Pardon my intrusion, but may I get in on this please? FGL28 is correct in my humble opinion. I once attended traffic school and came away having learned a lesson I shall never forget. It changed my attitude about tailgaters. Here was the advice: As the tailgater (TG) gets closer, lift the throttle but don't apply the brake. Of course that will result in decreasing still further the distance between the two of you. But remember that the idiot is behind you and at the moment a threat to both of you and others. You are in control and control is what is important at this time, not knowing a thing about the jerk behind you or his condition. Staying in your lane and maintaining an evenly and slowly decreasing speed accomplishes two goals. First it lessens the danger every second that greater damage will result if there is a collision, because the speeds are decreasing. Second, the guy in the rear is obviously unpredictable but you are stable. The goal is to remain stable until he tires of your speed and goes around you. His lane change may or may not be stable, but your position is in your control. Once he is around you, the problem ceases to exist. Of course, this would probably fetch you a citation in Germany where you are required to keep right except to pass. So every situation should be judged separately. If I spot them coming, I will move right before they reach a critical distance, and I always yeild to a driver that wishes to drive faster than I am driving. If however, the TG jerk jumps into my lane without warning from a clump of cars and I couldn't have forseen it, I stick to this tactic. And I have abandoned worrying or becoming angry with tailgaters. I simply want them past me. FWIW, I learned that in traffic school a few years back and it helps calm the road rage I once displayed.

Ok, thanks for the time. Carry on. I'll go back to the 928 Forum now.

 

Very rational approach Ron.

Scott

 

If I had to stick to the speed limit and not accelerate rapidly and not drive around blind corners quickly, I would not enjoy my Porsche. If I was going to drive with the priority being on safety and responsibility, I would get a lot more pleasure out of driving a very smooth car. IMHO I doubt whether anyone with a high performance street car (other than those that buy one purely for the look, status or owning something fine) has not driven it irresponsibly. There are of course degrees of irresponsibility.

All the best,

 

You're right - I'd drive a Prius instead.

You people are a little too safety obsessed. Remember - life is a fatal condition. As far as a tailgater is concerned - I just hope you aren't the sorts to drive 55 in the left hand lane - blocking everybody in the name of safety. I personally think the way people drive in Europe - not just Germany - is the proper way. Our laws have made our drivers stupid over here in the US. There is after all a reason why most Europeans think nothing of driving here because it is fairly boring - more like people moving than true driving. Conversely, we consider it a big deal to drive over there because it actually requires you to think. Sorry about my rant.

 

In my old Mercedes I use another tactic on tailgaters. Stomp on the gas( diesel) pedal. Makes clouds of smoke that smells like a cross between diesel and a KFC (I run a blend of Bio and Dino in the winter). Of course with about 115HP on a 4000# car not much else happens but the tailgater backs WAY off.

 

funny how people are the same wherever you are (sad), first of all i've now heard four different versions of the enzo story on this forum alone, how about not judging without the facts, i thought this was an enthusiasts forum, yes he was probably going too fast but who hasn't ? he must be a rich a-hole right? we probably get called that everytime we pass anybody at any speed because we're driving p-cars...also there is NO excuse for driving in the left lane at ANY time except to pass slower traffic, there is nothing more frustrating or dangerous than left lane drivers and it's an epidemic both in canada and the U.S. i'd bet it's the leading cause of road rage and the cause of a lot of accidents...sad thing is it seems to get worse every year....gf

 

I agree.

 

The owner isn't your everyday driver (in the middle):

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/pop...EMANS&S=LEMANS

 

Just for the record, one need not go to Europe to find laws making driving in the left lane, except to pass, illegal. Several States have such laws and they enforce them. the State I live in regularly enforces that law. A friend's wife just received a ticket for doing so, and tried to fight it because she was at, or above, the speed limit....guilty as charged!

 

cabfan is correct - the left lane is for passing - not enforcing the speed limit. In another left lane twist I think the subject car is at fault and not the driver.

 

I wish the driving standard in this country even remotely resembled that of Europe. I despise the utter lack of lane discipline and the generally abysmal driving in the US. I certainly enjoy driving my car in a way that is not always legal, but there is a BIG difference between having a little fun while not being stupid and what the Enzo driver appears to have been doing.

If he was the driver...
If he was going 120+ mph...

It was a NON-DIVIDED HIGHWAY(no guardrail, median or anything separating opposing lanes of traffic), with large CRESTS and DIPS -- clearly not the right road for that kind of speed.
And he was DRUNK!!! (assuming it's true that his BAC was 0.09).

That is not having a bit of fun. That is not necessary to enjoy the car -- at that speed and that place in that alcohol-impaired condition. Objecting to this behavior does not make one too safety-conscious. That this wasn't lethal is purely due to luck.

Drunk and 120+ mph -- no one has the "right" to do that on a public road (whether those are the facts of this case or not).

 

I couldn't agree more! Let's see, 120mph+, undivided highway, racing another vehicle, 6:30am on the coast with cool temps and moist air...any moisture/condensation on the road??....drunk, then either runs away or lies about being the passenger....yep, just one of the boys out "having a little fun"!

And saying anyone who doesn't agree with that behavior must be some safety extremist who never exceeds 55mph and blocks all left lanes, is beyond ridiculous...

 

In case you haven't seen these pix. Same basic thing from Italy.

 

Bob W, good detective work on finding that picture of the driver...

 

Wow . . . looks like the driver in this crash was not as lucky. Seems it was the front of this car that was demolished. Did they need a shovel and a shop-vac to scoop him up off the roadway.

Scott