Tailgating Behavior: Fair or Unfair? by Marissa Muraoka, PSY 409b, G12/Fall 1999, University of Hawaii

Hyechin Kim of Generation 11 openly admits that she is guilty of tailgating and knows that it is wrong (only after doing her report on tailgating did she learn that). ãI ride on other peopleâs bumpers,ä she says, ãin hopes that they either go faster or move out of my way. I get upset that the person in front of me is going so slow. I just want them out of my way so that I can have a clear path to my destination.ä She justifies her actions by going on to say that since people tailgate her, it is okay for her to tailgate others.

When someone tailgates Hyechin, she feels stressed; feels that she must increase her speed and therefore does not feel in control. Tailgaters change the way she thinks and she eventually ãgives in to the pressure and speeds up.ä

Tailgater #2: Terence Nakamatsu, G10

This is what Terence had to say:

I am also a participant in tailgating behaviors. Every morning when I am stuck in the morning traffic, I tend to follow the car in front of me more closely than normal. I also try to keep other people from cutting in front of me. I also have a greater tolerance for people tailgating me when I am stuck in traffic. In fact, I donât consider it tailgating unless they are only a few inches away from my bumper (O.K. less than a foot.)

There were many times that I have gotten upset because someone was following me too closely. In the past when someone tailgated me, I used to go more slow and more slow until they tried to pass me. I also used the blocking technique to piss the tailgater off even more. The blocking technique is when you block another driver behind you by using the other car(s) that are next to you. Another thing I used to do was to pull on my hand break to slow down. That way the tailgater is not expecting it. I do not recommend it; you could easily lose control of your vehicle. I also donât recommend the use of the other examples.

I hate it when people cut me off when I am driving. I guess, I feel that when I get cut off by a car, I am being threatened. But it usually is not a threat, some people just donât know how to drive.

Terence began to change his tailgating behavior only after taking this and a Transpersonal Psychology course. Unlike Hyechin, who does not mention that she is working to change her tailgating habits, Terence realizes that his tailgating actions are childish. He ãwonât let minor things botherä him. He ãlearn[s] to accept things as they are, and make[s] the best out of every situation.ä

Tailgater #3: Jayson Nakasone, G10

Do you think tailgating is convenient? Jayson Nakasone thinks so. He also thinks it is ãno big deal; it is just another form of communication.ä Other people do it, like on the mainland, or so he has heard.

As a tailgater, Jayson gets upset, feels that people lack respect for the driving norms, and needs to be taught ãa lesson of lane etiquette. Despite knowing that it is against the law he does it anyway.

Jayson continues his report by saying, ãI donât feel anything but selfish when I find that someone is tailgating me. Since I donât like it done to me, I donât do it to others. (Really Jayson? But, how often do you get ãin the position of tailgating someoneä?)

Tailgater #4: Cherisse Eguchi, G10

ãRaise your hand if you are guilty of tailgating,ä I ask. Slowly, Cherisse Eguchi raises her hand. ãGuilty,ä she says. ãI have tailgated people before! Cherisse thinks she tailgated because she was ãin a certain mood - a bad mood, or [she] got ticked-off by someone because they took too long to go when the light turned green.ä Now, like other people, Cherisse has learned to ãsit it outä, and change the way she views life. After doing this, ãall aspects of [her] life improved.ä

Tailgater #5: Joanne Humphreys, G10

Now here is Joanne Humphreys. She used to tailgate, but not anymore. She did not say why she tailgated, but she does state that she no longer tailgates because it makes her nervous that the car in front might stop suddenly. She is now looking ahead and preparing for the inevitable. Tailgating according to Joanne, ãis stupid and dangerous. If you get to where you are going five or ten minutes late, so what! The world is not going to come crashing down around you because of it·ä

Moral Implications to Tailgating

How can tailgating be ethical and fair? What good will come from tailgating? How will a tailgatee benefit from a tailgater? Tailgating is selfish, rude, dangerous, and I do not see it as the norm. Tailgaters are just bullies behind the wheel who try to impose their beliefs, and punish people as they see fit. It is an inconvenience to both parties that one or both are bothered by each otherâs actions. No matter what the tailgaterâs excuse is, it does not justify their actions. Tailgating can be seen as spiritually wrong for those who hold religious beliefs. There is the saying, ãDo unto others as they do unto you.ä In response to this, I think that although someone tailgated you, it does not mean that you can go ahead and tailgate someone else. There must be a stop to this childish behavior. It is unsafe, and impractical. Road rage can stem from this. Road rage is contagious!

My Behavior

I have never tailgated anyone. I do not feel comfortable driving up against a carâs bumper. I think that it is dangerous, and I do not consider it as defensive driving either. If I cannot stop my car in time it will be my fault for banging the car ahead of me. What if their brake lights do not work and they have to hit their brakes to avoid a collision, or what if they are tailgating another car? I always keep that in mind, and I am mindful of peopleâs space.

I have seldom been a tailgating victim. When people do tailgate me I just ignore them, and keep maintaining my speed. I neither increase nor decrease my speed. After doing my newsgroup report, I learned several tips on what to do when you are being tailgated or feel road rage coming on (ãPretend you are 6-years old and at Disney World on the roller coaster.ä This is a tip from Hyperion Systems). Check out my newsgroups report and read Driving with Optimism for road rage remedies, and continue reading for more about what other people think about tailgating!

When I am being tailgated I also make sure there is ample room between me and the car ahead so that if the car ahead brakes suddenly I can avoid slamming on my brakes and avoid having the tailgater end up in my trunk. I feel that even though the tailgater is justifying their actions in their own way, and is not thinking about the welfare of others, I must still look out for my self and my passengers. Sometimes I get scared, but I cannot let my anxiety overwhelm me and cloud my thinking. I refuse to give the tailgater the satisfaction of seeing that I am scared because that will only encourage the tailgater to be a menace.

Conclusion

Tailgating is still a problem today. It is sad to see that students learn about the dangers of tailgating only after taking a psychology course such as this one. On the other hand, I have read numerous student reports of the past generations who do not tailgate, and did not have to learn the dangers of it from this class. I am glad that a couple of the students on my report are trying to change their behavior and become better drivers.

There are many factors that can contribute to tailgating, but learning about your behavior, and having the will to modify it makes a difference. Stress levels will decrease. Driving will become more enjoyable. Think positive! Go with the flow.

Improvements

If you are a tailgater, and want to stop your tailgating frenzy, a driving log may help. Record your tailgating behavior and write down how you feel before, during, and after the situation. Then, take a look at why you tailgated. You could also write your own driving alma mater, and recite it every time you slide your body behind the wheel. Relax! You wonât get anywhere sooner if you continue to tailgate.

If you are not a tailgater and are looking to do a tailgating report like this, see how you can educate others on the subject of tailgating. It may not be good to lecture your friends or family on tailgating, but perhaps you could bring up the topic, and see what happens. Then, give your experience of how you brought the subject up, how it made you feel, how you think the other person felt, and what was discussed.

Epilogue

Hello future generations! Are you looking to do a report on tailgating? This is a great place to start. Pick a subject that interests you, go through the generations, and find self-witnessing reports. It took me a while to complete this report because I wanted to read nearly all the tailgating confessions of the past generations. It may help you if you write out of sequence, like describe your own behavior first. Then, read through the reports you found, and discuss the moral implications to tailgating. This way may work better so that you donât get hung up on reading, or asking yourself, ãHow do I do this report? Where do I start? How do I start?ä

As I read through the reports of those who admitted that they actively participate in tailgating I was amazed to learn that they think that it is wrong, yet they do not try to curb their actions, or modify their thoughts and driving personality. Although it took a psychology class like this to slap them upside the head to make them realize that tailgating is wrong, I am glad they are making the change. They are one step closer to becoming a more attuned driver.

Good luck on your report! Remember: Have fun!