You’ve probably found yourself driving in front of a tailgate before. This person is far too close to your vehicle, perhaps driving aggressively and making you feel nervous. You can tell that they are very close to causing a car accident, even if you are just obeying the speed limit and driving safely.
In this situation, some people will quickly hit their brakes. This is known as “brake-checking.” They want to slow down quickly to show the other driver that they should back off.
But you should never do this. It’s considered aggressive driving and it’s one of the reasons why the front driver may be considered at fault. If you intentionally caused an accident by hitting your brakes without warning, you may share some liability. So what should you do?
Encourage them to pass your car
Instead of hitting your brakes or engaging in aggressive driving yourself, just try to get the tailgater to pass you. If they do, you’ll be much safer.
One trick to do this is to gradually slow down by taking your foot off of the gas, rather than hitting the brakes. You may also be able to merge into another lane if you’re on the interstate. If you’re on a smaller road where passing is difficult, it can be wise to look for a pull-off or a spot where you can stop your car on the shoulder safely to allow that driver to go around.
Unfortunately, even if you do everything right, tailgating is dangerous and could lead to a serious accident. If you suffer injuries in that crash, you may be able to seek compensation for lost wages, medical bills and much more.