Comments on: What Should You Do if a Car or Truck is Tailgating You While You Are Riding Your Motorcycle?

By: M.

M. — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 23:12:04 +0000

In reply to MN.

There ya go! Anyone faced with this should tell the officer you’d really appreciate an attempted vehicular assault charge & really go into detail to describe the severity of the situation. Deep breaths, try to remain calm…

Keep in mind a good amount of law enforcement also ride or have cop buddies who ride so most will understand.
A helmet cam alone & having a good idea of the laws so you can sound intelligent from the start & get the investigating officer to throw the book at whoever this is putting your life & your loved ones life at risk.

-& in almost all cases, there’s no reason for it other then just being a real prick to someone on a bike .

By: m.

m. — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 22:55:03 +0000

In reply to b w.

Exactly. The tailgater is TRULY putting ones life at risk. Unintentionally, yes there (are) idiots. There are also city slicker assholes m/f young old & every color who WILL INTENTIONALLY ride you, WONT back off when you let them know.. I stopped carrying when on my bike for this exact reason.
& I do believe in some cases, 55-80mph scenarios, highway , -one should be able to judge or be permitted to defuse / or defend this very possible life threatening situation THAT YOU DID NOT CREATE!!

..God help em if I have my girl with me, I can feel my face twitching & heartbeat in my throat as I write this, as I’m sure others can as well. -We no longer ride (on the roads) due to a lot of things these days- (Texting, internet, & just fcuked people) :/

-& to those kinds of people, oh.. “I pray for you” for alright.
son of bitches.

Careful to *all those who ride (decent).
Follow the lawyers advice above. Like the voice of God speaking to you in that scenario! Awesome advice man

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 17:02:06 +0000

I’m new to biking. I have to say the tailgating is concerning almost to the point where if it doesn’t get better I may quit riding because I feel like I’m threatened. I don’t need to deal with someone rear ending me when being new I’m focused on what is in front of me…

Does the lights that strobe for a second then switch to a sold brake help? Why do people insist on trailing a bike leaving only 10 feet of space, its insane!

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 01:30:30 +0000

Just to add a little more truth to my comment which the speed limit on the road that i drive on is only 50 miles per hr and Most drivers are passing me by like i am only going 30. I keep my speed at 55 and i will stay on the Right Lane which i still get Tailgated which i refuse to go any faster since Most of these drivers are going between 80 to 90 miles per hr which makes it very sad how they can get away with it.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 01:21:43 +0000

People that tailgate on the road are definitely very mentally sick people that need help very badly the way i see it since they Shouldn’t be on the road to begin with and should have their License taken away from them forever. They are very Pathetic and such Losers as well since Most of the time they really do it on spite to cause Trouble which makes many innocent people like us that can get very badly hurt. Unfortunately there aren’t enough police on the road to look out for these type of people that drive like that when there is No Reason to do this at all in the first place. This is a Law that really needs to be Enforced which will save our life otherwise more people will be at risk if this Doesn’t happen.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 16:08:02 +0000

Thank you for posting this article Mr.Fernandez. From what I am reading, it seems that the law is not taking an aggressive enough approach to discouraging tailgating. When someone tailgates me I perceive it as a deliberate act of aggression. Driving is a privilege; not a right. Those who abuse this privilege should be punished. Oh, how I would love to administer my own type of punishment on these arrogant and offensive vermin but I am not prepared to go to prison for some low-life scumbag. The government and the media have made a big deal out of bullying. Well tailgating is a potentially fatal form of bullying. Look, there are a lot of us who ride motorcycles. There is strength in numbers. Why don’t all of us bikers band together and petition our lawmakers to impose heavy fines, points and even loss of driving privileges to those who abuse their driving privilege and tailgate? We have as much right being safe on the road as the next person. It angers me that anyone should feel they have to acquiesce to abusive drivers out on the road. Please, let’s all get busy and lean on our lawmakers to do something about this problem.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 06:11:43 +0000

Up by me I have to deal with a lot of crotch rockets weaving in traffic. Just last night I was coming home going 70 in a 70 shifting to the left lane when I hear the roar of a bike coming from behind a few cars back and zooming up the left lane I’m shifting into. The only reason that biker is still alive is because I have blind spot mirrors and I caught a glimpse of him coming out from behind in mid zig and stopped coming over.

If you are going so fast that people don’t have time to react to you being in one spot when you where not even visible because you where in another lane 3 or 4 cars back you have no right to even think about blaming anyone but yourself for what happens when you get hit by the flow of traffic. Shake that fist or head at yourself.

Follow the rules of the road including the speed limit and don’t weave and it will be a lot easier for us drivers to see you all.

That prayer will help me in my car to let it go. It makes me mad because they get offended about nearly being side swiped when they are speeding so fast what was a safe maneuver for the car became unsafe.

By: Harris

Harris — Thu, 19 May 2016 00:33:22 +0000

I begin my 45 mile commute from Berkeley to Livermore at 4am on my r1150gs. So very little traffic, cruising along at 80-85 in the fast lane around oakland and I see headlights coming up, he had to have been going about 100-110. Move over about 5 seconds before he reaches me and he flys by. Mid to late 90’s beige camry.

Well I end up seeing the same car cruising around 70-75 in castro valley in the fast lane. So I signal and casually pass on the right. He cuts me off without signaling. Figured okay, maybe he was just trying to get out of my way. Now I’m in the 3rd lane and as I’m passing he gets closer to me and I look at him like what the hell are you doing? African american male, just starring at me. I didn’t flip him off or anything. Car>motorcycle etc.

So I pass him and get back in the fast lane at my usual pace and he starts riding my ass. Move over and he keeps tailgating. Now I’m starting to freak out. I couldn’t call 911. I’ve only started riding a month ago. I speed up to 105 and hes still coming. I said forget it, tried to get off the highway and he was still following me.

Topped out the bike around 125 and tried to go as fast as I could the next 10 miles to work. Hoping a cop would show up especially with me flying down 580 but no luck. Not sure when I lost him, didn’t bother looking back.

Times like this I wish a CCW permit in contra costa wasn’t restricted to only millionaires and gov’t officials.

By: TheHonestTruth

TheHonestTruth — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 20:50:14 +0000

People that tailgate have a very serious mental problem which they are such Losers to begin with anyway. Ans since we have a passing lane on the left which they should lean how to use it since Most of them i would say are very Spiteful and are looking for trouble since they must have a very boring life to begin with. I wish that we could’ve much more police on the road to enforce this law to begin with, and this might cut down the problem much more before more innocent people like us get hurt.

By: hank

hank — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:48:54 +0000

Glad to have read this, informative article and comments.

Recently had some big pick-up tailgate me on a 2 lane road. Was doing the speed limit and the area is infested with deer. Mine is a ‘stand your ground’ state.

Agree with the author that it’s best to avoid, but it’s complicated… what if tailgater decides to follow u when u pull off the road and run u over?

It’s really impossible to be sure if tailgater is simply in a hurry or seriously mentally damaged. It’s probably the former… but are u willing to bet your life on it?

Not going into details of how my situation played out, it would be too time consuming. Suffice to say I am now getting a CCW license.

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Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:40:39 +0000

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By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 03:20:52 +0000

Something must b done, & if the law won’t protect us, we must then protect ourselves in any way possible.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 03:19:40 +0000

If enough of us bikers got mad enough 2 take action, we can stand strong against cagers who hate us enough 2 terrorize us. If we flipped over the cages of those who keep terrorizing us, then those monsters wouldn’t b able 2 terrorize no 1 else, & that cage would b off the road, never again 2 hurt another biker

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 03:13:41 +0000

We really do need stiffer laws where following 2 close @ stops is considered a felony. If ppl lost their licenses 4 rear ending a biker, that would get others thinking 2 back off & leave room. I know if we don’t get some better protection, maybe we bikers should go flip some cages over & send a strong message til we get the protection we need. If no 1 ELSE will protect us, then I guess we must do a little street justice

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 22:10:21 +0000

Well, another idiot closed in on me again 2 day, nearly rear ending, me. I was nearing another stop, & as we’re supposed 2, I slowed 4 the safe stop @ that light. A dark hunter green car was gaining on me so fast, I had 2 pull on the curb & let him by. He then later stopped @ the next stop down the road & got out of his car, started after me, & almost physically attacked me, had I not throttled it & got away. He was actually closing in on me as I was getting out of his way, & this dirty, ugly white haired unkept guy was likely drunk 4 all I know. All I was doing is getting out of the way & got in2 it w/ him as he almost hit me from behind as I was coming 2 that red light… YES, it WAS red, so I was in the right. I never had THIS close of a call since I started riding. I got in2 a deeply heated argument w/ him right there as he was in the wrong 4 following 2 close & NOT slowing down 4 the stop. I got his plate & discription, & turned him in. Things like this is EXACTLY y we NEED stiffer laws & far better protection. That ugly cave man had better b glad I didn’t have a rock in my hand,mas I was in the right 2 defend myself as he was acting very violently as he started chasing me. I have a sign on the bikes back end that tells others 2 back off & stay back. It was not only reflective, but very highly visible, so he had NO excuse 2 NOT c it. I’d just LOVE 2 have take MY version of street justice if I could’ve gotten away w/ it