BOOS Hurting Us

[Moi]

I can't remember whether I either read it or heard it, as on a video, as to why people tailgate: it's because so far the technology has saved their bacon. The day it doesn't is the day they begin to think about following distances.

Actually, it might have been Russ of Roadcraft Nottingham in one of his videos about braking...

When the tailgating is done by someone attempting to force the vehicle in front to go faster or to prevent someone from merging safely, then it's a form of intimidation, a form of bullying...

[george formby]

I can't remember whether I either read it or heard it, as on a video, as to why people tailgate: it's because so far the technology has saved their bacon. The day it doesn't is the day they begin to think about following distances.

Actually, it might have been Russ of Roadcraft Nottingham in one of his videos about braking...

When the tailgating is done by someone attempting to force the vehicle in front to go faster or to prevent someone from merging safely, then it's a form of intimidation, a form of bullying...

Yup, I see that quite often. Usually someone in a Ford Ranger, Audi Panzerwagen or something of that ilk up someones grandma's chuff. People get emotional behind the wheel.
Mind you, here in Un Zud we all have the God given right to use the road exactly as we please coz we paid for it. When I see a lilac Honda Jazz holding up double trailer logging trucks I do wonder about the drivers level of awareness.

[granstar]

I can't remember whether I either read it or heard it, as on a video, as to why people tailgate: it's because so far the technology has saved their bacon. The day it doesn't is the day they begin to think about following distances.


When the tailgating is done by someone attempting to force the vehicle in front to go faster or to prevent someone from merging safely, then it's a form of intimidation, a form of bullying...

When I passenger with the wife, I'm under the dash as she is bad at following a bit too close to stop in an emergency. Her modern white Hiundy (see it-avoid it) seems to have given her too much confidence, it was better when we owned a poor wee mini and you had to deliberately keep a lot of distance in order to stop due to shit brakes, my old Triumph mc being similar with state of art quality English made Lockheed brakes, shjeezsh! how do airplanes stop in the wet?

So reminder hints to maintain an open road stopping distance relative to speed to SWCBT as being a very risky business as one may die in that process, but then the way she drives we are all going to die, I take the best solution, and that is ride the bike instead. Often maintain a safe following speed there a minority that take that gap as an excuse to dangerously pass and cut you off (often no indication) .

To add to the tailgate brigade, there is an element out there that are either blind and simply cannot judge distance, or perhaps think that their modern choice of transit has enough power and at Give Ways pull out in front of your approaching motorcycle. Happens so often it gets predictable and always watch for this ready to reduce speed to allow them to potter on ahead as traffic behind builds up. Driver impatience for the sake of a few moments wait for a gap to safely pull out.

[Viking01]

I can't remember whether I either read it or heard it, as on a video, as to why people tailgate: it's because so far the technology has saved their bacon. The day it doesn't is the day they begin to think about following distances.
......
When the tailgating is done by someone attempting to force the vehicle in front to go faster or to prevent someone from merging safely, then it's a form of intimidation, a form of bullying...

Well, the last few posts have been a little bit of a revelation.
Goes to show that you're never too old to learn.

Here was I thinking that they were simply trying to slipstream
and to improve their fuel economy ..... 8-)

And obviously the closer, the better. Think of all the fuel that
could be saved.

I have to admit that I was starting to feel a little selfish (?),
maintaining my usual much larger following distance and not
doing my bit for fuel economy.

But now that I know otherwise, I feel much better. And safer.


And it has helped explain the occasional headlight-flash behind.

Here was I thinking they were simply telling me "that I could close
up even more and improve my fuel economy further", when in fact
they were just telling me to "stop driving defensively and just get
the f#$% out of the way" ...... 8-(

Well, that was a disappointment. Guess you can't please everyone.

But in hindsight, it's probably just as well that when I waved my
thanks to them, it was with a full complement of fingers.

Cheers,
Viking

[george formby]

That may be the "paranoid flash". If they are gesticulating at the same time it means one of your wheels has fallen off and you need to pull over immediately so they can get past. Deceitful but effective.

Caveat- only effective on slow drivers who have their mirror pointing the right way.

[russd7]

explain that in our terms as i heard you were from gore and only had three fingers.

fark, that was a seriously low blow, we don't need that sort down here in sunny southland

[russd7]

Well, the last few posts have been a little bit of a revelation.
Goes to show that you're never too old to learn.

Here was I thinking that they were simply trying to slipstream
and to improve their fuel economy ..... 8-)

And obviously the closer, the better. Think of all the fuel that
could be saved.

Cheers,
Viking

i remember as a young fella back in te early eighties and i was riding along on my XR 2 fiddy riding the slipstream of a truck, was sitting on 80km (speed limit back then) on about 1/4 throttle and i decided to pass said truck, why wouldn't i, the bike was only on 1/4 throttle, heaps to spare, so the road was clear and i pulled out in to a head wind and damned near got blown back wards, of course being pig headed i was going to pass that truck and i did but by hell it took a lot of road to do so. have never forgotten that

[BMWST?]

I think that a very large portion of commuters are not actually DRIVING at all.They have no interest in the art of driving.It is merely something that is required to get oneself hither and yon.Modern cars make this even worse as there are gizmos and whistles that promote entertainment ,let alone smartphones etc.But the real problem is a large contingent do not drive...they are passengers.They see no further in fron than the car in front.They have no anticipation or forsight.They dont look.I saw a double nose to tail the other day.I was in outside lane these two cars were in lanes 1 and 2.Lane 1 had road works so lane 1 had to merge with lane 2.i saw brakelights so i throttled off,these two kept going the same speed.I braked to let lane 2 in front of me but it was too late she piled into the back of her lane 2 at the same time lane 1 piled into the car in front.I stopped because my lane was now blocked,and someone piled into the back of me(i was in the car) The whole thing was unfolding for seconds before i slowed but these two seemed to completely unaware that cars were braking ahead of them (brakelight city)

[rastuscat]

Popped through to Akaroa through the week. A friend was going for a ride, so I went too. I don't normally go there, it's all a bit passe.

The reflection I have from the ride, and the other riders we encountered, is that we are lucky not to be killing more people. I know each death is a tragedy, but some of the riding that goes on day after day is simply suicidal.

Maybe we should celebrate the numbers, instead of bemoaning them.

[AllanB]

Popped through to Akaroa through the week. A friend was going for a ride, so I went too. I don't normally go there, it's all a bit passe.

The reflection I have from the ride, and the other riders we encountered, is that we are lucky not to be killing more people. I know each death is a tragedy, but some of the riding that goes on day after day is simply suicidal.

Maybe we should celebrate the numbers, instead of bemoaning them.

Ironically as the years pass and my motorcycles improved I've found the road surface on that hill has degraded.... not surprising with the volume of traffic it gets now. Plus my self preservation must have altered as there are patches I'd have passed a car 20-30 years back on a obviously less competent bike that I wouldn't consider pulling out now.

Side note - statistically NZ kills more people swimming in rivers and the ocean every year than on motorcycles .....

[Daffyd]

[QUOTE=release_the_bees;1131083614]

Not that it's a bad thing, but I find myself constantly riding with at least a four to six second gap in front of me, so that I never have to panic brake and risk being flattened by the vehicle following too closely behind.
[QUOTE]

Doesn't work here... a four to six second gap will be filled with impatient drivers/riders before you can say, "1, 2, 3, Cock Robinson!"

[ellipsis]

That's my biggest frustration with the driving population in general. It's no exaggeration to say that 90%+ of those on the road are following too closely to the vehicle in front, and don't even get me started about wet weather following distances.

Not that it's a bad thing, but I find myself constantly riding with at least a four to six second gap in front of me, so that I never have to panic brake and risk being flattened by the vehicle following too closely behind.

During the morning commute, it's not really even an option to let the tailgater past, because they're just replaced by another tailgater - there's an endless stream of them! One morning, it was raining, so I maintained a four second gap. In the lane next to me, my four second gap was populated by three vehicles. No wonder there's so many multiple vehicle nose to tails - in fact it's amazing that there isn't more of them.

...+2...there are other almost, national traits, but 'safe following distance' seems to be one that they don't seem to have put much thought into...possibly the first to report a bunch of 'crazy' motorcyclists to ..whoever...it's why I stay at home more these days, grey and colder days are not too far off in the future, thank fuck...

[rastuscat]

[QUOTE=Daffyd;1131084822][QUOTE=release_the_bees;1131083614]

Not that it's a bad thing, but I find myself constantly riding with at least a four to six second gap in front of me, so that I never have to panic brake and risk being flattened by the vehicle following too closely behind.

Doesn't work here... a four to six second gap will be filled with impatient drivers/riders before you can say, "1, 2, 3, Cock Robinson!"

That's the justification for following too close that everyone uses.

"If I leave a gap someone will fill it"

So what? Someone you don't know, driving a car you'll never see again, takes the space ahead of you.

Here's a novel idea. Let the knob have that space, and take your safety back by giving the knob 2 seconds gap behind him.

I challenge everyone who attends my courses to leave a 2 second gap all day and count the number of cars that steal your gap. It's never as bad as you'd think.

And the benefit of following too close (
Protecting your space) doesn't justify sacrificing the benefits of leaving a 2 second gap.

[Daffyd]

Of course I agree... I was just stating what happens here.

[caspernz]

[QUOTE=rastuscat;1131085022][QUOTE=Daffyd;1131084822]

Not that it's a bad thing, but I find myself constantly riding with at least a four to six second gap in front of me, so that I never have to panic brake and risk being flattened by the vehicle following too closely behind.


That's the justification for following too close that everyone uses.

"If I leave a gap someone will fill it"

So what? Someone you don't know, driving a car you'll never see again, takes the space ahead of you.

Here's a novel idea. Let the knob have that space, and take your safety back by giving the knob 2 seconds gap behind him.

I challenge everyone who attends my courses to leave a 2 second gap all day and count the number of cars that steal your gap. It's never as bad as you'd think.

And the benefit of following too close (
Protecting your space) doesn't justify sacrificing the benefits of leaving a 2 second gap.

No argument from me RC, a safe following distance is the best form of insurance a motorist can give themselves. It's really just an attitude

A motivational speaker called Dennis Waitley called the road rage/tailgate phenomenon "surrendering your life to stranger" and he wasn't far wrong me thinks.

Plenty of wannabe truckers have the "I can never leave a decent gap in front of me or some tosser will drive into it" speech down pat. When you actually make a habit of leaving 4 to 6 seconds in front of the rig, it turns out that yeah on occasion some Richard Cranium will dive into it, yet for the most part the drive just becomes a lot more chilled out. But hey, what would I know? Still learning...