Looking in your rear view mirror to see a driver riding overly close to your rear fender can feel unnerving as well as annoying. While you are doing your best to drive safely, the driver behind is putting you in danger by not keeping an assured clear distance.
Knowing how best to react can help you to reduce the threat their poor driving poses to you.
Try to let them pass when it is safe
While you cannot make the other driver pass you, you can make it easier for them to do so. In some cases this could mean pulling over into the next lane, while in others it might mean squeezing over to the side of a single lane. If neither is an option, you might even want to consider taking a turn off the road into a gas station or similar. Do be careful if you feel their tailgating is intentional, though, as stopping could put you in even more danger if they were to follow and confront you.
Don’t try to tell them to give you more space
Even a polite attempt to tell the following driver to back off a bit could go wrong if they misinterpret it and react aggressively. A less polite attempt, such as gesturing at them or suddenly hitting your brakes, could seriously escalate the situation. Brake checking is also illegal as it is highly dangerous.
Drivers follow too closely for all sorts of reasons, so there is little point in second guessing why someone is doing it to you. It’s better to just try and let them pass with the minimum of fuss so you can continue your journey in safety. If they do crash into you, seek experienced legal guidance to learn how to hold them responsible.
