Member of the Month

profa_212
July, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

How close is considered “tailgating” / “riding ass”

profile picture
yungona
Posts: 2374 - Karma: -5,799
idk i stay like 1 car length behind ppl and they pull out? not even on moutain roads on public two laners lol
5 years ago
3 6
profile picture
Non_State_Actor
Posts: 5112 - Karma: 18,806
yungonaidk i stay like 1 car length behind ppl and they pull out? not even on moutain roads on public two laners lol


If you have to ask...
5 years ago
14 1
profile picture
TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12724 - Karma: 120,414
get closer
5 years ago
16 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52783 - Karma: 175,271
1 car length is tailgating imo. Unless city streets or traffic why? You get there at the same time whether you're 10 feet behind them or 100 feet. that's how lines work. Also when somebody stops, the closer traffic is the more that brake impacts traffic. If everyone is riding each others ass a brake might cause a full stop.

On the highway I get it, it's traffic, but if you have space or on the open road get off peoples ass and learn how to match speed. I think a lot of people are incapable of keeping a consistent speed without tailgating. You'll see people speed up from way back, just to get close to you, then never pass. It's bullshit.

File this under reason___________ people friggin suck at driving.

Every time I think about getting a bike again I remember how fucked the roads are. People can't even drive when they aren't texting or posting selfies on insta. When they are? Fuck, good luck to anyone on the road, kids riding their bicycles etc. Errbody's fucked.
5 years ago
15 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52783 - Karma: 175,271
Also if you speed up 10+ over what I'm doing to catch up to me, and then won't pass me, you're an asshole. People get very confused when somebody pulls over for them on a passing straightaway. Like yeah You asshole that thinks their ricky friggin bobby, go by me you dumb fuck.

Impressive how many people can't figure that one out. But as mentioned before a lot of people are pretty much incapable of driving cars. If you have kids that walk/ride bikes to school good luck. People are fucking dumb. The amount of times I'm almost hit every road trip or just commuting to work is pretty gnarly. People are cooked even when they aren't using their phones, add that in and shit's ultra beat.

How do I merge? How do I maintain speed? How does a car work?
5 years ago
8 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52783 - Karma: 175,271
Also if you're bitching about people pulling out you prolly drive like an asshole. If somebody doesn't want you behind them, you're too close, and you won't pass, they pull out to force you to go by. If you get confused by this you probably also get confused by those crazy dials that tell you how fast you're going when your cruise control isn't set.

Ok I'm done for now.
5 years ago
6 1
profile picture
yungona
Posts: 2374 - Karma: -5,799
theabortionatorAlso if you're bitching about people pulling out you prolly drive like an asshole. If somebody doesn't want you behind them, you're too close, and you won't pass, they pull out to force you to go by. If you get confused by this you probably also get confused by those crazy dials that tell you how fast you're going when your cruise control isn't set.

Ok I'm done for now.


i think i struck a cord there or something lol. no i always pass. i should have clarified its on a road with no ability to pass on (double yellow) anyways i hope you have a good commute today. try not to get too worked up by dumb drivers ( i know its hard)
5 years ago
1 6
profile picture
HypeBeast
Posts: 10097 - Karma: 76,795
yungonai think i struck a cord there or something lol. no i always pass. i should have clarified its on a road with no ability to pass on (double yellow) anyways i hope you have a good commute today. try not to get too worked up by dumb drivers ( i know its hard)

Lol ur too close bud. Abortionater smoked you in this thread. He's 100% spot on. That's like 90% of people on the roads where I live. People average 30mph merge speed into a 70mph highway. Well over half are on their phones and distracted. People don't understand how to turn on red, but they also forget that yellow that just turned red doesn't mean go. I had to wait yesterday as 5 cars ran a red light before I could go. People can't read road signs. People slow down to 15mph on a highway because there's an accident on the other side of the concrete divider or because there's construction. Then there's the assholes like you tailgating without even realizing it. Tailgating only to match my speed, regardless of how fast I'm going. It's always funny I'll get over and they realize we've been going 80+ the whole time and going faster is too fast to pass. If they do pass, they are the one to be weaving in and out at 100 on the highway.
5 years ago
8 0
profile picture
Mingg
Posts: 14053 - Karma: 51,036
I’m pretty sure the standard is 3-4 seconds of room. So at highway speeds you have a larger distance but it’s a similar amount of time to react as when you’re going 30-40.
5 years ago
2 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52783 - Karma: 175,271
yungonai think i struck a cord there or something lol. no i always pass. i should have clarified its on a road with no ability to pass on (double yellow) anyways i hope you have a good commute today. try not to get too worked up by dumb drivers ( i know its hard)


I was trying to get drunk last night for my weekend. Crusing beers and drinking moonshine apparently did the trick. Oops.

But yeah st the moment have no commute but its busy coming to and from the mountain. I've been aggressively passed when there's a chain if cars in front of me and still had that guy in front of me when we got to town.

If you can't pass/wont pass leave some space. It's not a big deal. 1 car length is not space. Also ill put my signal on and pull over a bit on straightaways which seems to confuse people. Like yo dawg, go by.

Idk. I don't get that worked up when driving but i wish people paid more attention.
5 years ago
0 0
profile picture
xxACIDTRIPxx
Posts: 5980 - Karma: 8,185
MinggI’m pretty sure the standard is 3-4 seconds of room. So at highway speeds you have a larger distance but it’s a similar amount of time to react as when you’re going 30-40.


Yeah I go 4 seconds dry
If it's wet 6 seconds

No need to be an asshole, i'll only get up someone's ass if they're going under the limit on the open road. Cause that shit sucks.
5 years ago
1 0
profile picture
JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,194
In terms of minimum distance for being able to react quick enough based on your speed I read one car length per ten mph that you're going. So 50 mph means five car lengths behind to react in case you need to hit the breaks and not hit the person in front.
5 years ago
4 0
profile picture
jakeordie
Posts: 665 - Karma: 3,281
The average time for a sober, alert but not anticipating a situation driver to hit the brakes is like 2 seconds so;

- if you want to not hit the car in front, more than that
- if less than that, getting close af is your safest option
- if you want to not get copped, anywhere 'cos they don't care
5 years ago
0 0
profile picture
yungona
Posts: 2374 - Karma: -5,799
jakeordieThe average time for a sober, alert but not anticipating a situation driver to hit the brakes is like 2 seconds so;

- if you want to not hit the car in front, more than that
- if less than that, getting close af is your safest option
- if you want to not get copped, anywhere 'cos they don't care


i always got my foot on the break in these situations. sub 150ms reaction time btw
5 years ago
1 4
profile picture
Abu_Hajaar
Posts: 2751 - Karma: 3,908
I usually tailgate student drivers
5 years ago
3 1
profile picture
WisconsinDogfart
Posts: 675 - Karma: 5,529
just give as much space as possible
5 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SofaKingSick
Posts: 9839 - Karma: 66,592
a car length *for every 10pmh* you've got going is a good rule of thumb

more generally, just look at the car. if they stood on their brakes right this second, would you be able to avoid hitting them? most of the time the answer is NO, and the cops and the damages/injuries will not give a shit what excuse you have for them, you're behind the other guy, you're likely to be (found to be) at fault
5 years ago
1 0
profile picture
clorox
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 4,867
If I turn on my rear fog lights and it's not raining or foggy, you're probably tailgating me.
5 years ago
1 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 52783 - Karma: 175,271
SofaKingSicka car length *for every 10pmh* you've got going is a good rule of thumb

more generally, just look at the car. if they stood on their brakes right this second, would you be able to avoid hitting them? most of the time the answer is NO, and the cops and the damages/injuries will not give a shit what excuse you have for them, you're behind the other guy, you're likely to be (found to be) at fault


Or better yet, look at the car and the situation.


Are they going the speed limit plus? Can i pass them? Will i pass them?

If they're going the speed limit and you're not going to pass you're kind of a douche. People have some weird flex of their aggression in lines. If you're 5 feet or 200 feet behind the car in front of you it makes no difference. Once is safer snd less douchey but people are cooked.
5 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 12:41PM