How do you feel about trucks tailgating you?
Dec 20th, 2007 | By Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. | Category: Blogs, Criminal & Traffic, New Jersey Injury Information, Pennsylvania Injury InformationThis morning, on my way to work, I had two people tailgating me. Trust me, I was not going any slower then I needed to be. I was actually following the person in front of me at a safe distance.
First, I had some guy tailgating me in an old beat-up car talking on the cell phone. This was on I-95 going the speed limit of 55 m.p.h. This car was so close to me that I could not even see his NJ license plate on the front of his car. As I looked at him through my rear view mirror, he was talking on his cell phone and yawning at the same time—all within 7 feet from my rear bumper at 55 m.p.h. The old beat up car tells me that it probably doesn’t have the best stopping power. That is if the clueless driver reacted in enough time to stop.
The second incident involved a heavy duty quarry dump truck on the Newtown Bypass near my law office. Another man, driving this large dump truck was about 15 feet from my rear bumper at a speed of about 50 m.p.h.
In both instances I was not driving slower than the traffic in front of me. I am not completely opposed to driving close to someone in the left lane to give them the hint to speed up. The left lane in both NJ & PA on a multilane highway is reserved for traffic moving at a higher rate of speed. If someone is in the left lane going slower than necessary and the right lane is available, in my opinion, and the law dictates that driver should move to the right lane. Its common courtesy! Why hold someone up if you don’t have to?
In my case, there were cars in front of me in both instances, therefore, I was not driving slowly and I could not go any faster. I call this “Pointless Tailgating”. If the person that you are tailgating cannot go any faster, what is the point of tailgating?
My feelings are that both of these stupid people behind me this morning took my life in their hands. Mr. “cell phone and yawner” could have easily plowed into me if I had to slow down fast, which is common procedure on I-95 in Philadelphia. Mr. “20,000 pound quarry dump truck driver” could have easily crushed my car. Due to the weight of the truck it takes substantially more stopping distance to bring a heavy truck to stop.
Why are these people so reckless? It is not fair that they can take my life in their hands without my consent. When I am dead or worse paralyzed due to their recklessness, what will they have to say? By the time I can report these drivers to police, they will be long gone.
The author of this Blog, Philadelphia car accident lawyer, Michael L. Saile, Jr., Esq. of Saile & Saile LLP, Attorneys-at-Law focuses his practice on fighting for plaintiffs’ personal injury and car accident victim’s rights in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We handle all serious injury cases including, car accidents (both limited and full tort), wrongful death, slip & fall downs, construction accidents, Septa, NJ Transit, and other cases other cases. We are located just outside of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County. We also handle Philadelphia plaintiffs’ personal injury and car accident cases. Please visit our personal injury only website at www.pa-nj-injurylawyer.com for more injury information.
Mr. Saile, did you get their license plate numbers?
As a local respected defense attorney, i would think you can press the tickets on them and probably have the court bend over backwards to accomidate you, however, it might be calling in a favor that you will want to reserve for a client… well, this is just how i think…
I think it is wrong people tailgate, go fast on the car in front of them for no reason.
I am a verteran at moring traffic commutes, lol.
People trying to get to work on time and for this reason tend to ride on the backs on the cars in front of them.
It is even more dangerous on a road like rt 18, going, from oldbridge into new brunswick, a 10 mile stretch there with a dozen or so traffic lights, and bumper to bumper traffic.
I made that commute from sept 90 to june 95, and oct 2000 to sept 2005. It is actrechorous commute every morning, as people are viei8n g for the best lane to beat the traffic, with all kinds of trucks and cars racing to get into new bruunswick.
it is good they made some improvents on rt 18 to eliminate traffic concerns.
in your case, on an interstatre highway, it was extremely dangerous to speed and tailgate. we saw this with the governors crash as well.
First off, Good post Jim. No DUI references and on topic. Great Job!
Secondly to the topic at hand, I agree with you Mr. Saile, why must people push and tailgate when it is apparent that you cannot go any faster then you are going already??? Should I just ram my car into the back of somebody in front of me so the jerk behind me can go a millisecond faster?? Plus if I am correct the heavy trucks shouldn’t even be in the left lane under the law, isn’t that correct Mr. Saile? If I am correct from my drivers license exam many, many years ago trucks cannot be in left lane at all, except maybe to pass if that. I constantly see them riding in the left lane dangerously close to passenger cars, if they had to stop suddenly for any number of reasons the heavy truck would slam right into them and destroy the car more then likely. The police need to get more involved with ticketing these heavy truckers and make them obey the laws of the road. Not to mention these people on the cell phones or others I have seen reading books while driving or applying make-up. These people should have their licences revoked, not the cell phone guy, but the readers and make-up “artists” while driving. That is blatent disregard for public safety, theirs and ours. Good points Mr. Saile and even Jim.
Kevin I beleive that if there are only two lanes on the highway a truck is allowed to use the left lane to pass.
If there are three or more lanes, then the truck my not be in the left lane.
Mr. Saile, was it a three lan highway you were on and the truck in the far left lane?
Anyway, i have seen many trucks pulled over sincce 911, … and i feel it is more about anti terrorism policy than it is about trucks riding in the left lane.
i think it is good we pull over trucks, as we should, and it is clear to me that i see man y more trucks pulled over now, after 911, than b efore 911
do you agree with this observation?
what have you noticed on the highwayys?
Yes Mr. Saile, I was referring to a three-four lane roadway/interstate. I should have been more specific. Thank you for claifying for the other readers.
My question is if you have slowed down hoping the tailgater will pass and they don’t but continue doing it when you are driving the speed limit on an in-town road (no where to go except speed up which may be uncomfortable for some drivers), can you hit your brakes to signal them to back off?