Street Smarts: Traffic citation teaches motorist about tailgati...

During a recent ride-along with the California Highway Patrol, the officer I was with pulled over a motorist who was following a school bus too closely on southbound Highway 1. Officer Sarah Jackson and I estimated the silver Mazda was about one car length, or 10 feet, away from the rear of the bus.

[judge_roy_bean]

"...the woman told Jackson she was unaware that tailgating was illegal." Ummm Yeah. The scary thing is she probably wasn't lying.

[Wood]

In my experience in commuting on Highway 1, there should be a lot more citations for this infraction! I see tailgating daily by impatient or unaware drivers.

[7th Ave Resident]

We neeed those markers on Hwy 129!!

[HUH]

I hate the dummies that tailgate in residential areas. Are these people really in such a rush to get to the next stop sign? I'm no safety nut but I've come to the conclusion that too many people have no driving ability.

[Justin Hale]

Sounds good at face value, but I sincerely hope the Patrol are serious about ticketing tailgaiters. Tailgaiting is an extremely dangerous not to mention annoying practice and public safety in general demands that it be aggressively discouraged. Unfortunately in 40 years I've heard of about one tailgaiter ticket every 15 years or so. Of course, this is strictly anecdotal data.

[Read more]

She was probably telling the truth. How many here have recently read the driver's handbook? Anybody?

*crickets*

[Spaced driver]

When I was 16, my mother insisted I take a defensive driving course. There I learned the single most effective way you can avoid an accident:

PUT MORE SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU

Unfortunately this rule falls on deaf ears when it comes to my husband.

[Safe Distance Problem]

The problem with mantaining that "safe distance" on the freeway is that someone will probably use the space to dart in front of you thereby creating an unsafe situation for you. If there is a collision, you would be in the rear and probably found at fault for the accident. I have had numerous people use the save driving space as their personal invitation to bust a stupid move. While a good idea in theory, it only works if everyone abides by it.

[Carl Bendix]

Yeah yeah, all this theoretical safety stuff is great to be aware of but let's be realistic. If you leave the proper spacing between your vehicle and the next, it will be filled almost immediately. What's worse, drivers are constantly coming up the right lane only to force-merge when they encounter a "road boulder". Then you have two choices; either let them collide with your right front fender, or hit the brakes and let them crowd in front. I don't wish to run into the back of the car in front of me so I do leave a little extra space but still not the required distance. Otherwise I would have drivers breaking their necks trying to get around me just to fill that void, or to make the off ramp without having to slow down too soon.
We all encounter these types of rude drivers on a daily basis. I think the key here is defensive driving. I mean that is what it all comes down to isn't it?

[Redwood Girl]

Safe Distance Problem wrote:

The problem with mantaining that "safe distance" on the freeway is that someone will probably use the space to dart in front of you thereby creating an unsafe situation for you. If there is a collision, you would be in the rear and probably found at fault for the accident. I have had numerous people use the save driving space as their personal invitation to bust a stupid move. While a good idea in theory, it only works if everyone abides by it.

Exactly what I was going to say. It never fails, if you leave distance between you & the car ahead of you, it is inevitable that someone will squeeze into it! One of my pet peeves!

[santa cruz]

anyone else taught the "one car length per ten miles an hour" rule?

[tailgaters sck]

Ah yes highway 17 tailgaters, aren't they just great. Too bad CHP NEVER, I mean NEVER enforces this law on highway 17. Why, probably once the tailgater sees the black and white they back off.

The folks following to close all eventually crash it seems on the tight curves, that is why you see 5 or 6 cars crashed on a curve as they drive so close to one another there is no time to stop.

Ah well, too bad they have to actually crash before they learn what safe following distance is...

[old bag]

IMO many drivers totally oblivious to fact that they are tailgating someone, other drivers do it on purpose - I call that kind of tailgating:
VEHICULAR TERRORISM, and the driver of said vehicle is a VEHICULAR TERRORIST
Tailgaters that then pass another & cross over the double yellow line are really bad, and even worse are the ones that tailgate, aggressively, then cross over the double yellow line on a curve. These people don't feel they should have to wait for the "car blocking THEM" to pull over at the nearest SAFE spot. Often these offenders are traveling tooooo close for the car in front to notice the upcoming turnout (especially tourists), & if they DO see the turnout aren't able to safely slow down enough to pull off/over the road. This is a BIG problem on Hwy 9, & Bear Creek Rd. Nice weekend weather really brings out the kooks looking to get their jollies out by using our mountain roads as their personal race course!!!! These kooks are one of the biggest reasons I will not be turning in my big SUV - it takes a car with a big hood to fit a motorcyclist on top of hood and windshield....but, hey, better than in my lap or worse- me, my children injured from one of these selfish idiots.....
That's my two cents on the tailgating issue.
Everybody drive safely & have a great Monday!

[old bag]

santa cruz wrote:

anyone else taught the "one car length per ten miles an hour" rule?

YES

[Tale Gator]

If they're going to go after the tailgaters, then they should also take out the douchenozzles who chug along at 40 in the left lane of 17, slowing even more if there's a truck to pass. These rolling speed bumps are just as much of a problem.

[Carl Bendix]

santa cruz wrote:

anyone else taught the "one car length per ten miles an hour" rule?

That's six car lengths @ 60mph. Is this even possible on hwy1, i mean other than 2am to 4am?

[thanmove]

DER tailgating is illegal, so is driving too slow in a passing lane, when you enter the freeway YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT....staying or blocking traffice to stop for a pedestrian NOT in a cross walk, driving with no insurance, half the drivers in this county, driving with no license..so what is officer lady tude going to do cure the couty? I think not...we get in our little box and drive thinking we own the road...when there are soooo many violators out there this is petty.

[Dave]

would the Sentinel find stats on fines ($) collected in SC county by CHP ... with a break down of the "crimes"...
CHP seems to have unlimited bugets to patrol Felton and in fact my entire route to Silicon Valley ... cops everywhere in the am commute .. lived in several other parts of the state, never seen anything like it!

thx

[Ben Dover]

Hitting the bottle a little early today, jimi?

thanmove wrote:

DER tailgating is illegal, so is driving too slow in a passing lane, when you enter the freeway YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT....staying or blocking traffice to stop for a pedestrian NOT in a cross walk, driving with no insurance, half the drivers in this county, driving with no license..so what is officer lady tude going to do cure the couty? I think not...we get in our little box and drive thinking we own the road...when there are soooo many violators out there this is petty.

[Dave]

tailgaters sck wrote:

Ah yes highway 17 tailgaters, aren't they just great. Too bad CHP NEVER, I mean NEVER enforces this law on highway 17. Why, probably once the tailgater sees the black and white they back off.
The folks following to close all eventually crash it seems on the tight curves, that is why you see 5 or 6 cars crashed on a curve as they drive so close to one another there is no time to stop.
Ah well, too bad they have to actually crash before they learn what safe following distance is...

they are too busy collecting taxes (writing tickets) indiscriminately from anyone that's going a few mph over the limit, regardless of road conditions or driving style etc. it's probably an easier court process, why deal with the really dangerous drivers??