I agree that pulling over when it is safe to do so is the sensible thing to do but in the meantime, when you're waiting for the safe opportunity, you are still being tailgated. Even half a mile, with someone stuck right up your backside, can seem an awfully long way.

If I am driving a large or slow vehicle which is likely to hold up other traffic driving at normal speeds, I try to be considerate to other road users and pull over to let them pass. If, however, I am in a car making good progress, limited only by the law or current road conditions, then the person behind me will have to put up with the fact that I am using that particular bit of road at that particular time. He is free to use it once I have finished with it. I make every effort to be in the appropriate lane on motorways and always co-operate with those making passing manoeuvres so that we can both carry on our journeys safely. If I am tailgated I won't deliberately slow down but I do increase the distance between me and the person in front to allow me time to brake more gently. What I don't do is let them harass me into speeding up beyond what is safe for the road conditions.

Tailgating is intimidation. If everyone else moves out of the way of the bully, then it encourages him/her to go on and bully the next victim.


DC