Do you think it's wrong to brake check someone that's tailgating you?

Even though nobody likes to be tailgated, I think it's wrong to brake for no reason or brake check a tailgater. And it's especially wrong to slam on your brakes so the tailgater would rear end you to collect on the insurance, which is fraud.

One time I think I was brake checked several years ago. I was following this pickup truck who all of sudden braked for no clear reason. I stayed away from him because I thought he was a nut. So, I guess the brake check got me to back off, but the reason I stayed away from him was because I thought I was following a crazy driver who might cause me to rear end him and not because I was following too close. So, basically brake checking me didn't teach me a lesson not to follow too close. The only thing it taught me was to stay away from crazy drivers.

But since that time, I have been leaving more space in front of my car and try to allow at least the 2 second rule. I don't brake check a car behind me that's too close. I just drive like I normally do and signal in advanced when I'm about to turn.

Also, I've read stories of drivers doing other crazy things such as putting milk in your windshield wiper fluid. Do you think doing anything crazy or brake checking or driving slower to piss them off is wrong?
Additional Details
I'll also like to add that it's illegal to brake check someone. If there's an accident because of brake checking and the other driver loses control, it could be your fault.

The proper thing to do is let them pass when there's a chance. Usually, you have to be right behind a car to pass in a short shot. But I agree if there's no chance to pass, they should back off and then creep up when a chance comes.

George A

It is illegal, it is childish, and it can get you or someone else killed.

And to those that believe that the person that runs into you will always be found at fault after you pull such a childish & unsafe stunt as that- you need to come back to reality Peter Pan.

It isn't hard with today's technology & numerous police officers are trained in reconstructing accidents to be able to tell if the driver in front INTENTIONALLY hit their brakes causing an accident.

Even without the technology or training, all it will take to convict you is a couple of bystanders who witnessed you acting like a child instead of a responsible driver.

If you cause an accident & even though you get lucky enough that the car behind you is found at fault by the police, if they are injured, there is always civil court & it is always possible that you could be sued, successfully at that, for their injuries & suffering and you could then be looking at trying to figure out how you are going to pay a court settlement that could total into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Do you make that kind of money to afford to just whip out your check book and write the person you injured or the estate of the person you killed a check for $250,000, $500,000, $750,000 or more?

If you want to play games in a car- shred your driver's license and go buy one of the Grand Theft Auto or Need For Speed games & get off the real roads.

wvparanormal

Not only is it wrong, but it is pretty damn stupid too. People like frenchie and nathan M are going to end up dead as a result of their asinine driving techniques.

If they will do it to another car, they will do it to a big truck also. The next time they do that, may be the last time they do anything. I drive a tractor trailer over 120,000 miles a year and let me tell you there are some really stupid drivers out there. A big truck that is brake checked can and sometimes will run right over a car and crush it like a bug. In most cases the reason a vehicle is following too close is because the vehicle being followed is in the passing lane doing less than the speed limit and is just trying to be a pain in someones a**.

Texas

I like to set cruise control and maintain a set speed close to posted limits. If I am blocking someone in the left lane I would pull to a right lane if it is free. If I am already in the right-most lane and someone is tailgating me, then they aren't very bright because there isn't anywhere for me to go from there, and if traffic is merging on or I am about to exit, I could be slowing down soon.

If you find driving frustrating, try and find a way to drive less, telecommute or something. Or generally stick to recommended rules and regulations for how to share the road, those regulations and recommendations are there to make the road a more pleasant place for us to share, and the better we work to share that understanding the better.

Pete T

Not only is it wrong, it's stupid. Whats to say the tailgater at that particular moment decides to look away for some reason , that leaves you open to be struck in the rear. I don't know about you, but I have better things to do than wait around in pain and agony waiting for an ambulance to haul me off.

OverRuled23

Brake-checking's a dangerous game. Games belong either at home, in your backyard or schoolyard-not on the road.

I go on cruise control to the limit and stay in the right lane. If someone thinks I'm "going too slow", they can switch to the left lane; if they tailgate me I'll put my emergencies on and they'll get the message. I never hit my brakes.

I don't play brake-check games because if someone slams into me from behind, that means I could be injured and my car would be out of commission-for what?? "Getting back" at someone? Not worth it.

Texas Underdog

"Brake Checking" a tailgater is Wrong, Stupid, and Dangerous.

Please, Don't Do It.
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sgoldperson

It's not really wrong to me. I wouldn't do it but you get what you deserve for following too close. Also you DON'T KNOW that the person is stopping for no reason. I could be tapping my break because I saw something just off the side of the road, like a deer in my area, and was slowing in case it came on the road. You THINK I don't have a reason and it's just to get you to back off, BUT you don't see what I see. I've tapped my brakes because it was night and I suddenly saw something going over the road. No one was behind me and it was like a leaf or something, but from the length I was seeing it looked like a chipmunk or something and I didn't want to hit an animal. So you THINK I was hitting my breaks for no reason, but from my view I had a perfectly good reason(thought an animal was on the road). Sounds to me like you simply need to learn to drive. I've gone below the posted limit because the people in front of me were and I couldn't pass. Then I'll go like 10 over to get around the idiot who says oh crap passing lane I better speed up. You need to learn the roads and get close to the person's tail just before the passing lane starts if you want to pass them.

steve h

The primary concern is safety.If someone is too close I take my foot off the gas,slow down and then resume the speed limit.Most people get it the first time.

Nathan M

I certainly don't want to have someone on my rear end in an emergency situation so yes I would hit my brakes to scare them a bit. It may save my life and theirs.

hello

while in theory brake checking is illegal, it's not proveable in court so the person in the back always loses that one. All the person in front needs to say is 'there was a puddle', I saw a child, cat, dog (fill in the blank) and slowed to make sure I was safe. 'I was going faster than I wanted and slowed down' and they'll win the case. the person in the back is responsible for a rear ender, no matter what. don't tailgate, it's dangerous and illegal. you have time, wait, the life you save may be your own.

pretty + poisonous

No, I don't think it's wrong. Yes, brake checking is illegal. . . but tailgating is too! If they are breaking the law, why can't I?

If I brake check them and they lose control and blame me for their accident, FIRST OF ALL, why in the HELL were they following so closely? And second, I could just say I thought I saw something in the road. How are they to know?

Frenchie

Hell no it isn't wrong. Lol. I do it all the time.

Either way you get them off your ***. You just have to be careful that they don't end UP your *** and in fender bender.

Locksmith

a suggestion-don't apply your brakes, simply reach down a turn your tail lights on. the person behind doesn't know if you have weak brake lights, or what. worked for me many times. Drive carefully!

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