How to Avoid Tailgaters on the Freeway

I don't know about you but when I'm driving on the freeway, it really frustrates me when I notice someone tailgating me. It happens all the time and I really shouldn't let it get to me so much, but they are putting my life in danger as well as everyone else around me. It has been known that tailgating is the most common reason that motorist get into accidents. For my sanity and yours, here are some things you can do to protect yourself and keep tailgaters at a distance and off your rear bumper.

You can try and pump your brakes to signal to the tailgater that he/she is too close. This is a universal sign with motorists and this usually does the trick. But for some reason the tailgater is not complying, you can try and increase your speed. Some motorists get impatient and frustrated when a car in front of them is going slower than the recommended speed limit and they take their impatience out on you, the car in front of them. Only increase your speed if it is within the speed limit or within 5 mph of the speed limit. You don't want to endanger yourself or others around you by going too fast and risk losing control.

If pumping your brakes or speeding up slightly doesn't work, another alternative is to switch lanes. Switching lanes will allow the tailgater to pass you. If for some reason you can't switch lanes, keep the speed that you are at and wait for an opportunity to switch lanes. The lanes in the far left of the freeway are reserved for faster moving traffic and is an opportunity for motorists to pass, and the lanes in the far right are for slower moving traffic. If you are being tailgated in the far left lanes, the best thing to do is move to the lanes in the far right, reserved for the slower traffic.

Another option would to just simply slow your speed down a little bit. This may cause the tailgater to just switch lanes himself/herself and pass you. With my experience with tailgaters on the freeway, I usually just stay at the current speed and they just pass on their own when the chance arrives. A lot of times I will just simply slow down 1 to 2 mph and that works. But beware, some motorists are really impatient and this may cause them to act out in violence and follow you even closer or cause them to pass you by with a few choice words.

If you find that the route that you are currently taking is a constant source of tailgating, you may want to take another route. There is nothing worse than trying to get somewhere and always having tailgaters on your rear bumper making you feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

If you find yourself in a two lane road and passing in certain areas isn't permissible, the safest thing to do to get a tailgater of your rear bumper is to simply slow down and move over onto the shoulder and let the tailgater pass you. You can wave them pass you which is acceptable in most states.

If you are experiencing a tailgater and there is no other alternative to let them pass, you could always take the first right turn that is available, and just simply resume your route when the tailgater has past.

These are some of the things you can do to avoid tailgaters on the freeway and to help keep yourself and others around you safe.

Resource: http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Tailgaters

Personal Experience