPH to zero in 1/10,000 of a second. If you’re driving at even 60 MPH and you have less than four or five car lengths between you and the car ahead (and most 'gaters tend to leave maybe two car lengths at best), if the driver of that car slams on the brakes, you are going to hit that car BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN REACT and touch the pedal that activates your wonderful brakes. It’s your reaction time, NOT the quality of your brakes, that will determine whether or not you hit the car in front. So unless you’re a space alien with instantaneous reactions, if you’re tailgating, you are going to slam into that car before you can even move your foot! If you don’t believe me, try this little test that can be done at any time: Get to your normal 'gating distance. Get yourself all ready, foot hovering, hands on the wheel, mind alert, etc. Focus your attention on the pavement just behind the car ahead of you. Now, when the next pothole appears on the road as the car ahead of you clears it, avoid it. Just avoid the pothole. Hit the brakes, swerve, whatever you like. Just do something so that your vehicle doesn’t go over that pothole. I don’t mean avoid having your wheels hit the pothole, you must not cross the pothole with ANY of your vehicle. The analogy here is to being able to avoid hitting that car-sized object ahead of you, i.e. the other car. If you can’t avoid the pothole, you won’t be able to avoid the car in front if it needs to stop suddenly. YOU’RE FOLLOWING TOO DAMN CLOSE! ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/267 "2002-12-13T22:22:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cainxinth \* > \*\*Easy now, you’re obviously one of the jerkwads who likes to cruise the limit in the passing lane. Rest assured if you box me in, ill be more than courteous and careful in getting your attention and letting you know your endangering me by not understanding how to use the highway system. \*\* I told you you wouldn’t understand (or would pretend not to) and I was right. I’m not “one of the jerkwads who likes to cruise the limit in the passing lane,” and assuming I am because I object to you taking the law in your own hands and endangering everyone on the road is like calling me a faggot because I object to gay-bashing. As for not understanding how to use the higway system, I helped **build** that system, and in all of my years at the highway department I never saw anything in our mission statement about enabling wannabe cops to compensate for their tiny penises. I took courses in highway design and read a lot of memos from the people running the department and never heard a word about the importance of “making it easier for **cainxinth** to compensate for his hilariously tiny penis.\*\*” I assure you that the system isn’t designed for people who want to play Dirty Harry so they can get somewhere two minutes faster. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/268 "2002-12-14T01:07:18Z")
Stooping to dick jokes? You must really not like speeders. btw, mrs. scene didn’t have any complaints ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/269 "2002-12-14T01:11:39Z")
Oh brother and I suppose a SPIKE has been driven through the car in front of me pinning it to the road!?!?!? In Conceivable, imthjckaz (read my post, your comment means to me that you obviously did not understand), Mr. Miskatonic, and Roadfood what is fuckin’ laughable is that only your personal feeling seem to mater to you - there is reality You nondriving unaware assholes got to get a clue. I suppose I can claim to have a 600 mph fastball because I can throw a baseball 60mph toward the cockpit of a 747 in flight. Just because the car in front brakes does not mean that it has become immediately stationary (like a pot hole on the road). ::place all the don’t you get it, you are out of your mind eyes here:: As I have said many times already and many of you chumps seem to not get is that I will not follow at 1/2 a car of even one full car length even on a side road traveling at 45 mph. I was just commenting on another poster that made an accurate comment about it not being the totally evil thing that some other posters are making it out to be. enough for now, I’ll be back to try to enlighten those that should be riding the bus after some drinks - AMF ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/270 "2002-12-14T01:44:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Siemsi \* > \*\*Well, if the person being tailgated were smart…he/she would realize that they need to move the hell on over to let the tailgator pass. Duh. > > Kinda like the autobahn…you flash your brights as a signal for someone to move over. In Ohio, people haven’t figured this out yet. So we tailgate (safely) until they get the point. > > Many people are just clueless. If you are being tailgated, and have room, or a lane to move on over, then please for the love of God move the hell over! \*\* (All other posters, please forgive me if I’ve repeated somebody’s post. This was near the top of the first of five pages. I promise I’ll read them all, but I gotta get this off my chest.) To **Siemsi** , tailgate _safely_? Are you kidding. There’s a reason that the movies they show in traffic school (_Blood On The Highway_ and _Signal 30_ are two that come to mind immediately) were produced by the Ohio State Police. The reason is drivers like you who think that it is ever safe to tailgate. Apparently Ohio, with ruler-straight stretches of highway like I-80, has an abundance of idiots with driving licenses. When I was crossing Ohio on that “blood alley” it made no difference if I was travelling at 55 mph in the far right lane. There was always some fool who wanted me to go faster and signified his discontent at my speed by riding my bumper instead of going the hell around. To answer the OP. Some people tailgate because they are ultra-aggressive assholes. Some are stupid enough to think they can actually “stop as fast as he can” when the guy in front hits the brakes in a panic stop. Aggressive or stupid, all tailgaters should be removed from the highways. If you think tailgating is safe, you fall into the stupid category. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/271 "2002-12-14T01:56:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blown & Injected \* > \*\* ::: snip::: I’ll be back to try to enlighten those that should be riding the bus after some drinks - AMF \*\* This is a joke, right? Even if you are drinking water at home, the very manner of this posting in this thread is beyond the pale. Even if you can do what you say and your truck can do what you say, the laws of physics indicate that with everything else equal, the heavier object will be harder to stop and your illusion that your the owner of the best ‘STOPPER’ in the world is not true. Makes no difference. If you attempt to force me to drive beyond the law, you are wrong. if I am not getting out of the lane fast enough to suit you, that is your problem. The laws says for me to move safely. Not your definition, but mine as it relates to my ability and road conditions at that place and time. Fast drivers are smooth drivers, drivers that do not panic the rest of the folks on the road, drivers who move around and past without throwing the rest of the divers into a panic with their insane jerking all over the road, horn honking and light flashing. They hang back an slip past at the first opportunity, they don’t flip the bird, wave fists or guns, they do not do anything to get the less speedy drivers in a snit and calling the law from their cell phones, because one pull-over by the patrol negates all that they had accomplished in the preceding hour or hours and cost $$$$ because they are now going to pay a fine also. You are not a good driver by the very self admitted fact that you are a rude driver. I have heard ( hearsay only) that Richard Petty’s family won’t let him drive on public roads. Although there is no doubt that he is a good driver, he is way to dangerous on the public roads. He will bump people to get them out of the way, move them sideways with his car, all legal things to do at a NACAR track but not so cool on a public road. So, I don’t care how good you are or your vehicle is, if you are doing things to force me to break the law or drive over my abilities, then you , not me needs to be removed from the driving public. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/272 "2002-12-14T05:50:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBill \* > \*\*Human reaction time to visual stimuli while driving: [2.3 sec](http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/vrtc/ca/capubs/IEA2000_ABS51.pdf). > > Speed of car: 55mph = 80.7 ft/sec > > Distance traveled in 2.3 sec: 185.5 ft > > My [car’s](http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/firebird/specs.jsp?source=lnav) length: 193.3 in = 16.1 ft > > Time it takes to travel 1 car length at 55mph = 0.2 sec > Human reaction time (again): 2.3 sec > > I don’t tailgate. \*\* Blown and Injected- You should re-read this. Even if the car in front of you slows down 10mph that is around 8 feet in a second. For you to react in time you would need to be about 18 feet, for you to react in time and actually slow down, two or three times that length. Do the math. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/273 "2002-12-14T07:26:52Z")
Hoo boy. What a shitstorm! In the past year I’ve driven 137,000 miles. Most of it on interstates. The first 57,000 miles were in a Freightliner Century. The rest in a Volvo VN660. I pull 53’ van trailers. With full fuel tanks and an empty trailer I weigh about 34,000 lbs. With the lane I’m on now, I either have 30,000 lbs of freight or 2,200 lbs of empty plastic racks in the trailer. My truck is governed to top out at 67 mph on the level. It takes 388 ft or so for 80,000 lbs of truck/trailer to come to a complete stop from 55 mph. If it’s a 2 lane interstate you’ll usually find me in the right lane. If it’s a 3 laner, I’ll probably be in the middle lane. Especially if there are a lot of exit and entrance ramps off the right lane. I generally drive fast enough to go along with the traffic flow. When I’m on a 2 laner and I approach an exit ramp, I start checking my left mirror and the entrance ramp that is bound to come after the exit ramp so I can get over to the left to allow the merging vehicle to get on. I can’t **SEE** what the vehicle right behind me is doing. I can’t **SEE** a passenger car that is driving next to my doors on either side. The only space I can control is the space between me and the vehicle in front of me. We’re supposed to allow 1 second for every 10 feet of vehicle length and another second if we’re going faster than 45. Well, I like at least 12 seconds in front of me and I really prefer at least a 1/4 mile of space. If I spot you tailgating me, I’ll try to increase the cushion in front of me and hope you’ll just pass me on the left. But if you rear end me, I really don’t care. You won’t hurt me at all. I might not even be aware of you rear ending me. And I wouldn’t be cited for being hit by you. If I’m going to pass a vehicle, I’ll close up the space as I check the left mirrors for an opening. And during stop and go stretches (i-94/80/294 south of gary/chicago) I might creep up to 15 feet of the vehicle in front of me when he’s stopped and I’m crawling. But if it’s rush hour but we’re moving however slowly, I leave about 80 feet or so. If someone changes lane to move into that space, that’s okay, I’ll just back off more. Sooner or later, I’ll get out of there. Yep, I’ve seen tailgaters. Half a car length at freeway speeds? Seen them. The ones I remember the most are the folks zooming along on the left lane, just zipping along and the only speed limit they heed is the speed of the car in the left lane they over take. So they plant themself a half car length behind till the car in front moves over. Then they reaccelerate. Yeah, I’ve found myself in those impatient moods too. You know the ones, where everyone in front of you is just driving too damn slow and won’t get out of your way? That’s when I tell myself, “Dude, it’s not them, it’s you.” and I slow down till I’m falling behind slowly and reset the cruise control. I plan my runs with enough slop that I can get to whereever I’m going 15 minutes later and still make my appointment window. It’s not worth a life. It’s just flipping automotive parts and if I get them there an hour late then they’ll just want them that much more. ---
**Author:** ![Grit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@Grit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/274 "2002-12-14T07:35:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Debaser \* > **ARRgh! Epimetheus and Siemsi I can’t believe you are actually defending going slow in the left hand lane and forcing people to pass you on the right. The left hand lane is the passing lane! If you aren’t passing someone you should move over.** In my daily commute I am quite frequently in a situation where I am in the left hand lane, constantly passing slower vehicles, and still have some S.O.B. that wants to tailgate. I overcome my natural inclination to slam on my brakes and just ignore them. I refuse to let another persons mental incompetence to distract me from my talk radio show 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/275 "2002-12-14T07:49:50Z")
There are two issues being discussed here. Actually, there are more than two, but there are two major ones. For most situations, these two issues are entirely seperate. The one situation for which they are not is the one causing most of the enmity here. Let’s define the issues and the situations in which they apply. I am going to assume for the sake of argument that where safety is in conflict with convenience, anger, or the desire to teach someone a lesson, the safer choice is the correct one. The first issue is tailgating. This is easy to define objectively. Tailgating is following at an unsafe distance. An unsafe distance is any distance such that the following vehicle would be in danger of hitting the leading vehicle if the lead vehicle were to implement an emergency stop. An emergency stop is sudden braking to maximum deceleration until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The second issue is driving “too slowly” . This one is more difficult to define objectively. Many, if not most people, seem to be defining “too slowly” as “slower than me”. This obviously is an unworkable defenition. In a situation in which speeds conflict with one another, if A is driving faster than B, B is going too slow from A’s perspective, and A is going too fast from B’s perspective. Debating such semantics is useless. Better would be to define the situation in terms of relative speed without passing judgement on whose speed is the correct one, and let the safest course of action be the deciding factor. Where safety is not an issue, the most considerate course of action should be considered the correct one. Using these definitions, let’s look at the various situations in which tailgating occurs. 1a. On a two lane rural freeway, one lane going in each direction, vehicle A is driving more slowly than vehicle B. Is vehicle B justified in tailgating? No. So long as car A is driving above the minimum required speed, it has the right to use the road. Vehicle B creates a hazard as soon as it closes to an unsafe distance. Assuming that B wants to pass A, the safest method for doing so begins with following at a safe distance. A vehicle follwing closely behind another vehicle must change lanes into oncoming traffic before and do most of its accelerating there and will spend more of its time in the oncoming lane. A vehicle following at a safe distance has room to begin accelerating in lane before moving into the oncoming lane of traffic, and spends less time there while passing. What should A do? So long as A is driving above the minimum required speed, A has the right to use the road. When B pulls into the oncoming lane to pass, A can slow down a little to make passing easier if there aren’t any more cars behind B waiting to pass. If there are, A should drive at a steady speed, which will enable cars behind to more accurately judge passing rates and distances. If traffic is backing up behind A, it would certainly be courteous of A to pull off to the side to allow the traffic to pass if A can do so safely, but A is under no obligation to do so. 1b. What if vehicle A is driving slower than the legal minimum? Is vehicle B justified in tailgating then? No. Vehicle B isn’t a cop, and isn’t responsible for enforcing traffic laws. What should A do? If A is either incapable or uncomfortable drivng the minumum required speed, A should get off of the road at the first opportunity to do so safely. 1. Divided highway with two or more lanes going in the same direction. Vehicle A is in the right lane. Vehicle B is following. Is vehicle B justified in tailgating? No. There is a passing lane available on the left. Vehicle B should use it to pass vehicle A as soon as it is safe to do so. What should A do? A should drive at whatever speed A is capable and comfortable driving so long as that speed exceeds the minimum required speed. Driving at a speed which is faster than that at which one is capable of safely handling one’s vehcle creates a safety hazard. 1. Divided highway with more than two lanes going in the same direction. Vehicle A is in one of the middle lanes (not the far left nor far right). Vehicle B is in the same lane. Is B justified in tailgaiting A? No. There is a lane to the left available for passing. As soon as traffic allows, B should change lanes and pass on the left. If, for some reason, the lane or lanes to the left are unavailable for passing, B should wait until they clear, following at a safe distance, or pass on the right if B can do so safely (this is the less preferred method, but is legal). If there is not sufficient room to pass on the right or left, it is unlikely that A has sufficient room to safely move out of the way–safely meaning in this case while leaving a safe distance between it and any cars that would be in front or behind should A change lanes. What should A do? A should drive at whatever speed A is capable and comfortable driving so long as that speed exceeds the minimum required speed. Driving at a speed which is faster than that at which one is capable of safely handling one’s vehcle creates a safety hazard. However, if A is getting passed on the right frequently, this would indicate that the polite, perhaps even the safe, thing to do would be to move a lane farther to the right to allow these cars to pass on the left when this can be done safely. 1. A is on a divided highway with two or more lanes going in the same direction, in the left most lane. B is going faster than traffic in the lanes to the right, and faster than A. Is B justified in tailgating? This is the situation that has caused most of the discussion, and it’s really several closely related situations. I’m going to break it down a little. 4a. A is cruising in the far left lane, at the same speed as traffic in the lanes to the right. B is driving faster than A, and wants to pass. What should A do? A shouldn’t be cruising in the left lane in the first place. A should move to the right and allow B to pass as soon as he can do so safely. Is B justified in tailgating? No. B should wait for A to clear the lane or wait for an oppornutity to pass on the right. Tailgating creates the hazard of a rear end collision, and on a busy highway, a chain reaction collision. It also risks escalating the situation, angering A into stomping on his brakes to “teach B a lesson”, or inciting a road rage incident. If B tailgates, what should A do? The safest course of action would be to gradually slow down or speed up enough to get to the right and allow B to pass. Hitting the brakes to back off B risks a rear end collision, a chain reaction collision, causing B to lose control of his car, or a road rage incident. Yes, it would be rewarding B for tailgating, but it is also the safest course of action. 4b. A is behind C. B is behind both of them. A pulls into the left lane to pass C, and B does the same, placing B behind A. B is passing C more slowly than A would like. Is B justified in tailgating A? No, for safety reasons listed above. Also, because A will get past C eventually, and then B can be on his merry way. B should have a little patience. What should A do? A should get past C as quickly as he can do so safely, and get to the right as soon as he can do so safely. If B does choose to tailgate, it may be prudent for A to increase speed a bit to clear the lane faster. Under no circumstance should A hit the brakes or do anything else to teach B a lesson, for safety reasons listed above. 4c. A pulls into the left lane to pass a line of cars or trucks driving more slowly in the lanes to the right. B is passing the same line of trucks, but wants to do so more quickly. Is B justified in tailgating? No, for safety reasons listed above. What should A do? A is entitled to use the passing lane to pass the line of slower moving cars, but it would be prudent and polite to move to the right as soon as A can do so safely and allow B to pass on the left. 1. Some traffic is driving very fast, far above the speed limit and far faster than is safe. A pulls into the left lane and cruises at exactly the speed limit, blocking B from using that lane to pass. Is B justified? No, this is illegal and dangerous. B is not a cop and is not responsible for enforcing traffic laws. Would B be justified in tailgaiting A? No, for safety reasons listed above, and because A is not a cop and should not be trying to enforce the traffic laws. Also, because another’s misbehavior does not justify yours–the whole two wrongs don’t make a right thing we all were told in grade school but only some of us learned. To sum up: A. People shouldn’t drive slowly in the left lane, because this obstructs traffic. B. People shouldn’t tailgate, because this increases the risk of traffic accidents. C. The behavior in A doesn’t justify the behavior in B. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/276 "2002-12-14T08:10:22Z")
Yes, safely and politely… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/277 "2002-12-14T08:20:14Z")
GusNSpot You say I am a rude driver by my admission. Please tell me what I said that gives you that impression. The only time I even get what might be considered slightly rude is when I am forced to deal with extreme brain damage. It seems as though you are not paying attention to my posts - hope you pay more attention to the road! ## Epimetheus quote: Originally posted by UncleBill Human reaction time to visual stimuli while driving: 2.3 sec. 2.3 seconds!!! God damn !!! and holy sheep shit. I must be a fucking alien because that is fuckin’ unbelievable to me! IT IS HOPELESS! - I blame the MVA, there are people that are granted a drivers license that have no business driving ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/278 "2002-12-14T08:23:39Z")
**Number Six:** I don’t think you’ll be able to get the warring sides to agree objectively on what exactly an _unsafe distance_ is. It’s the same problem you recognised with the “too slowly” idea. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/279 "2002-12-14T08:27:04Z")
BTW, when I say might be considered slightly rude means the “other driver” is being extremely rude or incompetent. In any case I am still in control of my vehicle. In control means that I am not in danger of running into the back of the “other driver.” ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2002, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/280 "2002-12-14T08:39:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Epimetheus \* > \*\*Blown and Injected- You should re-read this. Even if the car in front of you slows down 10mph that is around 8 feet in a second. For you to react in time you would need to be about 18 feet, for you to react in time and actually slow down, two or three times that length. Do the math. \*\* " Using this logic, some here might believe that we should draw a circle about 130 yards in diameter with the only one safe and righteous driver in the middle of this circle. Anybody entering this circle is a rude dangerous unbelievable life taking unfit driver it is hopeless should replace “it’s taking longer than we thought.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533.md?page=15)