Have you ever encountered stressful tailgaters along the road and experienced the hassle caused by them?
Tailgating is one of the most dangerous practices of reckless drivers on the road, which means that drivers are following a vehicle in front of them too closely. It is an extremely annoying driving habit because it can cause damage to other people’s lives.
Most truck drivers lead to doing this because they run out of time in delivering their products to their intended destinations. But some are just being too impatient.
There are two types of tailgaters. Are you one of these?
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Aggressive tailgaters.
These drivers use their vehicle to intimidate other motorists. They have a clear intention of passing other vehicles. It is like saying: “Get out of my way!”
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Passive tailgaters.
These drivers simply want to get ahead of you, or in some cases, they find pleasure when they see other vehicles in front of them but do not notice they are actually driving too closely.
So what are you going to do if you are being tailgated by other vehicles? Are you going to retaliate the driver? Well, the best possible thing that you can do is to know some safety driving tips.
Tweed Heads Driving School compiled tips on how to deal with tailgaters:
- Burleigh Driver Training School suggests keeping your distance free from any tailgaters. Give yourself enough room to react. A safety cushion can give you an ample time when a truck driver ahead of you is about to park, stop or turn unexpectedly.
- Our Tweed Heads Driving School advises staying alert to changing weather conditions. Increase your space cushion when driving in a bad weather because of the low road perceptibility and freezing conditions.
- Tweed Heads Driving School suggests considering the stopping distance of other large vehicles like a Medium Rigid Bus or a Heavy Rigid Truck as they need more time to manoeuvre and stop.
- Stay calm in situations like this. If you become flustered and stressed, the tendency is you lose focus easily. Give your full attention on the road and drive with utmost care.
- If you are constantly being tailgated on the same road, our Tweed Heads Driving School recommends finding alternative routes. It might be safer for you to drive in an open area. Less vehicle, lest stress.
- If you are just having a short trip, avoid using intersections, highways and other high-speed areas. Tailgating frequently happens on roads with high-speed limits.
- If you feel that you are being tailgated by a reckless driver, try to move to a different lane and let the tailgater pass. It is convenient and safe to pull your truck vehicle on the left side of the road. Use your indicators to let them know what you are going to do.
- If moving your truck on the left side is not an option, increase your following distance from the truck in front of you. Truck drivers should drive at least two seconds behind a vehicle.
- Maintain a lower speed because a tailgater usually wants to get a pass and move along quickly. When you feel that it is safe for them to overtake, give a hand signal and pull your vehicle to the left side of the road.
- Use your rear-view mirrors and side-view mirrors to see the vehicles around you. Sometimes, a tailgater is also doing a hand signal.These are some steps that you can do when you are being tailgated by an irresponsible driver.
Hopefully, these tips will help you reduce the chance of being rear-ended.If you have any tailgating experience before, please don’t hesitate to share your stories with us. Write your stories below.
Tags: Truck Licence Training QLD, Safety Truck Driving Tips, Driving School Tweed Heads
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