Most liked posts in thread: Tailgating

No that's a Cali thing.

 

I noticed the same thing when I first got the hardtop. But after a while I marked it down to perception. With our Accord and Civic (sedans) there was about two feet or more of trunk beyond the rear window. Whereas with the MINI there's only a few inches beyond the rear window. So vehicles appeared to be "farther" away when in the sedans and "closer" in the MINI.

 

Maybe this bumper sticker will help.

 

It happens everywhere, but I see it a lot more in the LA area. I'm always in rental cars in LA, some smaller than others. It doesn't seem to matter.

CD

 

The driver of the car behind you has developed his habit of how close to follow the car in front of him depending on speed and other considerations just like you have. The only thing that has changed is you are closer to the rear bumper of your car than you're used to being and that results in his car being closer to you than you're comfortable with. His distance from the rear of your car is the same as it would be if you were driving a Cadillac.

If it feels funny when you're driving your MINI, you should spend most of your life riding motorcycles.

 

There's a kit you can get that will flash the third brake light when you tap it, it's pretty alarming so perhaps people will back off if they see that.

Me, I rigged my rear fogs into the brakes, so you KNOW when I've hit the brakes. It has cut down on tailgating a lot.

 

Brake light flasher FTW. I have them on all my cars. Not sure how much it helps, but it sure can't hurt.

I bought this one from Outmotoring.....

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-cooper/mini_cooper_brake_light_pulsar.html

 

I was being tailgated the other night on the highway and I just touched my brake pedal and the kid driving that corolla slammed on his brakes and just about spun off the highway. I have a blinky brake light.

1) because of the lack of a trunk, most cars seem to be tailgating so it is something MINI drivers eventually get used to.

2) People really do tailgate MINIs and don't realize it. It's like they are so busy admiring our MINIs they totally lose awareness of the traffic around them.

 

If you drive really fast all the time no one can tailgate you!

 

Except the guy with the Motorola radio. :wink:

 

I agree there are definitely people that tail gate but unless you're involved in a road rage incident it's a safe bet the guy behind you tail gates everyone and not just smaller cars.

 

Do a left-foot tap of the brake pedal without coming off the accelerator with your right foot, just enough to close the brake light switch. Keep one eye on the tailgater in the RVM just to confirm that they are paying attention. After they've performed a couple of panicked decelerations in response, they typically get the message. The end result is that they back off some or get annoyed and pass.

But actually I prefer CHKMINI's solution. :devil:

 

Rather than tap the brake pedal I always feel a little safer just turning on my headlight switch which actuates the tail lights.

 

I haven't noticed people tailgating me more (I'm in California too), but most of my commuting is on a motorcycle so maybe that's why. I do suspect it is the perception issue others have raised.

Related to this perception issue -- do you have the same trouble I do parallel parking? Not that it's hard -- it's dead easy in this tiny car -- but I find that I leave WAY too much room behind me. I think I'm right up against the car behind me, then when I get out I'm like 5 feet away. I keep doing that even though I know intellectually that I need to get closer than I think...

-Dan

 

I do the same.