Definition

Noun: A driver who follows another vehicle much too closely, leaving insufficient safe stopping distance between the two vehicles.

Usage

This term is used to describe a specific and dangerous driving behavior. It is commonly used in traffic reports, driving safety discussions, and informal complaints about other drivers. - The primary usage is to identify a person operating a vehicle in an aggressive or careless manner by driving dangerously close to the vehicle in front.

Examples

• Noun:
  • I had to change lanes because the tailgater behind me was making me nervous.
  • Being a tailgater significantly increases the risk of a rear-end collision.
  • The police officer pulled over the tailgater for following the truck too closely.

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a strong negative connotation, implying aggression, impatience, or poor driving judgment.
• It can be used in compound adjectives to describe related situations, though the core term remains "tailgater":
  • tailgater-infested highway (a highway with many drivers who tailgate)

Variants and Related Words

• Tailgate (verb): The action of driving too closely behind another vehicle.
  • It is illegal to tailgate on this road.
• Tailgating (gerund/noun): The act or practice of following too closely.
  • Tailgating is a major cause of accidents.

Synonyms

• Aggressive driver (a broader term that can include tailgating behavior).
• Road hog (informal, can imply similar aggressive or obstructive driving).

Related Phrases

• To ride someone's bumper/tail: An informal idiom meaning to tailgate.
  • That pickup truck has been riding my bumper for miles.
• Following too closely: The formal, legal description of the violation.
  • The driver received a ticket for following too closely.

Noun

1. a driver who follows too closely behind another motor vehicle