What do you do when another driver tailgates you?

Slam your brakes on

Not enough choices in the poll! I slow down when tailgated so that I am not too close to the car in front of me. If the car in front of me has to stop fast, I want to be able to slow gradually so that the tailgater behind me has time to react and will not rear-end me.

I see a lot of tailgaters in the left lane because the person in front of them is driving in the left lane, slower than the flow of traffic and not wanting to move over to the right even when no one is beside them or miles ahead in middle lane. Rarely is someone tailgating me because I am aware of my surroundings on the road. If i am in the left lane passing, I am watching my rear view mirror and if someone is closing in on me quickly, I adjust my speed a little to promptly pass the middle driver and move to the middle lane so the person faster than me in the left lane can keep on his way. I wish that Seattle PD or highway patrol would actually put TV and radio advertisement like they do for drunk driving and educate the public that the left lane is for passing only. Personally, I don't mind people hanging out in the left lane IF no one is behind them and if they move to the right when someone is going faster than them.

Shaun Moore, I couldn't have said it better myself. The person being tailgated first has to think about why this might be the case. Very few people are taught in this country that the left lane is for passing only. Ever see a sign 'Stay Right Except to Pass'? We are not taught proper lane control in the USA. We just build more lanes, then everyone goes the same speed in each lane, and we wonder why we still have backups. Education and enforcement is the key. I don't care how slowly a car goes, just don't do it in the left lane. Keeping right doesn't mean the middle lane, it means the far right lane.

Agree about left lane passing, however, there are plenty of tailgaters in the right lane as well, trying to go as fast as they can to get to their exit off the freeway. I do believe going the speed limit in the right hand lane is acceptable. There will always be those who believe the freeway is there only for their benefit and do not take into consideration their reckless driving is putting others at risk. After all, getting to your destination 2 minutes faster is so important. As for highway patrol, I never see any.

On a single lane road, I pull over as soon as possible and let the SOB pass on to the next car. I am rarely in such a hurry that I can't take a 30-second break to make the rest of the trip comfortably.

Quickly flick on your lights so he suddenly sees your red tail lights. Maybe that will cause him to have a DESERVED accident

This is really only an issue in the PNW, having people blocking the left lane. I've lived/driven in many states across the country, and never have I seen the rolling road blocks that I see here. Along with that is the passive agressive brake slamming and slowing down. I personally try not to tailgate... but I can understand those who do.

I do what Jack Frost does. I get out of their way as soon as I can, especially on a single lane road. I will usually turn on my left blinker, pull into a turn lane, let them by and then pull back in. I don't retaliate! I hate, HATE tailgaters and I do not practise it myself .

OMG
Welcome to passive aggressive Seattle
If you are not driving like a moron and holding up traffic in the fast lane, then no one is going to tailgate you.
Its known in most places as a common courtesy that slower traffic moves right and lets faster traffic pass.
In Seattle, people are talking about slowing down, tapping the brakes and other passive aggressive behavior - anything except simply moving right and allowing faster traffic to move past.
Ask yourself - who is the problem...

I get over and let them pass if I am in the left lane.

Any other lane and I take my foot off the gas and coast to a stop if i have to to force em to go around.

I use my windshield washers and spray their car down, especially effective if their car was recently washed!

The left lane is most certainly the fast/passing lane, but many don't realize that when the left lane is the carpool lane, the lane to the right of the carpool lane is the passing lane.

I maintain my speed while gently touching my brake pedal to activate the brake lights. If that doesn't work, flame thrower exhaust pipes.

The left hand lane is for passing. If someone is coming up behind me fast I get out of their way. A common sight around Seattle are cars driving the same speed in different lanes but refusing to speed up or get out of the way. Also, I see a lot of "popcorn" drivers, people who speed up and slow down on a continual basis. I'm so sick of people buried in their electronics who can't drive in the first place.

I drive fast, I have always driven fast. I also pay attention to everything within my view. I am not reckless and I won't apologize or change. Crappy drivers need to be ticketed for crappy driving.

I wash my front and backshields repeatedly so it splatters all over their windshield. Then they usually back off or pass me. Especially fun if it's a fancy car.

A small bump and you generally move out of my way! (Humor folks, relax)

I'm known to tailgate a little bit (or a little more than a little) but I really only tailgate those who are in the left lane doing 60 (or less) while eating a burger and yacking on their cell phone. This was the case just last night and the woman actually flipped me off as I passed her on the right.

I love reading the comments that slow left lane travel is a Northwest thing. It is complete BS. Yes the left lane is for passing, it is not the fast lane. The left lane of a highway is not a lane where you get to set your own speed be it to slow or to fast. It is a passing lane. That is the other thing the left lane rule only applies to highways. It does not apply to city streets, or avenues. So stop acting like it does.

I will in most circumstances move over, however if I am already in the right lane, or in the case of a left hand exit such as those found in downtown Seattle heading northbound, or at the I5-I405 interchange at Southcenter I will tap my brakes, and if that does not cure the behavior I will slow down. I do not travel less than the speed limit or the flow of traffic, I do not impede those behind me but I also do not feel it necessary to exit at 70mph, or to have to brake hard to make an exit. I will typically begin decelerating early enough that I need not brake suddenly in the exit. This deceleration is usually accomplished by just taking the foot off the accelerator.

I also employ the know where you are going and where you are strategy. I do not use GPS or other devices because then I have no idea where I am at. If I am going somewhere unfamiliar I make sure to learn the route and have my own directions before hand, in this way I am aware of my surroundings and location, and do not have to make last moment 5 lane changes to hit my exit. To me that is the bigger problem, people have no idea where they are in relation to where they are going, solve that problem and the left lane slow down probably goes away.

I sssloooowwww wwwwaaaaaayyyyyy ddoooowwwwnnnn. then speed up real fast, then sloooooooowwwwww wwwwwaaaaayyyyyy ddddoooooowwwwwwnnnnnn again, until they pass me.

I simply do this....I turn on my windshield washer spray and give them a good shower!! They instantly back off, turn on thier wipers and usually go around me as I smile at them..:-). Sure I have to refiill the container more often but it's SO worth it!!!

How about the option of pulling over and letting the tailgater pass....

Tailgating is just plain dangerous, and nothing warrants the practice. Tough hoo hoo if someone is going slow in the left lane. Remember that if you rear end someone, it's your fault about 99.9 percent of the time. I truly despise folks who drive slow in the left lane, but not nearly as much as I despise idiots who tailgate. And fyi, I drive plenty fast and still get tailgated in the RIGHT lane. Some people are just incredibly stupid.

I find it funny how some people use their washer fluid to deter tailgators. If your fluid is aimed so that it hits the car behind you, seems like it's not working properly...how do you clean your own winshield???

Sometimes I am in the fast lane at a normal following distance and somebody comes up and tailgates me.
Dude, where would you like me to go?

I like the washers suggestion.

I have driven about 30 miles to work everyday for the last five years. First from Bellevue for a couple years, then from Seattle for the last three. from Phoenix to Seattle a couple times, one thing has become painfully obvious to me: People in Seattle either don't know how to properly drive in the left lane, or they're just that much of a jerk that they want to make you mad by driving only 60 miles an hour. If you have somebody in front of you in the left lane, that is one thing. But if you are driving in the left lane going as slow or slower than the people in the other and you have a wide open space in front of you, I WILL KICK MY TURBO IN AND PASS YOUR BUTT. Some guy on i5 the other day (YEA YOU SILVER CIVIC) was going 60 in the left with miles in front of him and had the nerve to blare his horn at me as I passed him. I really wish they would go down to Cali and do something like that, they might not make it home alive.

If I'm being tail gated when I have no room to go any faster as I am following the pace of traffic I usually slow down and then when the person passing I throw my brights on and flash them and follow at a safe distance because then the tail gater usually tries to brake check.

simple, if i'm going faster than the right hand lanes (passing) and generally 60 ~ 70 mph, I just laugh at their foolishness, their (get out of my way this is my highway attitude).

if someone else is going slow in the left lane and I come up behind them, well... that's why fast eddie has a CWP... no seriously, if they are going faster than the right hand lanes (passing) no problem. if they're parking in the left hand lane I wonder how they got a drivers license

good day and keep it between the lines

Fast Eddie

Move right >>>>>>>>>>

We are a passive aggressive lot in this city. The world does not drive like this....

If I'm in the truck or car I usually call them in for aggressive driving - vehicle description license and all.... If I'm on my bike I usually slow down to make them realize that just because they can see past me, doesn't make it any safer. Basically they piss me off!

Move right >>>>>>>>>>>

There is no reason to be angry.

If tapping on my break and flashing my braek light dosnt work, a shift to low gear works pretty good, car will suddenly slow down with no tail light flash to warn them and they have always moved back off my ass after a near hit hahaha. works great for me. I never tail gate, ever!

I agree with all the comments about the left lane being for passing only. No one should ever be in the left lane unless actively passing, even if going above the speed limit. If there is space to merge right, you get out of the left lane.

But I do not agree that the moving road blocks are a reason to tailgate or cause thereof. There is no excuse for tailgaiting ever. It is potentially dangerous. So anyone tailgaiting has only themselves to blame.

Too many people are presuming this is only an issue on highways and multiple lane thoroughfares where people should just move over. Some drivers just naturally tailgate at all times, everywhere. My girlfriend is one of those drivers which is I why I prefer to drive and not her. She tailgates for no reason (not there's a good reason). There can be a line of 30 cars in front of us and she'll tailgate as if the car directly in front of us could go faster with 29 cars in front of their car.

On the highway, I'm usually one of the faster drivers but I always yield for anyone who wishes to pass me. I get in the right lane whenever I can and leave the left lane(s) open.

I drive fast but I do not tailgate.

Lock and load.....

If they want to go then let them. People in Seattle are to self righteous as it is. Start worrying about yourself.

I'm detecting a lot of PNW hate here. If you don't like the way we drive/work/live, go elsewhere. You are not needed here and with those attitudes you are most certainly not wanted.

I always slow down or stop and pull over to let them pass. 9 times out of ten, I will see them at the next red traffic light since they are synchronized for the legal speed.

I strongly believe in the two-second rule. If someone is tailgating, I slow down until there is a two-second gap between me and them....this may require slowing way down. I also used to make a sport of seeing how slow I needed to go to get someone to change lanes on my boring drives down I-5 from Seattle to Portland. My record was 28 miles per hour before the moron got the message and changed lanes.

If I am going 67 mph in the right lane of a highway with a speed limit of 55, then I definitely slow down for a tailgater. Also, if I am going 67 and move to the left lane to pass someone only doing 58, then some jerk comes up behind trying to do 80 mph, I tend to be a little slow about getting out of their way once I have passed the car I was trying to pass. Slow down, jerks! Are you in a race to the morgue?

I rarely drive in the left lane because I tend to stick to the speed limit. That being said, I do not understand why people will come flying up behind me (in the right lane) when there is no one in the left. It's funny that some comments suggest PNW'ers are passive-aggressive. I believe the tailgater is the passive-aggressive. Why do people need to drive that fast? Are you late? Maybe you need to wake up and leave earlier. Maybe take some personal responsibility so that when you get out on the road you are not risking someone else’s life because you woke up late. Maybe your kid was sick and you left late. See, all those things, they are not my problem. Personal responsibility people.

I first release a Load of razor blades and then a pool of oil from my trunk. Seems to resolve the tail gaiting situation for some reason.....

a lot of people don't look ahead of the car in front of them. They'll tailgate a vehicle as if to send a message that they're going to slowly, when really there is a line of similarly paced vehicles in front of them.

Brake Check Them! Even if they are a State Trooper! YouTube "Brake Check Arizona State Trooper"

I slamm on the breaks. Then sue the sob when they run into me

In Seattle, I drive as if I have a brick of black tar heroin taped to the undercarriage of my car. I stay to the right and keep the speed limit.

If some impatient douchebag feels the need to tailgate, I simply take my foot off the gas.

I am in the right lane! If you want to go 80 MPH, do it in the left lane!