16 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019t some point or another, pretty
much everyone has had to
deal with another vehicle
that is following far too
closely. When you are on your
motorcycle, however, being a
vulnerable road user takes on a whole
new meaning with this added pressure.
Tailgaters place themselves, other road
user, and, especially, you at risk.
Making sure you have the right
attitude when dealing with this type
of behaviour is an essential skill. While
there may be those who tailgate in an
attempt to intimidate you, I prefer to
believe that the driver may honestly not
realize that they are driving too closely.
And let’s just put it out there: it could
be drivers or riders that exhibit this
behaviour. I have seen it done by both.
However, the one thing that should be
agreed upon is that this conduct should
not be allowed to continue.
Should someone drive too close
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tailgated can make anyone feel
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got this. Anger has no place in this
situation. And remember: you are in
control. If you go in with the premise
that the person may not realize they
are tailgating, that will help keep your
anger in check. This will allow you to
continue to assess the situation and
any related hazards, then act with
good, clear decision-making. Getting
frustrated, on the other hand, always
leads to an unfavourable outcome.
A term to remember is “space
cushion.” This is the space around you
that you can manage when you ride;
it is the space in front of you, to the
sides and the space behind. Obviously,
the easiest part to manage is the space
ahead; you can always adjust the
dimensions of that space based on the
situation and surrounding environment.
Take tailgaters, for example: As they
have already eliminated the safety
margin behind you, creating a safe
margin ahead of you for an exit is up to
you. This is easier to manage if there are
multiple lanes available, when you have
more exit options. The situation is more
critical if there is only a single lane.
Communication is key. You can
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know that “Hey, I know you are back
there, and I think you are following
a tad close!” You can adjust your rear
brake light’s switch to activate the
brake light before the brake actually
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wake up zoned-out drivers – and,
hopefully, make them realize that they
are following too close. You can also
follow that up with a quick glance over
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usually cause a driver to fall back. If you
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You can try changing lanes, if that is
an option. If the driver obviously isn’t
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a safe spot to pull over and let them
by. Honestly, it’s neither practical nor
convenient to be continually looking
over your shoulder. Anything that is
constantly pulling your attention away
from the road ahead is a distraction
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to signal your intention if you’re going
to move over by using your indicators,
then move over safely. Without a
doubt, having someone with poor
driving habits ahead of you rather than
behind you is the much better option.
You may try increasing the gap
behind you by speeding up, but this
usually results in the vehicle behind
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this, you have just raised the speed,
which reduces the reaction time of the
jerk who seemingly insists on following
too closely. In this situation, you have to
think for yourself as well as for the vehi
cle behind you. Also, speeding up may
cause you to close the gap between you
and the vehicle ahead, thus reducing
your space cushion and inadvertently
turning you into a tailgater. You do not
want to be the two-wheeler in a four-
wheeled sandwich.
If other drivers are regularly dogging
you, you might want to check what
your speed is. Perhaps you are not
maintaining the speed of the surround-
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ride faster than you feel comfortable,
but riding too slowly can potentially
increase your risk of being tailgated, as
well as increase the risk of a collision
due to a big difference in speed between
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You don’t have control over
the individual that is driving too
closely behind you, but you do have
absolute control over the way you
handle that situation and in how you
remove yourself from that situation.
Remember: minding those gaps
reduces the risk – and increases your
enjoyment of your ride.
ESCAPE ROUTE
by Jenn Martin
ILLUSTRATION:DEANFOSTERA
MIND
THOSE GAPS