When being followed by a tailgater, some drivers will respond by “brake checking” the other car. This just means that they suddenly and unexpectedly stomp on their brakes. The quick reduction in speed is designed to get the tailgater to back up. They almost get involved in an accident, showing them that they are driving too dangerously, and they will back off to prevent a future crash from taking place.
This may sound good in theory, but it doesn’t hold up in practice. It can be viewed as negligent driving by the front driver, who is intentionally initiating a car accident. Brake checking can also cause the rear driver to lose control and strike another vehicle. This is never how you should address a tailgater.
So what should you do?
Slowing down is the right idea, in some cases. The trick is just to do it gradually. For instance, maybe the tailgater is just looking for a place to pass, but they’re having trouble finding one because you’re driving at 60 miles an hour. If you gradually slow down to 50 miles an hour, it makes it easier for them to pass – thus reducing the odds that you will be involved in an accident.
If this doesn’t work, you may need to consider other options to get that driver to pass your vehicle. You never want to escalate the situation by pulling over and engaging with the other driver, but it may not be a bad idea to pull into a parking lot or onto the side of the road so that you can let them go by.
Try as you might, though, you cannot eliminate all of the risk from other drivers who tailgate on a regular basis. If you suffer injuries in a crash, you may deserve compensation for medical bills and more.