Tailgating the Not Fun Version

Tailgating the Not Fun Version

For those who are not familiar with the term, tailgating can mean two potential things. First it could be referring to a party that takes place at a sporting event. That is a tailgate party. I have no problems with that and it isn’t a Pet Peeve of mine.

However, the other version of tailgating does bother me quite a bit especially when my daughter is in the backseat of the car. Tailgating of this sort is dangerous. I’m not saying this because I’m a slow driver. I normally push the limits of what speed you can drive without getting a ticket.

The majority of those who tailgate are either drivers of SUV’s, pick-up trucks, mini-vans, or inattentive drivers yakking on the cell phone. The key thing these individuals are forgetting is we live in Wisconsin. We have silly things like snow, ice and white tailed deer. The white-tailed deer are the most unpredictable potential hazard as there are numerous roads that cut through farmlands and forests where the deer roam. They can bolt out of the side of the road at anytime.

I’ve had that happen to me and the result is shown below. Now for all of these larger vehicle drivers, they are also forgetting another detail. They are driving larger vehicles. The bigger the vehicle the further it needs to stop due to its mass.

When you meet a deer or anything else that dents the front of your car, your air bag deploys in a puff of powder that further obstructs your view so your natural instinct is to bring your car to a halt. When you have a pick-up truck traveling at 60 mph less than 20 ft from your tail pipe, you are certainly going to be experience far greater complications.

But that alone isn’t quite enough to hit my Pet Peeve list. It is the other observation my wife and I have made and labeled the 3T. The drivers who tailgate usually do so and end up turning off shortly after coming up on your rear. So all they had to do is wait 2 more seconds at a safe following distance to do the exact same thing. But no, they have to Tailgate To Turn. So they have gone beyond the “Are You Thinking?” category and landed in my Pet Peeves.

-MatureKid