Brake checking vs tailgating | GTAMotorcycle.com

Brake checking vs tailgating

Buddhacide

Buddhacide

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Hi all. Ive been reading some posts on the board that mention brake checking and how bad it is. I have never given it much thought. Obviously, actually braking when you are being tailgated is stupid. However, Ive long been in the habit of "flickering" my brake light when I'm being tailgated. Aside from waiving my arms and directing even more attention to the tailgator, Ive always thought this was a pretty safe way to request someone back off. I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are. I'd like to reiterate I dont actually brake. I'm just wondering if such a maneuver is still technically illegal, and whether you feel that, in practice its a bad move. I cant help but interpret tailgating a motorcycle as a far less forgivable offense. I never feel more at risk on my bike then when someone is tailgating me and I cant focus on the road. Thanks.
 
I wouldn't do it on a bike, it might just piss the person off more. If someone's tailgating me I give myself lots of room in front, which sometimes works for whatever reason, or worst case I just turn off and get away from them. YMMV
 
Dont know if you guys have noticed all the potholes on those roads this spring. Ive been pretty weary of them. If I'm in the right lane, doing my thing, or on a ramp, I really feel entitled to that space even if I have the gall to just be riding at the speed limit. Speeding up is not a reasonable compromise. That I see as dangerous if, I dont want to be going faster for whatever reason. Plus a lot of these people arent trying to pass, they just drive too bloody close. I would always get out of the way of a tailgator if I had the choice. I'm really referring to when I dont.

Its pretty crazy out there. This morning I was on yonge street and some total idiot in a Mercedes was beeping at me from behind. Its basically bumper to bumper but I didnt accelerate quickly enough for her (even though I totally did). Its this phenomenon where some people just dont consider you legitimate traffic. She guns it around me, only to immediately have to slam on her brakes because there is a car in front of me. Then she eventually guns it around the next person only to get stuck in the middle of the intersection at Dundas at a red. It's always something in this city, lol
 
When people tailgate me I start going back and forth in my lane as if warming up my tires, they usually back off because they don't know what the hell is going on. lol
 
I just make a "back off" motion with my left hand, without slowing down.
 
Tap your butt with your left hand .The driver usually gets it .
 
Yeah I do the arm wave thing as well sometimes.
 
When i'm in my car I give bikes a lot of space, because I know how it feels to be tailgated. But if you're getting tailgated in your car... it's better to just let off the accelerator; if they persist, just pull over and let them pass.

If it's a single lane road in each direction, I temporarily give up my tire track and wave them forward. If they want to do 100 km/hr in a 50 zone... that's on them.

It's simply bad practice to speed up because someone is tailgating you; you'll be the scapegoat when police radar/laser tag you especially because you're in front.

When I was younger I did this all the time, I'd follow the fastest car on the road; police would wave them down, and i'd be on my merry way... although i still get that 'stomach drop' feel when the other car gets waved down.

Tapping your brakes on your bike is a great way to cash out your term life insurance policy.
 
if someone's following me too close on my bike, i usually do the tire-warming weave, if they don't back off, i change lanes to get away from them. in my car, i'll usually change lanes if they persist more than a bit.
 
koma said:
I wouldn't do it on a bike, it might just piss the person off more. If someone's tailgating me I give myself lots of room in front, which sometimes works for whatever reason, or worst case I just turn off and get away from them. YMMV
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This is the proper way to handle it in my opinion.
 
Joots said:
if someone's following me too close on my bike, i usually do the tire-warming weave, if they don't back off, i change lanes to get away from them. in my car, i'll usually change lanes if they persist more than a bit.
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+1

The weaving always gets them to back off. If they don't, either split off or slow down, break the mirror, then split off =)
 
Don't be in a situation where someone is going to tailgate you. If somehow you are, then speed up or move over. I'm sure you don't like to be impeded so why impede someone else?
 
Some one is going to tail gate you.. Change lanes, pull over let them pass, wave them off, your last resort should be speeding off
 
HTA 172 isn't just for speeding and wheelies. It includes brake checking.

Modest brake checking is normal when you have to squeeze into a lane but an aggressive lock up is a no no.

ii. stopping or slowing down a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates the driver’s sole intention in stopping or slowing down is to interfere with the movement of another vehicle by cutting off its passage on the highway or to cause another vehicle to stop or slow down in circumstances where the other vehicle would not ordinarily do so,
 
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I just make a "back off" motion with my left hand, without slowing down.
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That after a brake light flicker for me...

I usually make an exaggerated shake of my head in disapproval...most get the message.

I watch in the mirror ....sometimes I see the passenger berate the driver.....makes me grin.

•••

Don't be in a situation where someone is going to tailgate you. If somehow you are, then speed up or move over. I'm sure you don't like to be impeded so why impede someone else?
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Do you actually ride on real roads??....there are many situations where you have none of those options.
You must claim your space for safety and if that means opening up extra space in front of you for the idiot behind you then you do it and part of doing that is making sure they know you are NOT happy with their tailgating....brake flickers, emergency flashers and back off hand signs.....

BTW - I see lots of bikes tailgating as well......goose and gander comes to mind.
 
Agreed, "don't be in the situation" doesn't add a lot to the conversation. Nobbie48, thanks for the HTA section. Again, I wonder if not actually changing speed when doing it makes a difference. I have also done the "off the throttle move" indicating "look man, I'm not speeding up so pass". But that seems like it would be covered by the line as well. Taken in isolation, that line seems to really privilege speeders and tailgaters. I wonder how it works in practice.
 
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I would say people that are constantly tail gated need to evaluate their riding/driving habits before blaming others:

Are you riding on the left lane/Passing lane? if you are even at the traffic flow speed, you need to get out, if you are in that lane for anything else than to pass a car you then need to get out unless there is bumber to bumber traffic.

Are you merging into the hyw way to slowly? if you are you will be tailgated

I have 99 problems but being tailgated ain't one, I wonder why you have that problem. Not trying to be a prick, but you need to really evaluate your riding habits.
 
Buddhacide said:
Agreed, "don't be in the situation" doesn't add a lot to the conversation. Nobbie48, thanks for the HTA section. Again, I wonder if not actually changing speed when doing it makes a difference. I have also done the "off the throttle move" indicating "look man, I'm not speeding up so pass". But that seems like it would be covered by the line as well. Taken in isolation, that line seems to really privilege speeders and tailgaters. I wonder how it works in practice.
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A careful reading of the section that nobbie48 quoted will show that the charge is not for simply flashing your brake light, you must slow, stop, impede, cut off, or interfere with another motor vehicle. As drivers we know that exchanges like this happen over time and may not be easily explained if a police officer only sees you braking in front of someone. It is very likely that the charge would not result in a conviction were it to go to trial and you explained the circumstances. That doesn't mean that you wouldn't be charged, however. It is up to the officer to determine if there are grounds to lay that charge at the roadside. I would encourage anyone in that position to have an honest conversation with the officer at that point.

Because the brake light flash is different than actually braking and slowing down, I would never charge someone under 172(1) for that. I would have to see braking action, like the front of the vehicle/forks going down, rider body position reacting to the braking, or something along those lines. To me, the brake light flash is a form of communication - and it's more polite than the hand signals that usually follow.

If it were me and I was able to move and let the person by, that would be my choice. I would probably save the brake light for the time when I couldn't go anywhere and really wanted to tell the other driver they are too close. Weaving in the lane may work as well but beware that other drivers may not know that you are allowed to move from left to right track within your lane, and could call in a nuisance traffic complaint about your riding.

The single best way to get the message across to a tailgating driver is to turn on the rear-facing emergency lights. It works rather well. In the rare circumstance that it doesn't, I arrange a brief meeting with the driver, and write it down for them.
 
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