I hate people driving behind me.

Just recently , during the past couple of weeks if I am driving I check my rear view mirror a lot to see if there is someone behind me. If there is I will pull over and let them go by . I feel very uncomfortable with someone driving behind me . There are many single lane roads and I drive the speed limit but it seems that everyone is in a big rush and I am not going to speed up , so I pull over . Has anyone heard of this before and should I talk about it with my P-doc? I sometimes think they are all a bit crazy and think they are going to run me off the road.

I feel the same way too - I hate it when people ride up my bumper. And guess what - I usually pull over and let them go by when they are "in such a hurry"....and the one time I didn't - can you guess what happened? Yes - it was a slippery winter storm and this huge delivery truck was riding too close - so the driver hit a patch of ice and smashed right into me - then I was stuck for two hours waiting for the police to come to file the report and I lost my car for several days while it was repaired - and I was furious with myself for not just pulling over to let him pass when any other time I would have. So my thought would be - yes, better safe than sorry - if they are in such a hurry - so be it - let them go by and then you don't have to worry about them pressuring you, or worse, driving into you I don't think it is a "you" issue that needs medication - but I'm not a doctor and if you would feel more comfortable discussing it with the pdoc, I say go for it

Yup me too - I hate tailgaters.

Especially when I am driving at the correct speed. Sometimes I will just touch the brake with my foot lightly so that the lights show up. That normally gets them to back off. Otherwise I will slow down. No that much, but just enough to get them to slow down.

First off, you need to start paying attention to your driving and not to what others are doing. Your frustration comes from things not working out the way you want them to. You can't stop people from wanting to drive fast, second if you are paying attention to them, you are not driving correctly because you are affected by something other than what you should be thinking and doing. Haven't you noticed that nobody has ever caused an accident with you for following you(if they have I bet the reason is because you were focused on them driving and not your own driving). This is significant, you are worried about things that shouldn't be an issue. Most drivers don't worry about things like this because they are comfortable with driving and know how to correctly do it without second guessing. Nobody has a purpose of running you off the road. You have your own control of your own vehicle, nobody can change that unless they hit you and cause you to move. It is as simple as that.

If there is one thing that I find as THE most aggravating behavior associated to driving, that has to be those who tailgate.

Not only can it prove to be dangerous and is illegal, but can create road rage, as well.
Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, there is hoards of traffic. 6 lane freeways in each direction, yet despite all the lanes of opportunity to drive around &/or past, there is always someone who HAS to ride up the rear....Never fails.

I used to be the kind where, if someone was as foolish enough to kiss my plate on the back of my car while driving 65-70 mph., then the fool will have to either taste my metal, or go around me. NOT about to be the one to change lane because I'm not driving fast enough.
If the fool decided to continue riding my rear, then I'd let up on gas n slow a pace....REALLY piss him/her off. Then they'd race around me as if I'M the one driving offensively.

I no longer drive that way. After the rise in all the road rage shootings, I've changed my driving tactics. No point in encouraging anyone to want to shoot me on the freeway...lol.

It is law, however, that when on a 2-way lane road, if there are 3 or more cars behind you, you must pull over at first safe opportunity and allow them to pass.

I have to disagree with seeker.
I feel that paying attention to the traffic around you is vital. It's not a matter of being preoccupied with unnecessary drama around you. It's a developed driving tactic that can very well save your life in the case of an emergency. After all, you are in control of your own driving ONLY. But it's the "defensive" driving strategy which prevents many accidents.

It's the dammed "swivel heads" and "rubber neckers" who are the very ones who create much of the gridlock on the freeways. If they would only attend to their own driving instead of the road drama, then much of the accidents wouldn't even occur.

Shangrala

Whenever other motorists are driving to close to my car and I am in the correct lane and doing the speed limit (keeping in mind the weather/road conditions) I just "stand my ground" and let them pull ahead of me.

If these drivers are making you anxious while you are driving I would recommend that you talk to your therapist so you can better manage your anxiety while driving. Because simply pulling over and letting them go by doesn't appear to be easing your frustrations or anxiety.

Drivers are like that everywhere!! It must be especially bad if its on a single laned street like that. You just have to do what you have to do. Whether its pull over, or not let them do that. By either going the speed limit, or going below the speed limit just to p**s them off

I agree with you Zen . I get very anxious when this happens.
I never used to pay that much attention to it.
It's like I'm paranoid or something. Thanks , I will discuss this with my therapist to try and manage my anxiety better.

I totally agree with you. It's not just tailgater's either.When I drive at night I hate when somebody is behind me period. The lights bother me, and I cannot tell how fast they are coming up on me.I get very nervous when somebody is behind me, and start to panic. I swerve a little sometimes too. And I constantly stare in the rear-view mirror. I think this could be classified as some type of phobia, but not sure.http://phobialist.com/

For years I would pull over and let them pass. Durring my "angry" years I would then follow them - NOT SMART. But it can be frustrating to have a complete idiot get on your bumber that way. It is a total lack of respect for your personal zone - which even in a car, you still get a bit of space - just the same as you do around your physical body. Some people just lack the ability to respect that about others.

Now I just maintain my speed and ignore them totally. In fact, if I am going a bit over the speed limit, I will drop it down to the actual limit. The other thing I do is flip my mirror up into night mode (even durring the day). It is a way for me to show them I am NOT looking at them at all or paying any attention to them further. I didn't think this would have any impact on them, but I was very amazed to find out it actually works most of the time. They get the point and back off. Then I reward them by bumping up the speed just a cat hair. :-)

It can sometimes be hard to ignore someone driving behind you, especially if they're driving relatively close to your bumper. I've found that driving the speed limit is the safest bet. Eventually, they will attempt to go around you if they are in the big of a hurry. Otherwise, they will continue to follow you.

I'm not too worried about the guys behind me....I REALLY don't like it when someone stays off my rear corners for any length of time. It feels like I won't be able to change lanes if something happens ahead of me.

I pull over also so that they can pass. Yes, there are some people who are just in a rush. It isn't you, my dear friend!!!