What you should do if another Driver Tailgates you
Tailgating is the common term used for the situation when a driver follows another driver too closely. It is an act that is unaccepted by most, if not all, people, and should be avoided at all costs. However, you will undoubtedly experience a tailgater at some point in your driving record. If you do, there are some solutions and precautions that you should take to stop the tailgating safely.
Never get out of your car. Try to remain focused on your driving, and drive as usual. Getting out of your car will more than likely worsen the situation. Most tailgaters are very sensitive and it only takes them a little bit of encouragement to start following you on a whim. Staying in your car will ensure that you remain safe and sound.
Do not drive towards your home. Try to drive around town and in places where there are plenty of people and traffic. This will keep you from making the situation worse, and will prevent the tailgater from trying to do anything unintelligent or mature. Driving home will compromise your safety and security, as well as anyone else's who lives with you.
If the tailgating continues and you feel unsafe for any reason, do not be afraid to call the police. Make sure that you take down the license plate of the person doing the tailgating. If the person continues to follow you too closely and the police arrive, he/she will get scared and will probably run off. The police officer may ask you if you want to file a police report. If the situation was enough to scare you and make you think that your life was in danger, then you may try to do so. However, if the person was just following your car too closely, just tell the officer so.
Try to remain calm, and change lanes as soon as you can. If the person continues to follow you, try one of the tips described above. Do not try to solve the situation face-to-face, since you don't know how the other person will react. Do not make any offensive gestures or say anything to the other person. Move from lane to lane as quickly as possible, while obeying all traffic laws.
It is difficult to understand why someone would tailgate. Some do it out of spite, some do it because you've apparently done something wrong to them, and some just do it for fun. Whatever the reason, it is always a good idea to handle the situation in a way that will preserve your safety.
