Vehicle intentionally trying to cause an accident

[crispyboy]

I used to own a motorcycle. Sold it!
I got tired of people trying to run me off the road. The clincher was when I was driving a two lane road and they purposely came over into my lane to run me off the road. That was enough for me.....
Lots of ID10T's out there!

[Jim Clark]

This is somewhat of a related topic how many leave the hitch bar in place after towing to ward off tailgaters? I have a Hensley and actually remove the Hensley bar and Install my old weight distribution bar with the drop head. My truck has slightly larger tires and puts the hitch above most car bumpers. I see cars pull up behind my truck and then back away quickly everyday.

I also have one of the cheap rearview cameras mounted in the rear window of my trailer it really helps on the highway.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

Two things could have happened.
One: some people stop driving when the get near another vehicle they speed match un-consciencely (sp?)

This is Magnet Car Syndrome. When one of these cars sticks to yours, you cannot loose it on either side by speeding up or slowing down. The only way to get rid of them is to find slower traffic and scrape them off like s**t of the bottom of your shoe.

Vaughan

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

I have had someone try to do that to me I also have had someone merging onto the highway get pissed beacuse I was travelling in the slow lanether ewas traffic next to me and i could not move over.

The soluiton is to slow down and let them just stay ahead of you. Pulling off was the best thing to do.

Last weekend in western PA, 63mph in the right lane noticed p/u merging in r/view mirror, when he reached our speed he stayed right along side of our trunk, we slow down so does he,noticed semi passing both of us in the left lane. He must have noticed what was going on, because just as he got slightly ahead, he sounded the loudest air horns Iv'e ever heard on any semi. Whoever you were I give ya a big 10-4, sent my merging wacko off on the shoulder. Don't know what he was thinking, he may have been just a gawker, but he scared the liquid out of both of us

[Happycampers]

I think a lot of these guys are just trying to intimidate people. A truck driver told me long ago, where the tractor goes the trailer will follow. I put my turn signal on and I am coming over, so either get on the go button or the brakes. These guys that want to get in an accident for a quick buck do it all the time and they don't want to get hurt bad so thy will back off if you call their bluff.

Marvin

[pmclemore]

Yup - I like the signals that are in the side mirrors. When I signal that I am coming over, they can see that light and make their decision. Funny thing, though - they never seem to slow and get behind me, but they take the hint and speed up a bit. They I will slow and usually can get some separation.

and if they get in the way again, then I look for an opportunity to set up the thecatsandi scenario - scrape 'em off.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I don't panic, don't speed up, or slow down. I'm old and have experienced them all. Jam on the brakes in front of me, plan on getting hit. Change lanes toward me, [trying to squeeze me out or trying to bully me out of my lane] I'm not budgeing. Won't let me over, I turn on the signals, look right at you, if you still won't let me in, I'm comeing anyway. Size matters!
I think spending my whole life in Southern California and shareing the roads with every kind of idiot in creation has forced me to deal with them this way.

[audiobox]

Or, as a friend of mine once said, "It's a turn SIGNAL, not a turn REQUEST."

[markdoane]

I'm guessin' your friend has a lot of accidents?

I'll let you in, but you might need to wait a few seconds.
If you can't wait you'd better be a city bus, or a lot bigger than me.

[audiobox]

Actually, he said that within the context of a conversation concerning the drivers who speed up to cut you off as soon as you activate your turn signal.

Originally Posted by markdoane

I'm guessin' your friend has a lot of accidents?

I'll let you in, but you might need to wait a few seconds.
If you can't wait you'd better be a city bus, or a lot bigger than me.

[slowmover]

Ya'll have me laughing pretty good. As to moving over onto the shoulder in Texas, well, this is the generally accepted haf-add way of obeying the law which states that slow-moving vehicles must yield the right-of-way when obstructing traffic. (One is supposed to pull over and come to a full stop). Just as true in California on a two-laner as here in the Lone Star State. We just make a habit of courtesy. And the wave -- to oncomers and others -- is with two or three fingers from the hand draped over the top of the steering wheel. Now seen only on highways not crowded with Yanks and Californios who've fallen for the idea that Austin is cool (hasn't been since the 1970s and the traffic matches Washington, DC for the pain it inflicts.)

Glad to read of a few things I hadn't heard or thought of.

Turn signals? Yeah, here I come, I ain't askin' permission. Especially on an Interstate where they stay (illegally) in the left lane, speeding.

I also use headlights on bright for those who cut over too soon in front of me (and am known to use them in city traffic constantly for the same reason when the cretins are thick on the ground. (Speaking of cretins on the road -- the ones traveling in packs -- I just wrote up a method at length I use in a related topic on SAFE TOWING SPEED; how I like to maintain that with said cretinous drivers).

[Jaxon]

Yup, they still do pull over as a courtesy, but mostly in west Texas, though... 'course, there's alot more room out there. Nowadays, when you pass someone on a two-laner highway going slow, they're mostly oblivious as to anyone else on the road, whilst yaking away on the phone...

[Kevbo10]

Originally Posted by Ridge Runner

Has anybody had an other vehicle try to cause an accident while towing your trailer.
Last year on our fall trip, we were on I-55 headed north in AK, we noticed an old Chevrolet laying down some smoke and going slow.
I pulled into the passing lane going 65 mph to pass, as we got past the car and turning into the right lane, the car speedup. I pushed the truck up to 70 mph and the car was trying stay in the right lane. I had to push the truck to 75 to get over, noticed the windows were all tinted so you couldn't she the driver or anybody.
The car then speed by me and slowed down to 45 mph and this went on for several times. I started to call the HP , saw a rest area and pulled in and the car speed off. Never saw it again. Unnerving to say the least.
We wil be going that way this fall and I will keep an eye out for that car.

i carry a .loaded .44 mag

very effective.

go ahead,

make my day...

kevbo

[Cracker]

A little bit off the subject - but the State Police in Maine have got so darn ticked off with drivers trying to run them down when they pull a car over that they just passed a law that demands that drivers pull over into the opposite lane when passing a stopped cruiser with the blue lights flashing. They backed it up with a mandatory, no excuses, flat $300.00 fine! I've always thought that moving over just made common sense. They further passed a minimum clearance law (---I believe it was 5'-0") for passing a bicyclist. This means that you better hug the centerline - even when there's a dedicated bicycle trail on the side of the road. On the other hand, they also granted permission to cross a double yellow line to pass a bicyclist.

[wanderer1]

As a (25 + years) real life trucker,most of whats been described happens to us in semi's daily of not hourly! Alot of four wheeler's (cars,p/u's) love to play sick games with big trucks for whatever reason. Years ago I learned a trick that works nearly every time. When the cute little four wheeler tries to stay beside you,or speed up/slow down with you,just slow way down. I've slowed to apx.45 mph (interstate min.speed) and set the cruise until they speed on down the road.Most of the offending four wheeler's cann't take going slow too long < them. 95% of them will give up and go on their way! < me Another trick I use is when you need to change lanes,I do not use my turn signal until I'am already starting to move into the next lane - this way the four wheeler's never get a chance to cut you off. And believe me,QUITE a few four wheeler's will speed up the second they see a signal come on from a big truck! F.Y.I., large dump truck's are even HARDER to stop than an 18-wheeler. They carry the same weight + or -,but have less tires/brakes (12 tires on a tri-axle) to stop them. People that cut in front of dump's,right as a traffic light turns red,must have a death wish.

[Gene]

I had the same experience as the first post back in 1969 in Pa. No trailer back then. I went to pass a car full of teenagers (I was in my late 20's) on a two lane, and they started speeding up. There we were on a very long and empty straight road going about 95. I couldn't go much faster than him. I was inching forward and the valves were almost floating, so I figured he really liked his left front fender and when my right rear fender was alongside, I started slowly moving to the right. I came pretty close and he gave up and I kept going about 90 to get away from him. It was one of those "make the other guy think you're crazier than him" moments. I don't think I'd do that now. I have, also long ago, in NYC had a guy in front of me slowing down on a expressway because he thought it was funny, so I just laid on the horn. After about a minute of listening to a horn, most people give up. I generally only see this kind of driving where there are big cities or congested roads (and all of Florida). I don't get so mad anymore and just make decisions to protect my wife, me and my possessions. Now that I'm old, every minute of life is more precious. Boy, I sound old, but I don't wear my pants' beltline under my arms, yet. Maybe next year.

Gene

[tin sista]

We recently (late Oct) had some weird times on the PA turnpike, but I noticed some of their merge spots have yield signs and some have stop signs, so it made for some strange times in the right lane for us...I have to say though PA folks do not tailgate like Detroiters and so I give them kudos for that...my (Detroit) people oh my people stop tailgating puleeze....

I don't know if they are looking for accidents, but I don't like the folks who zig zag lanes, then cut right in front of me and slow down we have a diesel and we can't stop on a dime...hello?

Personally I can't use the phone while driving and tow safely, I find it too distracting. Guess I don't take enough geritol or something...by the time I pull over to use the phone I've forgotten why I'm pulled over

[Foiled Again]

I road motorcycles. In fact I was only licensed for motorcycles until my 26th birthday. When I renewed that year they accidently renewed it as a car license with a motorcycle endorsement - so I never had to take the driving test. When I bought my first car a few months after that birthday and went back to the DMV to get a car license, the guy behind the counter said "Please just be careful and say nothing. If we try to redo it legally it'll take months to get it straightened out!

Back to the motorcycle story. I got so used to idiots tailgating me that I took a block of styrofoam and painted it to look like a brick, bungied it to the back seat and pulled it out and waved it at tailgaters. On a few occasions I even tossed it backwards. Its funny how you don't notice that it's somehow floating toward your windshield as you're slamming on the breaks. The look when the "brick" floats harmlessly OVER the car is never to be forgotten.

A Harley driving friend of mine used to carry steel ball bearings which he'd bounce off of the pavement. They'd regularly bounce up just high enough to put a significant amount of damage on the following car's windshield.

And then my best story... toss a used baby diaper out of the passenger window. Then realize it's an unmarked patrol car behind you. (Wasn't me, I swear! A friend of mine did it.)

Paula

[Glenn G]

In California (if its still the law) three vehicles following you is a ticket. If you have two and the third is the law who scooted up there quick, even with no place to turn off, it's a ticket.
I don't know if its still works like that but it did in 1970.

[Royce]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

... Now that I'm old, every minute of life is more precious. Boy, I sound old, but I don't wear my pants' beltline under my arms, yet. Maybe next year.

Gene

Not old until you stop looking behind when you back out of the dirveway.