# 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:** 9
**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 11, 2002, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/161 "2002-12-11T20:59:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cainxinth \* > \*\*First there is nothing unsafe about driving half a car length behind someone. Haven’t you ever been in traffic? \*\* What do you mean by traffic? Most highways around here the speed limit is at least 55 sometimes 60. If you are driving 55 and half a car length behind someone then yes, it is unsafe. If they have to stop quickly for any reason you will most likely hit them. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/162 "2002-12-11T21:02:59Z")
I mean 65 mph highway semi-packed with cars moving along at around 65 mph. More often than not your going to spend some time close to the car ahead of you. A full car length is the best you could hope for. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/163 "2002-12-11T21:04:23Z")
> [@](#): > > How about I hit you with a clue stick, not-so sparky- Utah is not the only state, I am speakin gof the knowledge I have from my state, there are 49 OTHER STATES IN THE UNION, Utah laws don’t apply over the entire US of A. > > How about you not make sweeping generalizations of what states call their outermost lane, I and will avoid making generalizations about laws regarding them, huh? Sound better, not-so-sparky? Hey dummy, let me quote myself from this very thread since you are having a hard time keeping up here. > [@](#): > > I am speaking from the knowledge I have about the State where I live > [@](#): > > If you don’t, you could get a ticket (at least in my State). I made myself more than perfectly clear that I was only referring to my State. If you are going to throw my argument back at me, at least try to make a little sense and relevance. As soon as you have that mastered, you might want to take a course in reading comprehension and retention. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/164 "2002-12-11T21:05:49Z")
**cainxinth** , I hope you never have to find this out the hard way, but tailgating, even for brief stretches, **IS** dangerous. Animals can run out into the road without warning. The guy ahead of you may have to brake if there’s debris in the road (for example, junk falling out of someone’s pickup truck). If you are not maintaining that safe clear distance, you are a hazard to yourself and others around you. This can be an expensive lesson, as it was to the pickup driver who could not adjust to the concept that I might want to signal and make a left turn on a country road. He was following too closely and rammed into me, pushing us both off into a ditch. He just couldn’t believe that the cop would cite him for failing to maintain a safe following distance, and that he would be paying a fine and higher insurance rates. Sometimes, if it’s possible, I will signal and pull over as far as I can to allow the idiots to pass (it takes them awhile to figure out the gesture, then they gun it on past). They can speed and total their vehicle on a deer running into the road, or whatever fool situation they want to get into. Ultimately, it’s not worth playing games with morons. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/165 "2002-12-11T21:11:45Z")
Hey now, I never tailgate for “stretches,” moments is more like it. Just a quick hello to thick headed drivers. And, never on country roads. I’m not advocating tailgating in general, just in once specific instance - slow drivers in fast lane that don’t respond to less direct hints. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/166 "2002-12-11T21:25:51Z")
Does anyone wonder how vehicular tailgaters negotiate while walking on a crowded sidewalk if they want to go around the person walking ahead of them? What do they do, goose the slower walker with an umbrella? Repeatedly flash a viciously bright strobe light on the back of the walker’s head? Hopefully their pedestrian manners are better than their road manners; there are a lot more opportunities to get punched out when one is not locked safely inside a car. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/167 "2002-12-11T22:14:18Z")
**cainxinth** , I’ve seen deer run out into traffic moving at 55 miles per hour. If you’re half a car length behind me, the laws of physics say you do not have time to stop before you collide with me, and I may not have time to swerve. As a rule, if I see someone tailgating me and I’m not in the slow lane, I’ll pull over at the earliest opportunity. Since I do like space around me, I’ve noticed that my definition of a reasonable-sized gap may not match that of the person tailgating me, and I have no objection to that person taking it instead. If I am in the slow lane, unless I realize I’m running below the speed limit in safe conditions, I’ll probably make a “back off” gesture (hand up, palm facing forward, and moving back). If I am running at or below the speed limit, I’ll speed up. I’m afraid when people flash their lights at me, I sometimes get obnoxious. This means if I’m trying to pass someone, I’m going to take a bit more time about it, or I might cut my speed a bit. I don’t do this regularly, but I’m human enough to have bad moods. I also tend to dislike people who are out to endanger my life or my money (as in cost me money for a speeding ticket) for their convenience. One question for those arguing in favor of tailgating. If you’re tailgating me to get me to pick up speed and I wind up going so high above the limit I get ticketed, will you pay for my speeding ticket? If not, please back off. I’d also like to read more input on speeding on roads with a single lane in each direction since that’s where I’ve encountered my most obnoxious cases of tailgating. CJ ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/168 "2002-12-11T22:23:50Z")
> [@](#): > > One question for those arguing in favor of tailgating. Just speaking for myself, I would just like to clarify that nowhere in this thread have I argued in favor of tailgating. I just made a statement that you should get the hell out of the passing lane when someone comes up behind you, that it is dangerous to drive slower than the flow of traffic, and that no one died and made some of you traffic cop (unless of course you really are a traffic cop). ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/169 "2002-12-11T22:45:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/170 "2002-12-11T23:11:22Z")
**Diane** will you pay my speeding ticket if I can’t get over fast enough for you and the policeman waiting by the side of the road? I’ll drive as fast as I consider prudent, and that’s not slow. Also, I have every intention of passing the person going 5 or 10 miles slower than the speed limit, but I’m not going 20 mph faster to do it. As I said to a co-worker once, “I won’t break the law for you.” Please, give me about 10 seconds, and deal with it. CJ ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/171 "2002-12-11T23:30:20Z")
All of these tailgating idiots should commute by motorcycle in a large city for about a year, it makes you an aware, defensive driver. unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/172 "2002-12-11T23:30:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cjhoworth \* > **Diane will you pay my speeding ticket if I can’t get over fast enough for you and the policeman waiting by the side of the road?** I’d wager that 99.99999% of the time the policeman will pull over the tailgater and not you in that scenario. > [@](#): > > \*\* I’ll drive as fast as I consider prudent, and that’s not slow. Also, I have every intention of passing the person going 5 or 10 miles slower than the speed limit, but I’m not going 20 mph faster to do it. As I said to a co-worker once, “I won’t break the law for you.” Please, give me about 10 seconds, and deal with it. > CJ \*\* If I’m going 20mph over the speed limit in the fast lane, and you know you won’t go 20 mph faster to pass the slower car in front of you, why can’t **you** give **me** about 10 seconds to pass by instead of pulling in front of me? This is a big problem during my commute: Me in the fast lane with nobody behind me\*, car in the lane next to the fast lane decides to pass the slower car, and pulls DIRECTLY in front of me to do so, never altering their speed. In this situation, I would expect you to **wait** until I’m past you before pulling into my lane. This happens ten, maybe twenty times each way during my morning and evening commute. \*perfectly legal in California - the frequently-posted rule is “Slower Traffic Keep Right” - in this case, I am not slower traffic. Unless someone is coming up behind me, in which case, see above. ---
**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 11, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/173 "2002-12-11T23:56:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cainxinth \* > \*\*I mean 65 mph highway semi-packed with cars moving along at around 65 mph. More often than not your going to spend some time close to the car ahead of you. A full car length is the best you could hope for. \*\* No. I have never been in that situation. When I am on the highway going 65 mph I maintain a safe distance from the car in front of me. As **UncleBill** pointed out one car length is far from a safe distance. The only reason to be that close to the car in front of you is if you are trying to keep people from getting in front of you. And that is dangerous too. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/174 "2002-12-12T01:09:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Diane will you pay my speeding ticket if I can’t get over fast enough for you and the policeman waiting by the side of the road? Ummmm, lemme think about it. . . . Uhhhhhhhhh, noooooooooooooooooooo. If you are driving in Utah and a cop sees a car or a line of cars behind you in the passing lane and you do not move over to let them pass, why the hell would I pay for a ticket that you rightly deserved? It isn’t me breaking the law, it is you. Oh, in case you missed it the first thousand times I DIDN’T say it, I have not once argued for tailgating nor have I said I will tailgate you if you don’t move over. AGAIN - if you are driving in the passing lane or holding up traffic, either step on the fucking gas or get your ass out of the way. And again, again, depending on the situation YOU may be the one who gets the ticket for not moving your ass out of the way. Simple, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/175 "2002-12-12T05:38:17Z")
Uniclitoris- How am I dangerous? Oh, slamming on my breaks when people tailgate me. Whatever. Diane- Your only recourse is to insult my typos and misspellings? Yeah, you are such the intellectual superior. Also, I may note that I am not talking about people driving way under the speed limit. Like I said, I only get in the way of people that are tailgating me. I drive over the speed limit myself (bad epimetheus), I don’t tailgate though, and I don’t make up bullshit justifications saying that the people driving the speed limit or with the flow of traffic is in the wrong. I am in the wrong, so I slow down and wait, not be a complete bitch about it. As for your precious laws- I said it before, but apparently you don’t grasp the concept. Your law does not mean the fastest person on the road has the right of way. It keeps slow (i.e under the speed of the rest of traffic) people from blocking the lane. Not to let people justify speeding insane amounts. The speedlimit trumps that law. But think what you want, apparently you are the one lacking common sense and reading comprehension. And I know you said in your state, I was giving the example of what it is in my state, you took it to mean I thought it was everywhere. Your reading comprehension skills. I was paroding your statement, understand that? No, perhaps I can spell it out if not. Let me know, ok little one? You going to play my editor now? Or are you going to actually raise some points rather than repeating the same thing over and over. \*excluded middle fallacy, we are obviously not discussing people going slower than traffic around them, but speeders that turn into tailgaters because they think they have the right of way. (by the way, child, licsence plate was a mispelling of Licence plate, I know figuring these things out is so hard for you…) Go ahead and set up some more straw men. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/176 "2002-12-12T05:48:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diane \* > \*\*(“i” before “e” except after “c” and all that jazz) right of way" is a reality. I am so glad you are my personal editor and english/grammar teacher, joy joy. How about these words then, huh? - vein, science, Einstein, sufficient, neither, weird Perhaps you would like to shed some light on this. I know it is a hijack, but since you detracted from your statements enough to show me proper grammar, it shouldn’t be much of a problem, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/177 "2002-12-12T06:25:52Z")
> [@](#): > > How about these words then, huh? - Please explain how on your planet your misspelled word has jackshit to do with the exceptions to the “i” before “e” except after “c” rule? BTW, I only brought it to your attention because you looked like a little fucking idiot bolding a word that you continuously misspelled, but whatever, look even more stupid if it turns your crank. > [@](#): > > And I know you said in your state, I was giving the example of what it is in my state, you took it to mean I thought it was everywhere. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we? You wrote (just one example): > [@](#): > > If I am in the fast lane on a highway where the SL is 65, and I am doing 70, I will not get a ticket for impeding traffic, that is a big fucking lie and a myth. You will get a ticket for tailgating me, and driving recklessly. No, it is not a big fucking lie and a myth. It is reality. If you read your entire post, it certainly does appear that you are implying Missouri law applies everywhere. > [@](#): > > by the way, child, licsence plate was a mispelling of Licence plate, I know figuring these things out is so hard for you…) Well no fucking shit, Sherlock. May I be the first to “WHOOOSH” you? BTW, you still spelled it wrong. “License” with an “s”. > [@](#): > > Go ahead and set up some more straw men. Nice try. I have responded to each and everyone of your asinine comments straightforwardly. Don’t like it? Maybe you could place me under one of your makebelieve citizen’s arrests or something. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/178 "2002-12-12T06:29:19Z")
Oh, and please keep calling me “child”. At 40 years old, it makes me feel all young again and even a little bit tingly. I could almost be talked into to turning a fucking cartwheel. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/179 "2002-12-12T06:45:46Z")
I thought people tailgated because: **Homemade fried chicken and potato salad** were better than **cold hotdogs**. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Thrasymachus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thrasymachus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasymachus)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533/180 "2002-12-12T08:32:38Z")
I’ve noticed that quite often on the highways, someone will drive behind me normally for quite a distance, and then speed up and tailgate for a mile or two just before taking their exit. Interesting behavior. Must be a “Woo, I’m getting there faster” mentality or something. Whatever… I think the light at the bottom of the ramp more than compensates for the 1/3 second saved. For the sake of the StraightDope, a quick Google search turned up a fairly well written article on driving psychology: [www.aggressive.drivers.com/papers/](http://www.aggressive.drivers.com/papers/) james-nahl/james-nahl.pdf What has been discussed in this thread seems to fit their “Power Struggle” category of emotionally impaired driving: > [@](#): > > Blocking passing lane, refusing to move over. > Closing the gap to prevent entry. > Threatening or insulting by yelling, gesturing, honking repeatedly. > Tailgating to punish or coerce. > Cutting off to retaliate. > Braking suddenly to retaliate. Ordinarily I chalk up these things to ignorance - it really doesn’t save time or improve anything. But here’s the gem, I believe, in the article: > [@](#): > > Aggressive driving is driving under the influence of impaired emotions, resulting in behavior that imposes one’s own preferred level of risk on others. This is aggressive because it **assumes that others are capable of handling the same risk level, and that one has the right to increase danger for others.** Bolding mine. Still ignorance, but a good explanation for _why_ IMHO. Pretty good read actually, discussing the perception issues that lead to drivers regarding others as “the problem” as well, in spite of themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-tailgate/141533.md?page=10)