Keep your distance 2

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Mon 10 Nov 2003 20:53
Keep your distance 2 - hillman
Not too long ago I was driving on a local country road, many very steep hills and bad bends. Business drivers tend to think that they are at Brands Hatch and invulnerable. The morning was misty.
I'm not a fast driver, and very unsettled by tailgating. At one bend I had to stop to let through a Land Rover, causing a bit of a queue to form behind me. As we left the corner a green car was too close to me, and a black car was much too close to him. How do I know in the mist? They were that close.
On a straight stretch I accelerated to open up a gap, to perhaps 40 mph, the limit of my vision. Then I saw about eight or ten Mallard ducks walking accross the road in single file. I did a quick deceleration to avoid having ducks through the windscreen. Fortunately they started running and I just missed them. I accelerated again to avoid being shunted. Looking back I saw the two following cars had stopped at an angle to the road.
Comments please, would you have gone back and lectured them, or do what I did?
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Mon 10 Nov 2003 21:35
Keep your distance 2 - Bromptonaut
Don't allow the clowns to intimidate you into accelerating to a speed where you feel vulnerable. The ducks could have been straying cattle, horses or even a slow moving and unlit farm vehicle

Best to leave the clowns splayed across the road, if they are stupid enough to drive that close in fog they probably don't master on informed debate!
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Mon 10 Nov 2003 23:19
Keep your distance 2 - jc33
I agree with Simon. I am regularly tailgated by people, especially in 30 zones where I seem to be the only person who sticks to the limit. I have been over-taken in 30 zones several times by people too foolish to realise what would happen if a kid ran out. I know I sound like I'm 85 but I'm actually 26 and drive what some would consider a bit of a 'rude-boy's' car (a fast focus). There's nothing quite like blowing them away as soon as the de-restricted zone comes along to make you feel better though. Childish but fun.
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Tue 11 Nov 2003 12:58
Keep your distance 2 - runboy
jc33
What I find is that a lot of people who are annoyed at you sticking to the 20 or 30mph limits, and then overtake will then drive at around 40mph-even in the 60mph zones. They just go along at 40mph, into 20, 30, 60mph zones. No change in speed.
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Tue 11 Nov 2003 13:07
Keep your distance 2 - jc33
runboy,

Absolutley. Another annoying habit I have encountered. To me it signifies a general lack of awareness, consideration and concentration as to what is going on around them.
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Tue 11 Nov 2003 13:12
Keep your distance 2 - Mike H
You did the right thing. I would take an educated guess that they would not have appreciated your observations on their driving! Few people can take constructive comments on their driving in the spirit in which they are intended.

My tactic when tailgated is simple - find a convenient place to pull off road to the nearside, move off road, let them scream ahead. Nine times out of ten they have overtaken as soon as you signal but before you've completed the manoeuvre, so you don't actually need to pull off the road.
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Tue 11 Nov 2003 13:16
Keep your distance 2 - Garethj
Tailgating can be intimidating, sounds like the two folloing you weren't really invincible!

Worth reporting it to the police as you were a witness, even though you didn't stop. They might need a statement for traffic conditions etc.

Gareth
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