Highway tailgating cases handled by police double in Jan-June

There's nothing I hate more than tailgating. I often drive 20 kilos over the speed limit which is usually a safe driving speed for most road conditions.

Some cars/trucks no matter what will ride right on your tail and are an absolute menace to your safety.

Most don't have enough patience or skill to wait until there's a place to pass (regular roads) or until you're back in the left lane after passing another vehicle (expressways).

I really hate tailgaters. Even when you're driving above the speed limit, there will be often be somebody driving right up behind you.

When that happens, I slow it down to the exact speed limit. No faster and no slower than that.

BTW, it once happened to one Japanese man I know, so, rather than slowing down, he sped up. It turned out to be a cop in an unmarked car and he got a speeding ticket. Yes, he was mad about it.

BTW, it once happened to one Japanese man I know, so, rather than slowing down, he sped up. It turned out to be a cop in an unmarked car and he got a speeding ticket. Yes, he was mad about it.

Karma. Better it happen to him than you. That would ruin anyone's day, emotionally and financially.

What's far more dangerous than speaking on a cell phone while driving is parking just beyond a blind corner in a narrow road to use a cell phone. Especially when there is a yellow line and drivers have to either wait for the driver to finish his call or pass illegally.

Apparently using a cell phone as a navigation aid is also prohibited. If they are going to make this stick, they're going to have to do something about the address system. The only way you can find your way around is using a car navigation system or a cell phone map app.

Why is it OK to watch TV in your car, but not OK to use a cell phone?

It is illegal to watch TV. They told me that when I bought my car.

However they sell sell switches that ove ride the ‘TV off’ when driving that is in all Navis

Put on your fog lights - the tailgater will think that you are braking and brake in response opening up a nice gap between you and annoying the other driver.

Reckless:

I suggest you just stay calm and let the hotheads have the pass lane and live their life of anger and high blood pressure.

Well said. It is no use taking their anger on board and inflaming the situation.

Drive in left lane unless overtaking or pull over and let the car pass. I hate cars driving 50km in a 50km zone on the open road. Always a traffic jam behind them. 8 seconds to pull over and everybody’s happy. Regarding Mercs and such cars, I always pull over because they have no manners and overtake on corners.

In the flip side there are drivers on a three lane highway going between 80-90 in the passing lane. That is also infuriating.

This is especially true at night when there is little traffic and one car decides to take the passing lane to have a casual cruise.

The solution is to obey the law and use the passing lane only for passing. When I am in the passing lane, of course I will move over upon the first safe opportunity for drivers that want to go faster. It is simply common courtesy. Drivers in many parts of Europe obey this rule very strictly, especially truckers. In the US, it's generally obeyed, though not quite as good as France and Germany, in my experience.

In Japan, especially on weekends, you will get a driver using the passing lane as a regular driving lane, going super slow and causing an unnecessary traffic jam. It's not just the clueless drivers, but even buses and sometimes trucks do this as well.

Tailgaters are dangerous, but I rarely see tailgating in the non-passing lanes. If you are not passing someone, why not just move over?

Japanese aren't really good at driving anyway, so not surprised by all the passive-aggressive road rage.

I know tailgating when it is happening to me - but what distance defines tailgating?  The old adage of a car length for every 10km/hour leaves a wide enough gap for people to safely cut in.  I don't recall this being stressed when I renewed my license.

In Japan, driving means that you do what the other drivers do. They've forgotten everything they learned in driving school. Driving instruction, like any education in Japan is geared to rote memory. They don't think of the second lane as a passing lane. It's just another lane to drive on. They park on or near pedestrian crossings. Most of them don't put on their lights in a tunnel. Education in Japan destroys common sense.

They would not get tailgated if they were driving in the left lane, do not use the right lane for driving. I see this all the time, simple rule "drive left, pass on the right".

But what is the need to be in the passing lane, if you’re not passing anyone? You’re causing the traffic flow to slow down and on long journeys that is a nuisance.

Rules are meant to be broken. Especially when driving, and also grammar. Hate I people who follow the speed limit instead of going with the flow of traffic.

I’m not sure how they catch so many because I rarely see police patrolling the highways or any other roads for that matter. It’s a never ending precession of speeders, red light and stop light runners, phone users, multitasking drivers and generally reckless drivers. People boast about how well Japanese people drive, but their manner is atrocious. I’ve also often wondered if people are taught how to drive a car in reverse in Japan. It’s always amusing watching someone trying to reverse a car. They’ll swing the car from lock to lock and open the door to hang their head out with no idea what the other three points of the car are doing. I believe that opening the door to reverse is illegal in Japan, not that anyone has ever been charged for it.

Tailgaters - esp the hi-speed, light flashing variety are road scum, but what many other posters said is right on point - the Passing Lane is for Passing. If you want to drive at a low - moderate speed then please remain in the outside lane.

Some of the worst offenders I see are people who after making the giant decision to pull out and pass an even slower car, then proceed to take ages to pass, dangerously blocking the lane for an over-extended time, creating a mini-jam. Who in their right mind wants to takes 1 minute to pass a truck???

More often than not these drivers cars are not underpowered, just they lack confidence, drive sense and do not understand the capabilities of their cars. Most modern cars (excl. most kei cars?) are fully able to pass a vehicle in seconds if appropriate skills and manner are displayed.

I remember one time I was driving the exact speed limit on a road I was very familiar with and knew where the police often set up the speed trap, which was just at the bottom of a small hill as you're coming over it. Anyway, this old Japanese man was tailgating me as I was driving the exact speed limit and I'll never forget the angry faces he was making at me in my rear-view mirror. So as soon as we reach the top of this small hill, he begins to haul ass around me and starts passing me, and there it was . . . the speed trap was all set up with tables and motorcycle cops to boot. Well, this guy slowed it down immediately to 50 k.m.h. and I maintained my speed which was also 50 k.m.h. We both passed the speed trap together at the same time like we were a couple holding hands. I was checking out the face of the angry old guy and noticed that his face had changed to one of panic. The police were giving the guy the evil eye, but didn't do because he saw the trap just in time. That old guy should've thanked me for that. He'd have been ticketed for sure if I hadn't slowed him down.

My wife is a typical "paper driver" and on the occasions where she does actually drive I am always in the car. When someone tailgates her, she tends to panic and I tell her to ease off the gas and let the car slow down naturally so as to send the tailgater a message: you can't intimidate me. Works really well on the single lane roads but I make sure she is in the slow lane on the highway to avoid any problems. The Tomei has the most idiot tailgaters you'll see in Japan.

What do you do when you're behind a white yellow plate truck doing 20kph in a 50kph zone and you can't pass? Wait patiently?

Mocheake- that is terrible advice. That will enrage the tailgater. Rather, pull aside at the next convenient location and let them be on their way.

@Ramzel. Let them get angry. I can handle that part.

Yeah until your wife uses your advice When she drives solo.

Why only on the expressways? It should be in general. Anywhere. I HATE a tailgater. I found out that in Japan "break checking" is a crime! So what else am I to do to stop someone from driving in my backseat when there's only one lane and no shoulders?

I sometimes think drivers in japan though Mario Cart and Fast and Furious(wild speed j title) were driving tuition videos.

Not just tailgating.

The Japanese term is "Aori-unten", あおり運転 which is a catch-all for road rage, malicious, dangerous, aggressive driving, tailgating etc. This is what the police have started to look at, as the article intimates in the first few paragraphs.

It literally means 'fanning' a frustrating situation, a prime example of which would be driving right up someone's bumper and swerving left and right, which is probably the origin of the 'fan' analogy.

Driving schools in Japan try to emphasize the importance of one driver at least remaining calm. Sometimes though it is difficult to know what to do when an aggressive driver becomes fixated on you and your car, as I know from experience here.