Dealing with tailgaters as a motorcyclist

The roadways across Louisiana are in place to allow cars, trucks and smaller vehicles to utilize them. Everyone should be able to go about their daily business or drive to meet loved ones in as safe a manner as possible.

Unfortunately, different types of vehicles don’t always mix well together and some road users may feel more entitled than others. As a motorcyclist, you simply do not have the same levels of physical protection that drivers do, so you need to be very careful.

Tailgating occurs when a driver follows too closely behind another vehicle. Sometimes, this is accidental and purely the result of a lapse in concentration or other driver error. However, tailgating is often based on aggression. As a motorcyclist, is there anything you can do toprotect yourselffrom people who engage in this type of conduct?

Live to fight another day

Although driving seems almost automatic to many people, the reality is that it is an extremely complex task. Multiple decisions have to be made in milliseconds at speeds that humans are not necessarily designed to cope well with. This results in stress, which can manifest itself in the form of tailgating.

There really is no point in escalating the situation by either speeding up or drastically slowing down. If it is safe to do so, the best option may be to let the driver overtake you. This may result in them believing they have won some sort of victory, but in reality, you are the winner because you have managed to avoid a road traffic collision.

Try to stay composed

Difficult as it may be, your best course of action is to stay as composed as possible. Rash decisions very rarely work out for motorcyclists, and on two wheels, the stakes are especially high.

As a motorcyclist, you should not be placed in danger by aggressive drivers. If you have been injured in a collision, make sure you check out the variouslegal optionsat your disposal.