Relative is taking their theory test soon so has been practising using the DVLA online app.
One of the questions left us all scratching our heads.. now we know the answer DVLA said was correct.. which would you think is right (maybe not logical)?
You are in a line of traffic. What action should you take if the driver behind is following very closely?
1 - Ignore the driver behind and continue to travel within the speed limit.
2 - Slow down, gradually increasing the gap between you and the vehicle in front.
3 - Signal left and wave the driver behind to come past.
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2 and/or 3. I think 2 is the approved way.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 16 Feb 20 at 17:58
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2.
No option for "Brake test?"
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So you guys are right of course, but why is no2 right?
Surely all that does is pee the driver behind off even more??
They went for no1 which seems reasonable to me.
I guess the key to the question is 'a line of traffic', if this was on the open road surely you wouldn't do the second option?
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It's so that if there is a queue ahead or other obstruction, you have a greater stopping distance and can slow down more slowly. This hopefully gives the cretin behind more time to react and stop.
Even on the open road, there may be an obstruction ahead, broken down car etc.
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2 is the only sensible answer really.
That said I also do 3 sometimes. Sometimes I don't bother with any waving or signalling, I just roll to a stop if necessary and see how long it takes them to work it out. More than once they have ended up stopped behind me, so close that they have to reverse before driving around.
I don't do road rage, but I do think these people should have their cars destroyed on the spot.
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The reason is to allow the following driver to overtake with an adequate place to pull into. Basic stuff really.
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No, though that makes sense, it is to avoid you having to do anything sudden because of something the driver in front of you does, thus potentially collecting the driver behind in your boot. With a bigger gap you have more time to brake gently should it be required.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sun 16 Feb 20 at 19:40
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"it is to avoid you having to do anything sudden because of something the driver in front of you does, thus potentially collecting the driver behind in your boot. With a bigger gap you have more time to brake gently should it be required."
That is what I was told on an advanced driving course.
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I did one of those too and got the same advice.
Doesn't mean that occasionally I'm still tempted sometimes to stamp on the brakes then hit the gas. :-)
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>> The reason is to allow the following driver to overtake with an adequate place to
>> pull into. Basic stuff really.
The space in front of you should be there already. I suppose that, optically, "falling behind" will encourage the idiot to pass. But the basic part is leaving an extra large gap so as not to have to brake any harder than absolutely necessary.
If there's continuous traffic, I prefer 100m or so in front of mme , such that I can usually avoid braking altogether unless the traffic comes to a stop.
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It would be interesting to know the answer if the question was asked in countries with more aggressive driving styles.
Recently I was on a four lane motorway where there was a very high volume of traffic, zero lane discipline and if you do try to leave a reasonable gap from the car in front it will get filled by another car, before it becomes reasonable.
The car behind me was flashing its lights in a 'get out of my way' manner. With nowhere to go sideways, and slowing down would have simply meant another idiot filling the gap in front of me, I elected to carry on. Not long after, the flasher realised he needed to exit at the next junction so forced his way across to leave the motorway. Had I let him through his time saving would been measured in microseconds.
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2 but in practice follow with 3. I would know a third party might steal the gap created but the chances would be greater that the flasher would use it.
I used to find tailgating very prevalent in France, maybe because I stuck to speed limits, thus annoying local drivers.
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>> I used to find tailgating very prevalent in France, maybe because I stuck to speed
>> limits, thus annoying local drivers.
I find that problem in France too. We were told by one of UK's migrants over there that French are taught to do that to signify desire to overtake.
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"I used to find tailgating very prevalent in France, maybe because I stuck to speed limits, thus annoying local drivers."
If you are talking about on autorutes I don't see how sticking to the speed limits would irritate others, unless of course you were being a rolling road block in an overtaking lane (as so many do here too).
I must admit if I knew I was annoying other drivers I wouldn't carry on doing whatever it was I was doing, unless I had no choice.
Driving is very different in other countries and I'm more inclined to try to blend with the local style (in a safe way) than impose my style on locals.
Honking and flashing do have different "meanings" in other countries. If I ever get hooted over here I feel I must have really upset someone, whereas in Egypt they are beeping all the time, just to let people know they are there.
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>>Honking and flashing do have different "meanings" in other countries
Honking here mostly means;
"I don't care what colour it is, I'm coming through that traffic light at speed"
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My experience of honking is that if you are in a car, then 'get out my way'; but if you are on a bike, it's 'be careful, I'm behind you'.
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I used to find tailgating very prevalent in France, maybe because I stuck to speed limits, thus annoying local drivers."
My theory - based on living in france part time - is that this a historically acquired trait, dating back to the days when most french drove normally aspirated diesels. With an underpowered diesel that last thing you want to do is to loose speed, particularly on an incline. The habit has just stayed with the older population.
I had driven very few diesels, and when given a hired very basic Clio about 20 years ago,I found myself doing the very thing that I had always complained against!
The french have also been very slow in adopting a UK style method of using roundabouts. Historically the outer circle route was almost universally adopted. Nowadays the younger drivers have been taught to indicate and have discovered the merits of straight lining a r'bout.
Any body else seen the same thing.
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Quite happy to be tailgated. the shorter the distance between me and the car behind in a motorway shunt the better. I'll take a gentle kiss from him, and he can be my rear crumple zone to the lorry behind him
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Tailgating what would you do? - Bromptonaut
