During my RoSPA test last Friday the examiner was rear ended and taken off his bike by an open top van driver when stopped at traffic lights. The examiner came out relatively unscathed with "only" back pain (which can have long term consequences) but also it could have easily been much worse. I didn't buy into the "my foot slipped off the pedal" excuse. More likely thinking and looking somewhere else other than what was happening right in front of them. Definitely something has to be done about this type of drivers. We all make mistakes but if you can't see two big bikes with riders wearing high-vis and white helmets, you shouldn't be on the roads and put everyone else in danger. Thank you very much for all your videos

Thought your commentary was honest and true. Great video

When tailgating happens to me, I usually slow very gently which often results in the vehicle behind widening the gap. Shortly after they sometimes come back close in which case I find somewhere safe to pull over and let them pass. I had someone driving (?) close and erratically recently, up ahead was queuing traffic, as I pulled up I could see them coming, heard the screech, but I had enough room in front to maneuver out of the situation safely. This was in a car, but the mindset and the information from your video is very helpful for my up and coming DAS.

Another excellent informative video for all riders. I am about to begin my Mod 2 training and constantly refer back to various videos from you. Also, very appropriate advice here too for experienced riders. I always value the professional advice provided here.

Been riding 10 months, my only accident in that time was pressured to pull in on my 125 to let another vehicle that was so far up my chuff he could of brushed my teeth, I didn't feel safe or happy so when I exited a bend I saw a clear space to pull in and let him pass, what I didn't notice it was gravel and down I went damaged my bike but it was repairable and knee is still iffy. Haven't used roads I don't normally go on since, I love riding and feel good in town its these faster roads that get me not the slimmest person so I can struggle to do the A road speed limits depending if it was a hill. Obviously i am not the most experienced rider but I am confident when no ones trying to find out whats in my rear lol. great video off to watch part 2.

My biggest issue on the roads these days are the delivery riders on scooters, I live close to your training centre and popping into town I always have scooters sit in my boot and overtake on the near side, as I was turning left once he came down my left side and I didn’t even see him as he was in my blind spot, thankfully no collision but I did get out and explain to him that the situation could have been a lot worse. He didn’t even seem fussed and said it was my fault 🤔. Phil why is it that cbt passed riders don’t have to do a theory test, I think this should be a mandatory obligation to anyone on the roads on or in a motorised vehicle. I look forward to training with you guys as soon as I can, thanks for these great vids 👍🏼

Sadly both tailgating and more so getting 'rear ended' is an increasingly common occurrence here in Hong Kong. Distracted taxi drivers & speed obsessed mini bus drivers are the main culprits and two wheeled users usually the victims. Excellent video once again, look forward to Part 2.

Sorry to be repetitive, but, yet again, another excellent video to get us all thinking and improve our chances of staying safe. Thank you 😊

Your remark about the danger about being at the end of a qeueue is also relevant for being at the end of a qeueu just after a hill. In these situations I try to get a place closer to the front of the queue.

Excellent instruction once again. I was lucky enough to have you as my instructor so had this drummed into me. 👍

This was a really good video, thank you. Unfortunately tailgating has become the norm for a hazard which needs to be managed on every journey and you have some really good tips for looking our for and managing these situations, your point about if you are always having to check what is happening behind as you don’t trust the driver following then this takes your attention away from in front of you is a situation I have found myself in so your advice here is very useful. Also the stopping at a junction from a high speed road as front vehicle and when to leave in first or wait in neutral was another great takeaway from this. Thank you.

Had a lad in a poxy little Clio tailgate me on my GSXR600 on an A road, he was close enough for it to be uncomfortable and distract me from my riding, especially on the corners, where it was suitable i pulled over to position 1 and waved him past, he shot past, i caught up with him in a 40mph limit going into town and he was up the arse of the car in front of him, obviously it was just the way he drove, they have this mindset everything is slowing them down (regardless of the speed limit), there is more and more of them out there these days. I'm never in that much of a hurry for anything.

Excellent video and I'm enjoying going through your others too. Returning to motorcycling after 30 years and have my CBT Mod 1 and Mod 2 all in August - I'll be overdosing on your videos - thanks for creating them - Maf in Brighton

Wonderful presentation once again, great visuals and commentary and without an excess of unnecessary verbal as per some other channels. As an ex-HGV driver I'm more than used to checking mirrors and maintaining all round awareness, but must admit the workload is certainly increased without my 45ft rolling road block sat behind me.

Ref your comment about not wanting to be at the back of a stationary queue on a bend. If I am put in this situation, I try to maintain as big a gap as possible between myself and the vehicle in front, and use the space to move forward as I see a vehicle coming up from behind.

Another really useful, brilliantly explained video. I've been watching most of your riding skills videos over the last two weeks or so and I just passed my Mod 2, due in no small part to the advice given in your video series. Many thanks for putting these together - they are invaluable! Cheers

This is such a fundamental topic, thank you so much. Recently I found myself being tailgated in dual carriageway and in waived sections and I reacted by overtaking the car in front and then after I thought that it was quite silly and had put myself in a pickle. So I went and search for one of your videos immediately. In fact I was asking myself, as a motorcyclist what conditions are reasonable conditions for overtaking? Most of the time there is no need to overtake, but yet people feel to do so just because they can… included myself

Nice video again, thank you! I don’t think you mentioned the role of car makes. OK this is a bit tongue in cheek, but in my experience tailgating seems most prevalent amongst drivers of Audis, BMWs and Mercedes. Not so much Porsche funnily enough. Seeing one of these approaching in my mirrors, driven by a single male, immediately puts me on edge. Moving over is the only answer. Also interesting is that my wife is frequently bullied by these moronic tailgaters in her Mini convertible, as am I when I drive it. But not when I drive my Ford Mustang.

I fitted a 3 channel (front, rear, cabin & most of sides), camera system in my car AFTER an undesirable & truly dangerous tailgating related incident..... ....Inappropriate to go into more detail HERE. I regret not having cameras fiitted at the time. I have resisted sharing my own thoughts re safest "appropriate" ways to deal with tailgating. A very delicate & difficult topic area to give correct guidance &/or advice on.......Thank you👍

Thank you.

Just how prevalent is tailgating? I use a road regularly and its an old railway line with concrete barriers to both sides so its hemmed in and a single carriageway in both directions. There is a 40 mph. speed limit and street light is some 40 metres apart so Its ideal for checking for tailgating. Vehicles [ restriction of HGVs over 7.5t] should be keeping at least one lamp post, that is at least 120ft. apart . Its about 1.5 miles long so it gives a good guide and as said I regularly check on just how many vehicles do follow closer than being one lamp post thus tailgating others in front of them. Today I counted about 70 cars traveling towards me of which some 37 of those were actually within that 40 metre distance thus some 37 cars were actually tailgating. Was there any reason for this ? No they could have spread themselves out, There was absolutely not need to drive so close to the vehicle in front. If anything had happened that caused any collision within that road and with it being surrounded by concrete then that road could have suffered multiple cars in a pile up that would have covered both carriageways and which would have possibly killed some people. Tailgating is not just a small rear end bump as many drivers imagine. No, its is a killer and responsible for many collisions in towns and on our country roads. More than people can imagine Its the greatest danger faced on our roads today. Its the ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. Known and seen by all but those in power, the Police, the DVSA, Road Safety Partnerships and Training authorities totally fail to do anything about it. Its something that I feel passionate about and have been striving for over a decade now to get someone or something to be done about it. Its needs a National Intervention. Getting everyone involved. Over a number of years of retraining all of our road users to recognise that its not just speed that kills. Its also the fundamental importance of Safe Stopping Distances as being vital to our safety on our roads. If that is done we could dramatically reduce not only the death toll but the number of collisions we suffer annually. Just think of the Benefit by merely the giving of safe space. Benefits to our own health and everyone else's. , Of suffering less stress, lowering blood pressure, reducing anger, road rage and frustration and then the additional knock on benefit to our stretched N.H.S. SAFE SPACE ALSO SAVES LIVES.

Love this channel; always great advice

Thank you so much for all useful videos 👍🙂

Yet another really good video and I always pick up something new 👍 I was recently on the motorway in lane 1 and with hevey rain doing 50/55mph as it was that bad. In the mirror I had a HGV tanker that close I couldn't see his windscreen. Lane 2&3 were empty and I think he knew I was pissed off with him so he then passed and just for good measure cut me up meaning I had to slow more due to the spray. Professional drivers should know better and should pay a higher price with a ban job or no job. Funny you NEVER see anyone tailgating a police vehicle 🤣

Whenever i'm coming to a stop (in a car or on a bike) i always keep pressing the brake off and on a few times. so the brake light flashers off and on to alert the traffic behind.

Great advice, love the videos 👍👍

Just found this channel. It’s great thanks. What is the attachment to your helmet you are using for your camera?

Unfortunately the DVSA and the Police advanced Roadcraft Manual are in some way responsible for all this Tailgating. First the DVSA in their Handbook on Safer Driving The Essential Skills has a paragraph or two devoted on Separation distances at slow speeds of being able to pull closer to the vehicle in front in order to save valuable road space when apparently in a queue. That leaves drivers free to consider doing just that but all times when following another vehicle or vehicles around town. It advises that one can be the Thinking distance only which is generally at 30 mph some 30 ft. which is only only 1/3rd of the full stopping distance. Then we have the police advanced rider who is taught that in a certain 3 part overtake its ok to be closer to the vehicle to be overtaken. In the main that distance is recognised by instructors as being only 1 second behind any vehicle that one intends, at some time in the future to overtake,. However the recommended safe following distance is that same stopping distance as per the H.C. and should be no less than the 2 second rule. If an overtake is tried or is not on it appears that now one can remain or return back to that much too close a position. One can continue to Tailgate until one fulfils the overtake at some time later or pulls back to a safe following distance once again. .Then this Tailgating position is repeated when one is again behind the next vehicle to overtaken. What chance do we have if the DVSA and the POLICE and all Advanced Training bodies all advocate Tailgating.

Thank you great video 📹

HGVs are the worst offenders. Many a time in fact there is't a day goes by that I don't see them Tailgating each other. Doing some 56 mph and being only some 20 ft. behind another HGV. if one tries to get off a motorway that action of several HGVs makes it extremely dangerous to others. Plus if you are in front of one be aware that they can take up to 3 times the distance that a car can to stop in and being so heavy they will not stop if they hit you they will literally ride over you and that has happened more often than one would think.

It happened me sitting to cross over at a roundabout a young doll had stopped behind me cause car were coming from the right they had right away and the next thing I felt this bang in the back of me she dident do any damage to me she hit the back wheel knocked of her number plate good job I wasent so slow I holding on my front brake or she would have sent me into the traffic going round the roundabout

Child’s play. Come drive here in Sicily. 😂

Brilliant 23rd November....I will let you know thanks again

Hello, For the roundabout at 13:10 I would have thought you would need to stay in the outside lane while going round. Would you say that this not so important, as long as you can see that no one is close behind you? Thanks in advance, very insightful video.

Probably not the best technique, however, I’ve found on minor roads, if I rapidly counter-steer waggle the bike a few times, the car driver behind gets discombobulated by the manoeuvre and backs right off, works every time!

Great videos 👍 Would be great to have you as a instructor

Hi! Came across this segment today. It's a great reminder to all riders n drivers alike for rear traffic awareness and protection. At 05:00 and 06:00, noticed the centre of the lane stop at the traffic lights. Would it not be better to stop either the left or right of the lane, instead of the centre for the same scenario?

Part of the "temptation" to tailgate is caused by really, really poor lane discipline. The M1 is a classic. Slow lane is often empty and drivers are trying to get around the congested "snake" of cars in the middle lane. As a motorcyclist, we leave space in front of us and try to ensure space behind but this is just a temptation for drivers to cut in, often without signalling, both in front and behind you into the space you have worked hard to create !!! I heard that the Police can now enforce lane discipline, is that the case ?? I think, if it happened more regularly, if there was a way to enforce this more often maybe with cameras picking this up too, it would make tailgating less common or easier to avoid and life for motorcyclists far safer !??

Hello sir can you do a video of what gear for what speed and when and where to change and what gear to be in etc thanks !

I have commented on tailgating for at least 15 years and nothing is actually done about it by the powers that be., Very rarely drivers are prosecuted for tailgating even tho they have been involved in a collision and the cause was that they were driving too close to the vehicle in front and unable to stop. So if they are not being prosecuted and other are not aware of the danger that they are placing themselves and others in then it continues unabated. . Part of the problem is in training., In the DVSA Handbook of Essential Skills there is a small chapter on Separation distances and in that chapter, tho it warns that keeping safe stopping distance is important that if you are in slow moving traffic perhaps in a queue in town then to SAVE VALUABLE ROAD SPACE one should drive the THINKING DISTANCE only behind the vehicle in front. Now that at 30 mph would only be some 30 ft behind whereas the safer stopping distance is, according to the DVSA is of being some 98 ft. or 30 metres behind. A very very large differential. So you tell me which is going to be safer the THINKING DISTANCE or the recommended Stopping distance.? After that it does warn one that being less than the Stopping Distance could place one in danger. That said if for decades ADIs have been teaching the separation distance around town. It then stands to reason why so many drivers know about being closer to the car in front and they also see others doing it and it then becomes the norm for most drivers to do it as they know no different. I would say that in my estimation some 40 % of drivers nowadays tailgate as of a norm and that makes for very dangerous conditions on our road when there need not be, We saw from this video that one can ride a bike and drive other vehicles and still keep up with traffic and maintain speed and also maintain a good safe distance and if one can do it all can do it.

Best way to deter them is a nice loud exhaust 😊

Surely in snow and icy conditions police motorcyclist find a car or a desk to avoid danger?

I very gradually slow down if somebody is blatantly driving closely I would never dab the brakes.....I try and encourage them to pass me by getting bored.....if I really feel in danger I will pull over and stop. I am a class one 44ton truck driver.....and sadly more and more truck drivers are tailgating......pure madness. The new law were we are req to stop to let people cross at a junction.....is causing a real danger.....as drivers are not expecting cars ect to stop in the middle of a busy road if they are turning left and the see a person waiting to cross. Sorry but to me its a bad law.....I bet rear end shunt figures are going up hugly.

I alway have a camera in my car so maybe for the same reason I should get a camera for my motorcycle

Having cameras giving out fines and points for prolonged tailgating seems a great idea (shame it won’t be on B roads)… People need punishment or threat to learn sadly - there’s just no need to be that close, especially at speed or slowing…

It’s all going into the memory banks with a view to testing some of the techniques out myself. Thanks again for sharing and for taking the time to put these videos out there for us all to learn from.