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How Motorcycle Riders Should Deal With Tailgaters and Road Rage Drivers

Norman Gregory Fernandez — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 02:13:56 +0000

If you ride a motorcycle long enough, you will eventually encounter it: the driver who follows too close, weaves behind you, flashes their headlights, or acts aggressively for no reason at all. Tailgaters and road-rage drivers are not just annoying—they are one of the most dangerous threats motorcyclists face on public roads.

As a motorcycle rider and a California personal injury attorney who represents injured bikers, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly these situations turn catastrophic. A bad decision made in a few seconds can result in life-changing injuries or death. Knowing how to respond—and what not to do—can literally save your life.

Why Tailgating Is Especially Dangerous for Motorcyclists

Tailgating is dangerous for any vehicle, but for a motorcycle it is exponentially worse.

Motorcycles stop faster than cars, but they also offer zero protection if hit from behind. A rear-end collision that might cause minor damage to a car can eject a rider, slam them into traffic, or crush them between vehicles.

Common injuries I see from rear-end motorcycle crashes include:

Traumatic brain injuries (even with helmets)
Spinal cord damage
Pelvic fractures
Severe road rash requiring skin grafts
Internal organ injuries
Fatal blunt force trauma

When a driver follows too closely, you lose your margin for error. Any sudden stop, obstacle, or evasive maneuver can result in disaster.

What NOT to Do When You’re Being Tailgated

Let’s start with the mistakes—because these are the actions that most often lead to serious injury or worse.

1. Do NOT Brake-Check

Brake-checking a tailgater on a motorcycle is one of the most dangerous decisions you can make. Unlike cars, motorcycles do not have a protective buffer. If the driver behind you reacts late—or intentionally hits you—you have no defense.

I have handled cases where brake-checking resulted in:

Riders being thrown over handlebars
Multi-vehicle pileups
Riders being run over after falling

It is never worth it.

2. Do NOT Engage or Gesture

Flipping someone off, yelling, revving your engine, or making eye contact escalates the situation. Road-rage drivers are unpredictable, and many incidents involve drivers using their vehicles as weapons.

Remember: you are the vulnerable one.

3. Do NOT Speed Up Excessively

Trying to outrun an aggressive driver can put you into unsafe speeds, traffic violations, or situations you can’t control. Speeding increases stopping distance, reduces reaction time, and can worsen injuries if a crash occurs.

What You SHOULD Do Instead

1. Increase Your Following Distance

If someone is tailgating you, increase your distance from the vehicle in front of you. This gives you more time to slow gradually instead of braking suddenly.

Use gentle deceleration and engine braking when possible.

2. Change Lanes Safely

If traffic conditions allow, signal early and move out of the tailgater’s path. Let them pass. Your goal is safety, not proving a point.

There is no shame in avoiding danger.

3. Pull Over If Necessary

If a driver is extremely aggressive and it’s safe to do so, pull into a well-lit area, gas station, or public place and let them go. Do not pull into isolated areas.

4. Stay Predictable

Avoid sudden movements. Signal early. Ride smoothly. Predictability reduces panic and bad reactions from other drivers.

The Physical Consequences of a Wrong Decision

As a motorcycle injury lawyer, I can’t stress this enough: the human body does not win against a vehicle.

When riders engage tailgaters or road-rage drivers, the outcomes I see include:

Permanent paralysis
Amputations
Chronic pain conditions
Multiple surgeries
Loss of ability to work
Long-term emotional trauma

Even low-speed rear-end crashes can cause devastating spinal and neck injuries for riders. Helmets save lives, but they don’t make you invincible.

The best legal case in the world does not undo a catastrophic injury.

Motorcycle Dash Cams: A Smart Investment I Recommend

One of the most important developments for rider safety in recent years is the availability of motorcycle-specific dash cams.

Unlike older systems, modern motorcycle dash cams are:

Compact and weatherproof
Front and rear facing
Loop-recording
Automatically save footage during sudden impacts
Easy to mount on many bikes

Why Dash Cams Matter

If you’re involved in a crash with a tailgater or aggressive driver, dash-cam footage can:

Prove the driver was following too closely
Capture aggressive behavior
Disprove false statements
Preserve evidence before it disappears
Strengthen insurance and injury claims

I’ve seen cases completely change once video evidence was produced. Without it, it often becomes a “he said / she said” situation—one where motorcyclists are unfairly blamed.

A Word of Caution

Dash cams protect truth, not bad behavior. Ride responsibly, because your own actions will also be recorded.

Final Thoughts: Ride Smart, Ride Alive

Tailgaters and road-rage drivers are out there, and you can’t control them. What you can control is how you respond.

The smartest riders:

Avoid confrontation
Prioritize escape, not engagement
Ride defensively
Use technology to protect themselves

As someone who rides and represents injured bikers, my advice is simple: getting home safely matters more than being right.

No argument on the road is worth a lifetime of pain—or worse.

Ride safe.

Written by Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Founder of The Biker Law Blog

Norman Gregory Fernandez is a California personal injury attorney with nearly 30 years of experience representing injured motorcyclists and accident victims throughout the state. He is an avid motorcycle rider and the creator of The Biker Law Blog, where he writes about motorcycle safety, rider rights, and legal issues affecting the riding community. The information in this article is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

The post How Motorcycle Riders Should Deal With Tailgaters and Road Rage Drivers first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Let’s Talk Real No B.S. Motorcycle Riding Safety; The Two Most Important Safety Items.

Norman Gregory Fernandez — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:58:04 +0000

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and Biker Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez on the road.

First off let me start off by stating that I do not advocate mandatory helmet laws or anything like that. I feel that each motorcycle rider should have the right to wear whatever they want to wear while riding. The advice I am giving in this article is just that, advice. You can and will ultimately do whatever the hell you want to do. However, if this article helps someone be safe while riding a motorcycle, then so be it.

I personally think that the two most important things you should wear while riding a motorcycle are; a good helmet, and a good leather jacket. Let me explain.

Now I know that there are other what I consider to be mandatory motorcycle safety items that should be worn, such as gloves, boots, leather or heavy jean pants, etc., however, this article is about what I consider to be the two most important safety items.

I am a California motorcycle accident attorney. I handle motorcycle accident cases, and other types of personal injury cases for a living. I also happen to be a biker and a motorcyclist who rides a significant number of miles each year on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide.

I have seen a marked increase in the number of motorcycle accidents, and a substantial increase in motorcycle deaths in the past decade. Furthermore, it has been reported by many different sources that there has been a tremendous increase in the number of motorcycle accidents and motorcycle accident deaths in recent years. I am sure these all have to do with an increase in the number of motorcycle riders on the road.

Knowing this, I can think of a couple of things I would not like to happen, god forbid if I do go down. I would like to keep the grey matter between my ears inside of my skull instead of being splattered all over the road, I would like to keep my face, and rather than having all my skin rubbed off by the pavement, I would rather a leather jacket be the one that gets the brunt of the punishment.

Look we all know that wearing a helmet is mandatory in California and some other States. I for one don’t care if there is a law or not, I wear a full face modular helmet when I ride, and I suggest that you do the same. This is not rocket science; it is about surviving a motorcycle accident. It does not take a genius to figure out what happens when your head or face meets the pavement at 70 miles per hour; the pavement wins.

There is virtually nothing better to protect your upper body from a fall than a good heavy leather jacket. If you go down, it may still hurt, but the leather will take the brunt of any road rash. They even sell lightweight armor that can be worn under the jacket or inserted into the jacket. I know, sometimes it is too hot to wear a jacket, or you want to look cool. Well it is not cool to have permanent road rash scars all over your body just because you decided not to wear the jacket, or suffering as your skin heals from road rash.

We who ride motorcycles know two things, it is not a matter of if we are going down, it is a matter of when; and we sure the hell do not want to go down. I myself have been down 3 times in the past. God was with me, all of my mishaps were minor, and I only suffered minor injuries in two of them.

I have been involved in numerous close “scary” calls while riding, and if you are a motorcycle rider, you have been too. It is just the nature of the beast.

Once at the Palm Springs Biker Rally in 2000, I was only wearing a sleeveless T-Shirt, when I went down at low speed. It hurt, and caused some minor road rash on my left side where I laid it down. That small amount of road rash hurt like hell. Imagine what losing multiple layers of skin feels like; I sure don’t want to feel that. Wear a friggen leather jacket.

You can take this article as you will. Unlike some other poser fake biker lawyers, and motorcycle accident attorney’s out there advertising that they handle motorcycle accident cases, when they don’t actually ride motorcycles, or have any clue whatsoever about the issues related to riding a motorcycle and being a biker, I am the real deal. I, just like you, am a biker and a motorcyclist.

I will be here for you if you need me after a motorcycle accident; however, I would prefer to see fewer injuries because you were smart and were wearing proper safety equipment.

The post Let’s Talk Real No B.S. Motorcycle Riding Safety; The Two Most Important Safety Items. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

My Fiance and I Were The Victims of a Road Rage Incident Today!

Norman Gregory Fernandez — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:39:19 +0000

My fiancé and I had a great time riding with some of my club brothers and friends Sunday. It was a great Sunday. A friend and I decided to take off and ride to Angeles Crest from Marina Del Rey.

We rode the 10 freeway, east, to the 110 north, to the 5 north, to the 2 north, headed toward the 210 and the Angeles Crest Highway.

Some idiot for some odd reason seemed to intentionally almost hit me from behind. Maybe he does not like bikers? It happened so fast, the only thing I could do is turn my head to give the guy a stare. I was wearing a full face modular helmet, with my sunglasses on underneath, but I am sure the way I zipped my head around this guy knew that I knew what he was doing.

Instead of backing off, he kept coming. Mind you, my friend and his old lady were behind the car at this point and could see everything. My old lady was riding shotgun on the seat behind me. I moved to the extreme left part of the lane to avoid being hit by this asshole.

He then proceeded to pass me “IN MY LANE.” I looked over and saw what I think was a Korean guy. He proceeded to “stare me down” while he was in my lane and I was in the extreme left portion of the lane.

I knew if I kept staring this guy down, he would have probably swerved over and taken my old lady and I out. This asshole basically assaulted us with a deadly weapon. I am quite positive that under the circumstances, I could have used deadly force against this asshole because he almost killed us, and he used his car as a deadly weapon against us.

I slowed down, and he accelerated and took off. I tried to get his license, but I could not. He was in a Black Lexus.

If any other bikers near the 5 and the Glendale Freeway have been the victim of an Asian guy driving a Black Lexus, let me know.

I have been riding motorcycles on public streets for around 28 years, and have never had such a bizarre incident happen to me before while riding. Especially when I have my old lady on the back of my motorcycle.

My fiancé and my friend probably do not realize how close this asshole came to taking us out. Lesson learned and reiterated; motorcycle v. car = motorcycle losing. Thank goodness, I kept a cool head and simply let this asshole pass.

My friend’s old lady was not feeling well so they went home. My old lady and I ended up freezing our buts off on a ride up to 8,000 feet and Newcombs Ranch, for a late lunch next to their fireplace, alive to ride another day thank god!

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