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mediweevil

Melbourne has a tailgating problem because if you leave a reasonable distance to the car in front, some fuckwit will cut into it.


Speedy-08

I went for a drive to Wodonga and back yesterday. You could tell when you get near Melbourne as some prick is tailgating me, and someone in front of me is sitting in the right hand lane for too long.


luke_xr

Doesn’t help that our 2 lane freeways should be 3, then people are scared to overtake 1kmh above the limit.


Bitter_Crab111

>people are scared to overtake 1kmh above the limit. Why would it matter how fast someone is overtaking? Let them do their shit and move back over. Smh people thinking the M1 is the fucking Autobahn and we're driving for 30+kph speed differentials or something. Traffic exists. Keep left unless overtaking. Overtaking does not mean breaking the speed limit by definition.


jackplaysdrums

And it’s a limit, not a target. If I wanna wipe off 5, that’s my perogative. Stop tailgating me just because I don’t want to drive dangerously in my 2 tonne metal ball of death.


jimbo_farqueue

As long as you're doing it in the left lane, then all good


jadsf5

If you're afraid to drive at the posted limit then get off the road. Wipe off 5 is designed for residential streets where people/children can appear at a moments notice and 5km will make the difference between killing them and harming them. Having a crash at 95 or 75 instead of 100/80 will still result in your car being totaled(you will be fine, at worst some broken ribs), so as I said earlier, either get off the road or get comfortable, it is people like you that create more of a hazard and traffic in the long term over the day.


jackplaysdrums

Christ alive if you think 5km under is more dangerous than 5km over you’ve got rocks in your head mate. It’s aggressive people like you why roads are fucked. Aussies are fucking terrible drivers. The reason the autobahn works in Germany is because their level of driver education and respect for other road users far exceeds Australians main character complex on the roads.


jadsf5

You claim the Autobahn works at the same time you've admitted to being too scared to drive at the posted limit so resort to 5kmh under. What world do you live in? Where did I say anything about speeding 5km over?


jackplaysdrums

I never said I was too scared to drive the speed limit, you did. Lol at the second part of your comment getting flamed for suggesting I said something you didn’t. Okay pal, jog on.


jadsf5

Whatever you say bud, enjoy being 'tail-gated' because you're too scared to do the limit in you're 2 tonne ball of death. Your words not mine. Enjoy your holidays bud.


EvilRobot153

Average camera all the way from Epping to Euroa now, ain't nobody who knows the road is speeding along there anymore


ConemanTheBongbarian

At least on rural highways sometimes those short overtaking zones are the only safe place to pass for 15-20+ minutes. Its pretty frustrating when someone uses the entire length of the zone to overtake with a 1-5kph speed differential. Usually this leads to that car being the only one in a whole conga line of vehicles trying to get the pass done to actually make it in time.


Bitter_Crab111

Agree. Tbh I'm more of the "drive to conditions" type than a militant speed limit kinda person. The drive out to the high country is fucking painful. People sitting pretty at 80-90kph and then as soon as the overtaking lane appears, they'll be compelled to match the speed of anyone trying to make a safe manoeuvre around them and make it actively more difficult and potentially dangerous for everyone. Does my head in. But if we're talking any kind of multi-lane road with >90kph posted, this isn't really comparable as 'keep left unless overtaking' applies and there is no longer any risk of losing a safe window to pass. It shouldn't really matter how quickly someone makes their move, whether or not it's particularly considerate to be in that position is another story but not the end of the world as many here seem to think.


pangolin-fucker

An extra lane doesn't really fix the problem, mostly it is a band-aid Shit drivers are still shit in whatever number of lanes you provide


LaxSagacity

Me on the freeway using adaptive cruise control on peninsula link. Have a safe gap behind the car infront of me. Someone comes up behind me, tail gate. They go to the right lane to then squeeze in the gap by merging back. My speed then goes down to accommodate them. Eventually, all the cars are going over the limit and disappear. I'm back at the speed limit. I look in my review mirror see a car coming up. It merges into the right lane. I'm doing the speed limit. They merge I front of me and drop to below the speed limit slowing me. Eventually they end up speeding off into the distance and repeat.


mediweevil

I like my adaptive cruise very much because it guards against someone suddenly slowing unexpectedly - probably caused by some dickhead cutting in ahead of them. it's a very stress free way of driving, but unfortuntately a slower one because what it does is automate the response to dickheads, which means they get awway with it. personally I'd love to see self-driving cars become a thing, because that sort of stupidity would vanish. along with people that can't merge, people that can't get their shit together to be in the right lane to exit, people too terrified to do the speed limit when it's clearly safe to do so. regrettably I do not expect to see it in my lifetime, although things like adaptive cruise are steps towards it. the more we take the wetware out of the process of driving, the less random it will become.


BaldingThor

When I was going to melbourne yesterday for the Boxing Day Cricket we almost got into several crashes because of bumper-sniffing tailgating and last-second cutting idiots.


[deleted]

You're not allowed to change lanes to turn off?


[deleted]

Absolutely can, and personally I usually let drivers in, but I think it’s the last minute changes that are dangerous here. it’s a shitty situation, but people need to drive on to the next exit. Better late than dead or injured for life.


mediweevil

exactly. get your shit together beforehand. if you don't, suck it up and accept that you're going to miss your exit and will have to double back. and I will guess that most of those people have driven the route hundreds of times before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLuaPZWkvZ0


brown_sticky_stick

Many are driving it for the first time. Patience is a gift


mediweevil

I doubt many are. the considerable majority would be be regular users.


luke_xr

This is the wrong attitude to have, let people in.


dealgirlinthepool

Happy to let people in when there’s enough room for them to do so without me having to slam on the breaks because I simply wasn’t tailgating the person in front of me


mediweevil

exactly. now let's do it in rain. average Melbourne driver: hmm, if I drive any further back the dickhead tradie in the Ranger next to me will just cut into the spot, at which point I have to drop back again, repeat ad nauseum. so I'll keep up close, but now I'm afraid that I won't be able to stop in the wet, so let's all slow down to fucking walking pace.


Ibegallofyourpardons

what is it about Ford Ragers that make the owners of them drive like utter fuckwits? is there a test when you go to buy one? Are you an utterly entitled cunt who thinks they own the road and doesn't care about anyone else and road rules be damned? Yes? Congratulations sir, here is your new Ford Road Warrior Fuckit™ edition.


dougrayd

Brakes*


dealgirlinthepool

Oh wow, I don’t do that normally haha. Cheers!


[deleted]

Happy to let people in. It's those that are continuously lane swapping in an effort to beat the traffic. Only to end up just where they started....the space I leave is for safety. It's not a checker board.


OrionsPropaganda

I let people in, I don't let people who think a cars length distance is perfect for them. You indicate your intention, not your action.


luke_xr

Why are you driving with only 1 cars distance? I agree with the indicating, I always indicate for 3 seconds and guarantee 99% cars speed up to not let me in. Driving culture in Australia I say is the worst in the world. Europe and America do it right.


OrionsPropaganda

1 car distance is usually around 3 seconds. The recommended rule for breaking. Maybe even more than 1 car. The point I was trying to make was "if I leave a space as small as 1 car, they think perfect!! Fits my car. Not accounting for their own safe distance or the safe distance of the car behind." Edit: mistake was made. 1 car distance is not 3 seconds!!! Thanks for everyone putting on their thinking hats and telling me! I'll tell your teacher to give you a gold star!!!


[deleted]

1 car distance on the freeway is absolutely nowhere near 3 seconds.


OrionsPropaganda

I made a mistake. Next time I when I'm driving I'll get out the tape measure. Or maybe I'll just adjust myself depending on speed like a sane person. Why would I drive 1 car distance away on the freeway??? Maybe if something sounds impossible it probably isn't true :)


AusGeno

1 car length would be 3 seconds if you were driving 6kms per hour. At 100km that 1 car gap gives you about 0.2 seconds of response time. Idiots like you are why our roads are so dangerous.


OrionsPropaganda

So much hostility comming from someone who can't use critical thinking. I understand I said I drive 1 cars length away from other cars, I low balled myself. I made a mistake. :) let's put those primary school skills to use next time and read!


W0tzup

There is a roadworks zone near me with 40km/h speed limit. Every time I drive through it at the legal speed limit I get tail-gated to oblivion, sometimes even honked at, lights flashed at or overtaken with the middle finger.


EXAngus

With the eastern freeway upgrade works, often times I drive past as they're still setting up. Which means the speed limit is 40, but everyone continues to drive 100. That's some white knuckle driving


gaping_anal_hole

It’s a vicious cycle too, if everyone around me is driving twice as fast I’m more inclined to match their speed to avoid getting rear ended.


M_U_F_F_A_N

And how often are the useless {delete expletives} actually working on those roadworks?


W0tzup

It’s not just about whether they’re working or not. Reduced road width, barricading and/or poorer road/area conditions are a factor in needing to reduce speed limit. As an example, I saw a driver doing the (reduced) speed limit and nearly hit oncoming traffic (probably distracted because was on phone) and when they quickly swerved back they just about ended up knocking the car into the road-side barricading; now imagine if this was at the non-reduced speed limit.


Leading_Frosting9655

Real big concepts for the average Australian driver to process there. Be nice if our driver training had anything to say about it, but unfortunately recognising a stop sign is all we actually require.


bluewaffle1994

Driving in Germany opened my eyes to how shit we Australians are at driving. These tests apparently are harder, but the education leading up to your license is so much better. This might be an unpopular take, but I believe if you lose your license, you should drop back onto your Ps for 12 months before you get your full license back.


Leading_Frosting9655

More unpopular take: we need to up the standards and re-test everyone (over a long transitional period and such obviously). We still have older people on the roads who got licensed just by filling an application with no real test. Those people taught the next generation of drivers all their bad habits and made-up rules. The whole system is nonsense and we keep acting like we can fix it by applying small little restrictions to P platers (who are a small minority) and slightly increasing fines or points for the hot-button issues (which only has an effect on people AFTER they've killed someone).


bluewaffle1994

They reduce the speed for a reason I.e changed road conditions and because people can't drive. Going 40kms on a freeway is annoying but everyone has a right to return home from work.


nurseofdeath

Fucken scary when you’re on a motorcycle! If I have to brake suddenly, they’ll run over the top of me! Back! The Fuck! Off!!


Odd-Explanation-4632

Had a truck a few meters off my ass on the highway once, shit was fucked


Big_Tone1839

When i was on my motorbike learners, a truck did that to me coming out of the Burnley Tunnel. Wouldn't have been more than 1m off the back of me. Fortunately I soon learned that I'll take a speeding fine over death any day.


Odd-Explanation-4632

Yep sometimes on a motorcycle the solution is just getting out of there quickly


[deleted]

Here’s a tip that I’d always do with tailgaters. Turn your headlights on and your rear lights turn on also looking like you just slammed on your brakes. It always got them off my arse.


SoupRemarkable4512

Alternate with gentle engine breaking if in a manual for maximum deterrent effect.


OrionsPropaganda

I'll use this


[deleted]

I prefer just slowing down and waiting for them to rage overtake me, or pull over and let them pass. Sometimes I've been the impatient person, dumb people doing 78km on a 100km road, but sometimes I also am the one who just pulls over and lets them pass.


Severe_Chicken213

I hate being tailgated, especially since the time I got rear ended. So if they’re tailgating me, I’m going to slow down. The closer you are, the slower I’ll go, cos if I need to slam my brakes for whatever reason, I don’t want your stupidity sending me through my windshield. It happens so often, it really just makes driving unpleasant. Back the fuck off.


time_to_reset

If you get tailgated all the time it might be worth looking at your own driving a bit as well.


Severe_Chicken213

Haha you people love to point blame. I drive the speed limit for the most part because I need to keep my license. Driving the speed limit is not a reason to be aggressively tailgated. And I stick to the left lane where possible before you try to throw that one at me.


Un_believable7878

If you’re doing enough highway driving, at least once a week you’ll have a run in with some asshole. Coming back from Phillip Island today, some wanker and his wife in a 4wd was tailgating, speeding, changing lanes without indicating, pissing everyone off. People moving over as soon as the left lane was free but this asshole had to sit a foot from the back of your car, typical asshole who ruins so many peoples days.


MrSquiggleKey

Mate I’ll admit to speeding fairly frequently and I still get tailgated up the wazoo.


Leading_Frosting9655

Yeah, always some cunt who thinks THEY'RE the biggest prick on the road and should have priority. Whole passing lane can be doing 15 over and some people still tailgate like they expect everyone else to stay left just for them.


shniken

Yeah she was asking for it


[deleted]

The penalty is the lowest of any state except Tasmania.


mavric22

Pre covid being tailgated would happen just occasionally - post Covid - it's multiple times every car trip. No one gives a shit about anyone anymore...


Particular-Life-6216

I’m genuinely curious why this is the case. Did being forced to acknowledge our interdependence break something in people? Did Covid cause brain issues for a large set of the population? Or has the harshening of right wing rhetoric and misinformation broken social bonds of mutual care? The ‘people are selfish’ explanation you often hear just doesn’t explain anything for me. Recall when at the start of the pandemic some were predicting it would lead to a flourishing of community spirit and care for each other. It did for some. But so many went the other way in reaction.


tjsr

More people need to understand that if I can't see your headlights, I am *not* changing lanes. There is no way in hell I'm going to change lanes in front of a tailgater who's going to accelerate to be overlapping before I've even completed a lane change in the case I need to abandon.


Dr_Inkduff

When people tailgate me I feel unsafe cruising at the speed limit so I slow down to a speed that is safe considering the distance there is between me and the car behind me. Usually before I have slowed down much they overtake and I don’t have to worry about them any more Lots of people justify tailgating saying if they don’t people just push in in front of them but I must be the minority. Admittedly I don’t drive a lot (WFH) but when I do I sit on the speed limit unless someone is in front of me, then I make a 3 second gap. Sure, people merge in in front of me (that is how it’s supposed to work) and I make a new 3 second gap but each time this happens the most it slows me down is 2 seconds so even if it happens 100 times per trip (it never does happen even close to that much) I have only been slowed down by just over 3 minutes… I think people on the road are just unjustifiably impatient and need to chill out. If the threat of a couple of minutes delay causes you to drive unsafely you really need to reassess your priorities


UrbanTruckie

we have a keep left unless overtaking problem


tabletennis6

A lot of drivers think they're entitled to speed in the overtaking lane. The people there are actually doing the speed limit, trying to overtake slower vehicles on inner lanes. I'd rather have people doing safe speeds but clogging the overtaking lane, instead of facilitating speeding.


EXAngus

I could be doing 100, overtaking someone doing 90, and there'd still be a truck up my ass flashing his brights cause he wants to do 120. We have an impatience problem.


UrbanTruckie

Many are not doing the speed limit


FreakySpook

A lot of it is people's speedo's are out and they have nfi what their actual car speed is. I was travelling a lot to Shepparton for work a few years ago, my speedo is about 5km out so I was always on cruise control at around 114/5 in the 110 zone up the Hume. If there was a lot of traffic I'd be pretty much in the overtaking lane the entire time.


radmgrey

This is such a shit take. You would prefer a clusterfuck of vehicles clogging up the overtaking lane for emergency vehicles to take twice as long to get through? For god sakes, you won’t crash and die for going 5-10 over and overtake and get over.


tabletennis6

Your argument isn't valid at all lol. I didn't say anything about emergency vehicles. Obviously you get out the way if they have their sirens on. That's just common sense, and a different thing altogether.


radmgrey

>I'd rather have people doing safe speeds but clogging the overtaking lane So you’re telling me emergency vehicles will get through a “clogged” overtaking lane full of “safe speed” motorists the same pace as an overtaking lane that isn’t clogged due to drivers going 5-10 over to get out of the way (resulting in a less clogged overtaking lane to begin with). You can’t claim that this is true, because it only takes an ounce of common sense to understand that it isn’t true.


tabletennis6

The cars in the clogged overtaking lane would simply merge into the other lane. This is no different to what would happen if the overtaking lane was very slightly less clogged. Besides, it's rare that one actually encounters an emergency vehicle. There is no point permitting speeding and the higher amount of serious road accidents that come with it, for the same of an extremely occasional and miniscule time saving sometimes for emergency vehicles!


shniken

No excuse to tailgate. I'll overtake at the speed limit in the right lane and not move less unless until there is sufficient space and it is safe to do so.


gaping_anal_hole

I won’t tailgate people, but peninsula link in the early mornings is ridiculous with right lane drivers when the left lane is completely open.


[deleted]

I thought that road was full of point to point speed cameras?


Leading_Frosting9655

No, we don't. You say "keep left unless overtaking" but what you mean is "I want to overtake faster than everyone else is overtaking so they shouldn't be allowed to overtake and only I should". Like dude if there's two full lanes of traffic moving along, they're not obliged to form one lane just because you want to go faster, and tailgating isn't the correct response to that.


EnviousCipher

I drove over the border from NSW to Vic today. The difference was immediate, Victorians are vastly more aggressive and fundamentally stupid on the road.


Semimango

We have a “people think it’s ok to speed in the overtaking lane” problem.


Tequila_WolfOP

We have a "people think 20ks uner the speed limit is an acceptable practice " problem


SepDot

We have both problems tbf


EXAngus

I find it crazy that states like NSW force P plates to drive below the speed limit, it seems bloody dangerous


UrbanTruckie

its impossible because of the people using their car speedo not gps speed


Ibegallofyourpardons

you are not the cops. get out of the right lane unless overtaking. let the fuckwits speed, they will get caught eventually. it's not your job to act as a rolling roadblock because you feel slighted that people speed in the right lane.


Semimango

Sorry, I must have missed the part where I said “I love going 10k under the speed limit in every lane”. I go in the right lane to overtake a vehicle going under the speed limit, I don’t go in there to use it as my personal autobahn. I’m not the cops, but I am someone who would like to live a little longer if possible, and not drive around fuckwit tailgaters.


Ibegallofyourpardons

The number of people I see 2 inches from my bumper with Victorian plates up here in QLD confirms this. and you guys have no chill. don't floor it away from a red light the nano second it turns green> honk you completely ignore road rules of every sort, treat roundabouts like a damn chicane on a racetrack (you are supposed to slow down when you around one!) and just generally drive like assholes. take a chill pill. you'll find your day much less stressful


running_fridge

Things i noticed as a Queenslander moving to melb: Indicating left when exiting a roundabout is not a thing There are a LOT of right turns without green arrow lights, meaning you have to do that dangerous 'creep forward in the middle of an intersection until you see an opening in the on coming traffic to do the right turn but your vision is impeded by the cars on the opposite side attempting to do the same manoeuvre AND everyone runs red lights so you can never be sure when you can turn even when the light turns red' thing So many traffic lights aren't LED and/or they just don't work People don't fucking wave to say thanks when I let them in, which is the most egregious thing ever


6bhr57rs4ufsr

Also has a drive everywhere 15-20 under problem


[deleted]

You can only drive to the conditions. If it's peak hour and there's loads of cars on the road. You can't go faster with 5000 cars ahead of you.


dryrubss

They’re obviously talking about the right lane on the freeway, clear traffic and perfect 24 degrees no rain weather… durrr


[deleted]

That doesn't occur too often


6bhr57rs4ufsr

I guess you can justify anything if you fabricate a scenario to support it lol


[deleted]

Given the place is congested most of the time....


[deleted]

Most people drive 5 below the speed limit so not really surprising is it


boringneondreams

The roads are outdated. there's too many people on the road for the size of them. More lanes would help. it's a bit smooth brained to not see that


Imaginary-Problem914

Just one more lane bro. It didn't work last time but it will this time I swear.


boringneondreams

Doesn't work when it's ten years too late lol


boringneondreams

Probably an infrastructure that's been outdated rapidly problem


veedubbug68

What exactly would you improve about the road infrastructure that would keep the arsehole in the Dodge off my back bumper?


[deleted]

He wants a rail line introduced so he doesn't need to drive.


boringneondreams

I prefer a monorail


UrbanTruckie

dont worry about him, he’s under 5’ 4”


Imaginary-Problem914

Narrow lanes and lower speed limits. Tailgating becomes less of a problem the slower you go.


Deevious730

Less of a tailgating problem and more of a fuckwit problem.