Driving back down A1 today from my hols in Scotland. Got caught in that horrendous downpour. You couldn’t see anything even with wipers on full. At least 6 artics went past tailgating other cars. With less than 15 feet in front of them.
Professional drivers my ar$e
happens everywhere you go,thats life,[or death if one decides to brake suddenly] and the worst part is the authorities[police] are never around to witness the tailgating
15 feet? 
that’s disgraceful, a car could squeeze in there…should have been 15 inches! Professional drivers my arse 
6 artic’s with 15 feet between each! That’s crazy.
Space is at a premium. That’s 90 feet wasted. Could have got another artic in that.
Not for much longer, electronics will stop the tailgating and not before time…additionally we’ll find ourselves increasingly restricted to lane one.
Pity the decent have to be treated like these lepers but that’s what happens when lowest common denominator becomes the required standard.
Juddian:
Not for much longer, electronics will stop the tailgating and not before time…additionally we’ll find ourselves increasingly restricted to lane one.Pity the decent have to be treated like these lepers but that’s what happens when lowest common denominator becomes the required standard.
^^^^ have got to agree with this, especially the second paragraph.
Juddian:
Not for much longer, electronics will stop the tailgating and not before time…additionally we’ll find ourselves increasingly restricted to lane one.Pity the decent have to be treated like these lepers but that’s what happens when lowest common denominator becomes the required standard.
Yes and not before time. Something needs to take control of these idiots.
I cannot believe I am reading these comments. Midlife as stated a fact of life concerning tailgating, and yet, we still have these ( I assume they are Professional Drivers ), coming out with crass statements such as I have just read on this thread. Ok, I admit, those comments may have been intended to be taken light heartedly, but at the end of the day, I do worry that some out there may practice what they preach. Rant over.
.
eagerbeaver:
6 artic’s with 15 feet between each! That’s crazy.Space is at a premium. That’s 90 feet wasted. Could have got another artic in that.
SCANIAKEV:
I cannot believe I am reading these comments. Midlife as stated a fact of life concerning tailgating, and yet, we still have these ( I assume they are Professional Drivers ), coming out with crass statements such as I have just read on this thread. Ok, I admit, those comments may have been intended to be taken light heartedly, but at the end of the day, I do worry that some out there may practice what they preach. Rant over.
I dont think anyones really suggesting you should drive no more than 1 foot from the vehicle in front. Its all in the name of a laugh but I always find it amusing when I read comments bemoaning the driving standard of others. I often wonder what awards some of these “perfect” drivers have won for their own superior driving standard
SCANIAKEV:
I cannot believe I am reading these comments. Midlife as stated a fact of life concerning tailgating, and yet, we still have these ( I assume they are Professional Drivers ), coming out with crass statements such as I have just read on this thread. Ok, I admit, those comments may have been intended to be taken light heartedly, but at the end of the day, I do worry that some out there may practice what they preach. Rant over.
I would of thought that most people here who’ve taken the time to invest in this forum have at least a decent handle on their roadcraft. You’re refering to the helments who seem to accuired their HGV licences from cereal boxes.
Yeah, the ‘wasted space’ comments were light hearted/joking. Lighten up a bit boys. Of course it’s diabolical when you see this. It goes on here too with 60 or more ton of B double up the arse of a car or other truck, but nowt to get all serious with each other about.
Juddian:
Not for much longer, electronics will stop the tailgating and not before time…additionally we’ll find ourselves increasingly restricted to lane one.
I do not tailgate but I do drive closer than the stopping distance and the reason for that is car drivers will dive into any space you leave as they cannot resist it. The lorries I see tailgating in my opinion are not doing it because they do not recognise the risk but rather they are trying to intimidate the car driver to use all the lanes available to them. On Monday I was in M1 roadworks and there was this british rail small van in the middle lane doing 40mph (50mph speed limit). He was holding up 3 artics directly behind him and then there was me and another two artics behind me stuck in the inside lane. A slip road joining the motorway was full of traffic coming in so I had to brake and slow right down as the traffic joining were braking when they joined because of this one van! Eventually as I cleared I flashed the artics on my right and all three overtook this prick on the inside and then I did too giving him a full blast of the airhorns as I went past. It made no difference as I looked in my mirror he was laughing and watching his phone! 
alder:
I do not tailgate but I do drive closer than the stopping distance and the reason for that is car drivers will dive into any space you leave as they cannot resist it. The lorries I see tailgating in my opinion are not doing it because they do not recognise the risk but rather they are trying to intimidate the car driver to use all the lanes available to them. On Monday I was in M1 roadworks and there was this british rail small van in the middle lane doing 40mph (50mph speed limit). He was holding up 3 artics directly behind him and then there was me and another two artics behind me stuck in the inside lane. A slip road joining the motorway was full of traffic coming in so I had to brake and slow right down as the traffic joining were braking when they joined because of this one van! Eventually as I cleared I flashed the artics on my right and all three overtook this prick on the inside and then I did too giving him a full blast of the airhorns as I went past. It made no difference as I looked in my mirror he was laughing and watching his phone!
What’s the difference between tailgating and driving closer than the stopping distance?
Could you argue that tailgating is usually done to intimidate or forcably make it obvious that someone’s in your way. Where as driving a little too close is done to stop an oblivious idiot jumping into you braking gap?
It’s a difficult one, all too often I’ve been cruising along with a safe gap between me and the car or truck in front, only for some bell end to squeeze into it and slow down, forcing me out into the middle lane and usually stranding me there once they speed back up. I think we all face that far too often.
Don’t see the mentality of car drivers that don’t want to go as fast as the trucks, but don’t want one to overtake them either. Should be a minimum limit or a rule on the motorways along the lines of “as a minimum speed to keep the motorway moving efficiently, upon getting behind a truck, you should leave a suitable braking distance and follow it at the same speed. That way you’re causing no more of an obstruction then the truck is, rather than driving at a much slower speed than every truck on the road and causing countless overtakes that take forever because you speed up every time a truck wants to get past your slow arse”.
I wonder what the excuse is for the ‘drivers’ who get within a few feet of the truck in front before veering out to pass it with no forward planning whatsoever?
Tailgating trucks is nothing new and, as stated, it will have a stop put to it sooner or later. Yet again, the large idiot element spoils things for the rest.
alder:
On Monday I was in M1 roadworks and there was this british railsmall van in the middle lane doing 40mph (50mph speed limit). It made no difference as I looked in my mirror he was laughing and watching his phone!
Must also have been in a time warp , or possibly need to brush up on old powers of observation
Let’s be honest, who gives a flying chuff anymore.
True drivers are a dying breed most couldn’t give a monkey’s anymore.
alder:
I do not tailgate but I do drive closer than the stopping distance and the reason for that is car drivers will dive into any space you leave as they cannot resist it. The lorries I see tailgating in my opinion are not doing it because they do not recognise the risk but rather they are trying to intimidate the car driver to use all the lanes available to them. On Monday I was in M1 roadworks and there was this british rail small van in the middle lane doing 40mph (50mph speed limit). He was holding up 3 artics directly behind him and then there was me and another two artics behind me stuck in the inside lane. A slip road joining the motorway was full of traffic coming in so I had to brake and slow right down as the traffic joining were braking when they joined because of this one van! Eventually as I cleared I flashed the artics on my right and all three overtook this prick on the inside and then I did too giving him a full blast of the airhorns as I went past. It made no difference as I looked in my mirror he was laughing and watching his phone!
I am hoping your not serious but I suspect you are. Why do so many drivers blame others for not keeping a safe distance? You are part of the problem through your arrogance.
Stopping distances are not made up for fun. They are there for a good reason and not to be broken by the likes of you because a car nips in the space. You are an accident waiting to happen but I suppose you are to good a driver for anything to happen. Thats exactly what all the other drivers that plough into other vehicles have said. I cannot believe you would admit something like that on here!