needs some ideas for an anti-tailgating device

[Mike Henderson]

The best thing to do with tailgaters is to pull over and let them go by - even if you're driving the speed limit. On a one lane highway, I've waited until there was a place to pull off to the side - then I signaled for a turn, pulled over, and let them go. I'm not a cop - I don't enforce no tailgating laws - and I don't want to get into a road rage incident. Let it go - cool it - get out of their way.

In Germany, the person coming behind you will flash their lights and the driver ahead gets over. In the US, I've seen people slow down and refuse to get over just because someone flashed their lights.

Mike

[Rick Moyer]

Needless to say I was not thinking about the kind of tailgaters you are refering to and could not imagine why you had against tailgaters (the kind that get together at football games, ect. Very popular around here). But now I get it LOL.

I was reading it the same way, Robert. Thought he may have lived right beside a stadium! Let's not go to Robert's house and drink and grill! Lol.

[Rick Moyer]

I meant Brian's house.duh.

[Gary Yoder]

The best thing to do with tailgaters is to pull over and let them go by - even if you're driving the speed limit. On a one lane highway, I've waited until there was a place to pull off to the side - then I signaled for a turn, pulled over, and let them go. I'm not a cop - I don't enforce no tailgating laws - and I don't want to get into a road rage incident. Let it go - cool it - get out of their way.

In Germany, the person coming behind you will flash their lights and the driver ahead gets over. In the US, I've seen people slow down and refuse to get over just because someone flashed their lights.

Mike

+1

What is it about us Americans that have to "win", while we're driving? Trust me, my first 5 years of driving..... not proud of.... Then I found myself rushing my wife to the hospital to have her baby and I'm tailgaiting, not really in the mood to have mean jokes played on me..

[Michael Weber]

I used to own a Toyota Diesel pickup (loved that truck) and one of my former hobbies was making neon "art". I made a "YO" sign for the middle of the white lettering on the tailgate I could turn on with a switch in the cab. Not particularly for tailgaters but it did encourage them to back off if I turned it on. It was a good natured way of letting folks know I was aware they were close. Got a few smiles and waves along the way.

[Brian Henderson]

It's easy. When someone gets on your tail, take your foot off the gas. Slow down. Don't speed up again until they either back off or go around you. Then wave and smile and take off again. Works every time.

[ken masoumi]

+1 to Brian,I also tap on the brakes lightly so the brake lights come on for a fraction of a second,it'll get their attention,if you are going the speed limit ,this act is not endangering anyone and it's perfectly legal although you might middle finger salute ,I just wave with a smile.
I have noticed ever since I started driving my 2 door Honda civic,I'm hardly tailgated,but when I drove my big Chrysler LHS I used to get that almost daily.

[Fred Belknap]

Back in the days I rode motorcycles I kept a few small gravel in my coat pocket, just drop them on the pavement.

[John Coloccia]

In Germany, the person coming behind you will flash their lights and the driver ahead gets over. In the US, I've seen people slow down and refuse to get over just because someone flashed their lights.

Mike

Only if it looks like you're about to run them over. It's a strange sort of etiquette they have. If you just get behind them and flash, they ignore you like, "I see you flashing, but there's really no reason for me to move." But if you come storming down the road about to hit them, and flash, they will very politely and efficiently move over. I just kind of learned to put it in 6th gear, keep it floored, flash and hope. Most people were smart enough to move for the 135MPH Mercedes.

[Brian Elfert]

The tailgaters I hate are the ones who sit on your bumper even though the road has multiple lanes in the same direction and they could just move over to the empty left lane. Most of the time they are not exiting right away.

I see my fair share of crazy driving as I now commute quite a few miles each way on the interstate.

[Myk Rian]

How about a bumper sticker?

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[Lee Schierer]

I saw a bumper sticker that says: "Warning, Do Not Tailgate I chew and spit"

[Brian Henderson]

The tailgaters I hate are the ones who sit on your bumper even though the road has multiple lanes in the same direction and they could just move over to the empty left lane. Most of the time they are not exiting right away.

I see my fair share of crazy driving as I now commute quite a few miles each way on the interstate.

Exactly. There are a lot of people who just want you go to faster, they don't want to go around, they think they can force you to speed up because they're special. That's why I slow down. I've had people sit there and honk at me, even though they could easily go around. It just makes me laugh.

[Brian Ashton]

Well I think I have a plan. Thx to those that gave me some good ideas. I'll install a window washing tank and pump in the trunk with a push button switch on the dash. Fill it with either WD40 or engine cleaner. Run a hose to the back end of the catalytic converter and when someone gets too close I'll squirt a bit into the exhaust system. Another variation is to install a tube that T junctions with a vacuum hose running into the engine and squirt engine cleaner straight into the air intake. Should produce a burning oil smell and a bit of smoke that will most likely get the idiot to back off, or they can endure miles of smell. The smoke should give them a clue that the smell is coming from my car so don't follow so close. It's meant to be a subtle passive aggressive approach that would be hard to say I did deliberately. I.e. plenty of cars on the road smoke a bit. And we all stay back when we follow them don't we...

[Jim Matthews]

That's clever.

Passive, but is it legal?