I am seeing more people tailgate me nowadays on town roads and act aggressive trying to pass on the right with no margin of safety. Generally I am experiencing it with drivers who can accelerate faster than my car ( 4 cylinder Corolla, 130 horsepower). Also, many drivers go way above speed limit.
I am sure that the big cities have far worse drivers. I am in Maine and it just seems drivers are getting more risk taking. Never have seen so much red light running as I have in recent years. Honestly, I am concerned that I will get my car hit or get caught up in an accident due to the aggressiveness I see,
Austin, If I have a tailgater I try to get them to pass me so they get by me and I can watch them. I stay right unless passing, if you stay “parked” in the left lane you are asking for it.
I see the same in Connecticut but probably more so on highways. Drivers will line up in the passing lane tailgating just too close and drivers will cut and weave to gain one spot in traffic. I can’t understand the angst they put on themselves - but better them than me.
I try to stay in the slow lane - it may take me a few more minutes of travel time, but much less stress.
These people aren’t going to change. I think the best approach is to follow the rules of the road and not antagonize these people, as some may be crazies.
These are county or local town roads, so one lane for each direction. I always keep right on the main highway, like I-295 or state routes, like Rt. 1.
I’ve been telling myself for the longest time to get dash cams. Do they even work at night? That seems to be when the more aggressive drivers come out of the woodwork.
I really, really try to get away from aggressive drivers, albeit changing lanes or yielding to them. My most recent pet peeve is folks who enter traffic circles without yielding to those who are already in the traffic circle. Agree, red light running is totally out of control.
I recommend having a dash Cam that would serve as evidence in the event that one of these aggressive - reckless drivers causes an accident that involves you.
Be aware that if you cause an accident your desk camera video can be used against you.
I obtained both front and rear cameras. I convinced myself that aggressive drivers were more likely to cause accidents than myself. The night images on my Viofo camera are excellent.
Austin, it’s same here in Michigan. I’m 79 and it’s gotten so bad I don’t even enjoy driving anymore. I see idiots everywhere endangering those around them with stupid moves. When did drivers education start teaching to drive one car length behind the car in front of going 80 mph on the expressway? 30 to 50 car pile ups are common here in the winter…just like sheep to the slaughter. I try to stay off the roads these day unless I have a need to get out. Driving in the UP is another story. It’s nice to drive and not ever see a car for miles.
I’d like to see more speed limit enforcement by LEOs. The town I live in ain’t poor. There is money for enforcement. I occasionally see police SUVs parked for radar reading but never on the roads that need some ticket discipline to remind people.
I tell my wife my next car will be a Dave Ramsey special that can do 0 to 60 in no time but will cost pennies on the dollar compared to a new car. It’s getting to the point where I’d love to see self-driving cars everywhere as the software would not have the cars getting too close to other cars in front of them hopefully.
I have adopted the pilot mentality when driving. I do not look in my rearview mirror while driving forward. By the time I notice someone tailgating or flipping me off, I have taken my eyes off of my objective traveling forward and hit something in front of me. Seriously it takes seconds…. So Let Them….
Unless I’m stopped and glance in my rearview and see someone NOT stopping and I need to make evasive maneuvers what is going on behind me is not a priority. Traveling forward safely is !! Getting to live another day is.
If someone “cuts” me off, I assume they’re late or just didn’t see me. I DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME THEY HATE ME AND ARE OUT TO GET ME. I am not a perfect driver and I have been in the wrong lane many times - so I hope people KNOW I am NOT out to get them, just blindly following GPS and oops, wrong lane.
I thought this “no efforcement” of driving laws was only here in So California. I guess it’s nationwide. People can speed, run red lights, tailgate, ride motorcycles on bike trails, have blinding headlights and there is almost no fear of getting a ticket. I believe it might be because of all the shootouts in the past few years. Police don’t want to risk the chance of being shot by some motorist being ticketed.
It is a nation wide epidemic. It is so rude for someone to invade my space and risk MY safety.. Yes I stay out of the left lane. But on interstate I stay in the middle lane and let the speeders as fast as they want. If I am through traffic I stay in the middle so I am not inhibited by people merging. If being tailgated I just slowly slow down. Then the tailgaters get stuck behind me. If I am in the left lane and get flashed by lights that is a NO No. I slow down until they inevitably pass me on the right. BECAUSE if I try to move over I am likely to get clipped by them passing me on the right. Never said I was perfect. If I let them bully me over they will just do it to the next person who gets in their way.
I DO try to stay out of the passing lane. But what irks me is when I move over to let someone merge from the right exit. Into the left lane and some idiot zooms right up on my bumper. They saw what I was doing but they DO NOT CARE. Just so they get someone 30 seconds quicker.
If you are in the left lane and not passing, YOU are in the wrong. If you are worried about getting “clipped” (that’s just an excuse) trying to move back to the right just do it slowly. Right signal on and move to right. The key to this is don’t just stay in the left lane if you’re not passing, then you don’t have to worry about being “clipped”. It should be a habit, pass and move back right.
I DO NOT STAY IN THE LEFT LANE EXCEPT TO PASS. Its not a safe place to be. Getting clipped is not an excuse; it can happen when the tailgater sweeps around me in a usual hurry. Hell I even get in the far right lane so trucks restricted from the left lane CAN pass in the middle. How about them apples? Some states have laws that ticket you if you stay in the left lane. So you think its okay to flash your lights when you know I am doing my best to pass and move over. I DO move over but flashing lights is just RUDE.
While this is very true, i invite you to drive on I-70 between St Louis and Kansas City - the right lane is in such crappy shape that a lot of people will drive in teh left lane to avoid being shaken apart. Of course, if one does that, they need to stay vigilant about people approaching from behind and move over - but sometimes hanging out in the left lane is about the only way to make a trip. It’s so bad that when my ex came back from a trip to South Carolina, she opted to take I44 to Springfield and then north on 49 to avoid it all.
If I am in the left lane and get flashed by lights that is a NO No. I slow down until they inevitably pass me on the right. BECAUSE if I try to move over I am likely to get clipped by them passing me on the right. Never said I was perfect.