Tailgaters can be a real nuisance on the roads. Their presence can leave you worrying about what’s behind you rather than focusing on what is going on ahead of you.
Understanding how best to deal with a tailgater can be crucial to your safety.
You may need to move
Even though you are not the one in the wrong, if you want to stay safe, sometimes your best option is to move. You cannot force them to move, and doing nothing may just prolong that risky situation.
You might think you can try to get them to fall back a little, but that could lead to more problems. Brake checking them (tapping or slamming on the brakes) as a warning, is illegal and raises the risk of them running into you. You could be held responsible if a crash resulted from this. Brake checking may also annoy them, as could any attempts to communicate with them by other means, such as gesticulating or talking into your rear view mirror at them. Some drivers can become extremely aggressive in such situations, and that is not a risk you want to take.
Tailgating usually isn’t personal
While their being so close to you may feel like a personal attack, it likely isn’t. Most tailgaters are either unaware of how close they are, unaware of what a safe distance is, in a rush or wound up about something else entirely. If you find a safe way to let them pass, then you can likely carry on with your journey in peace.
If a crash does occur, showing that you stayed calm and did not react badly will increase the chance that the blame lands squarely on their shoulder, and that you get the compensation you need.