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Why You Never, Ever Brake Check (Or Tailgate!) Another Driver

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Makonero

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http://jalopnik.com/why-you-never-ever-brake-check-another-driver-1764147377

Think someone’s going too slow in the left lane? Cool. Just go around them. Think someone’s tailgating you? Cool. Just switch over to another lane.
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I expect this thread to erupt into arguments. Please remember, different states/countries have different laws about left lane usage. Courtesy is another matter entirely.

EDIT: There's some more discussion about left lane usage laws. For those confused about what states have what laws regarding left lane usage, here's a good, old-fashioned table: http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
 
I always drive defensively and never aggressively. My life isn't comparable to getting to my driving destination a couple minutes earlier.
 
Don't tailgate me.

Brake checking will occur, and you can't prove I did it on purpose. So you hitting me is your fault.

I'm on the breakchecker's side.
 
The guy was in the left lane to allow that other guy to merge in smoothly. Not like he was hogging the left lane.

Guy in the ditch got what he deserved
 
I don't brake check, but I sure as shit mean mug the 80% of assholes in Denver who think their SUVs can tear through every metal on Earth like paper so they tailgate nonstop.

Why are you so terrible, Denver drivers? (Because most are from Texas and California)
 
why did he overcorrect so god damn harshly

that seems like poor decision making

I mean don't break check unless you're being a dickhead but wow

that looks like swervy mctailgate was on their phone or distracted otherwise
 
Do you need to explain those terms for people not in the US or are "brake check" and "tailgate" internationally recognized slang?
 
I drive defensively and offensively. If you're being an aggressive asshole, I'll get out of your way. But you're getting a middle finger out of it.
 
I dunno seems like a good reason to brake check. If you're on my ass that hard then you're driving wrong.
 
Ragnorok64 said:
Do you need to explain those terms for people not in the US or are "brake check" and "tailgate" internationally recognized slang?
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Makonero said:
That is an excellent question; anyone from a country outside the US want to chime in?
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I'm not from the US (and I don't drive) but they seemed pretty obvious to me. "tail-gate", staying too close to the tail of the vehicle in front (like NASCAR racers). "brake check", do a light tap on your brakes to make the driver behind you either hit your car (and pay) or have to brake hard (due to reaction time/reduced distance) and understand that it's not cool to tailgate. Do correct me if I'm wrong, please.
 
Ragnorok64 said:
Do you need to explain those terms for people not in the US or are "brake check" and "tailgate" internationally recognized slang?
Click to expand...
Translated to the queen's english they both mean 'drive like an arsehole.'
BriGuy said:
I drive defensively and offensively. If you're being an aggressive asshole, I'll get out of your way. But you're getting a middle finger out of it.
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That's just the responsible thing to do. Onya.
 
What's the point of break checking? Like, do you want to have a fender bender and take hours out of your day to deal with that?
 
Don't drive up someone's ass like that and things like this don't happen. I don't brake check, but seriously that person needed to back the fuck off.
 
FunkyPajamas said:
I'm not from the US (and I don't drive) but they seemed pretty obvious to me. "tail-gate", staying too close to the tail of the vehicle in front (like NASCAR racers). "brake check", do a light tap on your brakes to make the guy in the back either hit your car (and pay) or have to brake hard (due to reaction time/reduced distance) and understand that it's not cool to tailgate.
Click to expand...

Brake checking is more often used to get people off your tail, but yeah. I can update the OP if people get confused.

The really interesting thing here is that I'd barely call this a brake check. He literally just tapped the brakes and didn't slow at all. A brake check in my experience is more a harder push of the brakes.
 
Ray Wonder said:
Don't tailgate me.

Brake checking will occur, and you can't prove I did it on purpose. So you hitting me is your fault.

I'm on the breakchecker's side.
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I agree. Although when there is 2 lanes I'll switch over if possible. It's tailgating in a single lane that's the worst, brake check every time. Fuck tailgaters.
 
GavinGT said:
What's the point of break checking? Like, do you want to have a fender bender and take hours out of your day to deal with that?
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Most people don't let it come to that
It's akin to a pitcher giving someone a little chin music, the message is the same, back up b
 
Brake checking and tailgating are some of the straight up stupidest things you can do on the road. My girlfriend used to tailgate hard till someone checked her into a spinout on the freeway. While I'm glad she's safe and she hasn't done it since, she should have never done so in the first place. It's fucking stupid, you're driving a god damn car commuting somewhere, not racing. ffs you're driving a ton of metal at speeds well above 60 on freeways out here in CA, pulling stupid stunts like that are childish.
 
SheepyGuy said:
How are you supposed to switch to another lane when someone's tailgating you on a one-lane street?

Fuck tailgaters.
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my favorite tailgaters are when traffic is very heavy, meaning you have cars all around you and everyone is going ~65, like where do you think you are going to go? Not only that i can't get over as there's cars all around me. People are just asking to cause a 10 car pileup.

My second favorite are tailgaters that tailgate you on city streets, flying around you, only for you to pull up next to them at the next red light. I usually wave at them at the light if they honked or flicked me off because they were mad i was "going to slow."
 
I used to brake-check, now I get over (if possible) and just honk as they go by. If I can't I just maintain my speed and let them decide what to do.

Having been rear-ended (not from brake checking), it's not really something I want to repeat under any circumstance.
 
shiftplusone said:
why did he overcorrect so god damn harshly

that seems like poor decision making

I mean don't break check unless you're being a dickhead but wow

that looks like swervy mctailgate was on their phone or distracted otherwise
Click to expand...

Wondering this too. Crazy over reaction on his part.
 
Impeding those traveling faster while in the left lane is illegal in many places (regardless of speed). Breakchecker loses in this scenario.

Breakchecking at a high rate of speed in any scenario is dangerous to everyone on the road.
 
I tailgate in the morning sometimes. When behind a slow driver. I'll try to get out of the practice. I know it's not a good one. Thank you, Mako.
 
Makonero said:
Brake checking is more often used to get people off your tail, but yeah. I can update the OP if people get confused.

The really interesting thing here is that I'd barely call this a brake check. He literally just tapped the brakes and didn't slow at all. A brake check in my experience is more a harder push of the brakes.
Click to expand...

:) cool, thanks!
 
GavinGT said:
What's the point of break checking? Like, do you want to have a fender bender and take hours out of your day to deal with that?
Click to expand...

You're supposed to slow down, to force the tailgater to slow down too and minimize the chance of a serious accident. People take this to mean, "I'll just stomp on my brakes to scare them, and if we crash it's their fault."

Of course, this just enrages the tailgater and makes things more dangerous.
 
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