Yes! If the person behind you is one of those angry types, having a sign swearing at them and flashing would be a very bad idea. Frankly, I'd rather be hit by some bad driver and collect insurance money, than be shot in the head and letting my family collect insurance money.

I have anti tailgating lights on my truck, but most poeple call them brake lights. And since I drive a 85 dodge Ram 150, (old half ton truck) I really don't care if someone hits my bumper, there isn't even paint to take of of it. If someones hits my bumper, I wouldn't even see a sign of it. People can tailgate me all they want, if I get too mad I can just flash the brake lights and if that doesn't stop them... I don't care if they hit me. A 20 year old steel bumper stands up a lot better than a new plastic one. I might even make sure it gets reported so it counts against their lisence and insurance.

Ya tailgaters generally know what they are doing. A brake check isn't going to help much but make them more angry and possibly cause an accident which might get you money but waste your time and paperwork. The thing to do is just keep going at the same speed and if they are that anxious they'll pass you and keep going probably to get a speeding ticket up the road. A lot of the time it's someone mad at something else or in a "hurry" because they like to go fast. Warnings aren't really necessary but it does give no excuse for not having a further following distance.

One of the main issues I have with tail-gaters are deer. Yup, I live in the backwood sticks where deer are a major concern for drivers. But not just deer. Someone recently hit a moose a few miles down the road from me. Amazingly, he suffered no physical harm, but his car was totaled - and so was the poor moose. Sadly, this moose had two young ones who are now orphans. I do hope they survive. The driver was driving at night and going over the speed limit. I actually drive lower than the speed limit at night because that's when the critters come out (and crazy people), and the last thing I wanna do is hit a critter or crazy meth-head stumbling across the road. Well, I guess I'm not so concerned about the crazy meth-head.

Now, when an idiot tail-gater rears up me, I will slow down even more to allow myself more breaking latitude. Imagine cruising down the road and breaking for a deer, just to get rear-ended by some moron. I think one of the reasons so many deer get hit is for this very fact. People are afraid to break for them because they know they'll get rear ended by some tail gating idiot if they do. We don't have any four lane roads in my town. Just one each way. If someone decides to tailgate me, I slow way down until they get up the courage to pass. I'm not going to increase my speed or risk the life of an innocent animal just because someone else feels like being a bully.

I don't know if this true everywhere, but I've noticed a strange phenomenon in the Northwestern part of the States. It's one of the reasons I never bother to speed up if someone tail gates. It seems no matter how fast I go, the tail gater will risk life and limb to catch up with me. And he's hardly ever interested in passing. He simply wants to stick like glue to my bumper. Is he a bully, or is he so afraid of being alone on the highway he must seek the solace of my tail light? Either way, I refer to these kind of folks as, "cling ons." And like that proverbial monkey on my back, I can't help but feel the need to shake 'em off.

haha..nice idea =) tailgating light. it can be used to tell people who are tailgating you to back off...but then again, some people would no doubt abuse this nifty tool. use it to disturb others =\ there are loads of inconsiderate people out there...it can't be helped ^^"

haha, i saw what imacul8 suggested as an alternative:
"Other alternatives - Brake hard so they hit you, stop infront of them then get out and start to smash their car... haha just jokes!"

well..heres a better idea that CAN work. if some idiot is following you too closely, brake hard and accelerate right at the last minute, the guy will no doubt brake like crazy.. would scare teh crap out of him and he wouldn't want to follow you anymore xD you need to be careful while doing this though =)

I agree, Just trying to figure how easy and costly it\\
Tailgating Light

Ok, I also thought of the same idea. I always wanted to install two Rally type flood lights on the back of my car. Then hooked up via a switch on your dash. These lights should be so strong that once you flip the switch on, it takes the bulbs almost a second to fully power up. Using two of these flood lamps, it will be positioned up and towards the driver's side of a car behind you. This can be done by placing a car behind yours and setting their aim. Maybe aiming one of them a little higher to incorporate truck/SUV drivers. Two basic rules in using this setup. 1) Should leave this system as manual, not automatic so that the driver has full control of when the two lamps turn on. This switch should also be positioned near the steering wheel to improve accessibility. 2) When the driver turns on the two lamps, make sure there's not sporadic traffic ahead. Maybe even start accelerating as you turn on the two lamps. Either way, make sure you got control of the next thousand feet ahead of you before using the two lamps.
Result: Will blind the driver... As well as shock him. No one expects anyone to have such a setup. This shock and blindness will probably force him to brake hard (maybe even be rear-ended by the car behind him - sweet irony). The driver also could accelerate for whatever reason, therefore, make sure you have control of the next thousand feet ahead of you. The driver accelerating will not last long as for every second he is subjected to the two bright flood lamps, pain and the severity of his blindness will increase. He will have to avoid the two lamps by simply getting out of their line of sight, which is only aimed at driver height when a car is close.

Any ideas for installing a such a setup in a sedan or coupe?

-Glen Lawson

I've always had the idea of putting one of those LED marquee's in the back window of my car. Then I would have a keypad or something on my steering wheel and I would be able to type messages to the people behind me

The thing is people know they are tailgating and they do not care for the most part they just want to either get around you or annoy you. They want to intimidate you until you go faster or start to brake check them showing you are annoyed. The light will not do much unless it is bright and will make them back off somehow like jlhaslip explained about his. There are some people who do not realize they are sometimes which it may help but for the most part I think it will not make much money.