Highway 101 drivers: Tailgating won’t save you much time, and it’s unsafe

Five stars to Wendy Soderblom, who wrote “Brickbats to Highway 101 drivers who make commuting unsafe,” (Dec. 18). Wendy writes about the “maniacs” that speed on the 101.

Let me add another factor that creates the potential for accidents: tailgating. The distance from Pismo Beach to downtown San Luis Obispo is 10 miles. Driving at breakneck speed will get you there a moment

sooner.

As an Uber driver, I can drive between Pismo and SLO perhaps five times a night on the weekends. I stay within the speed limits, but inevitably there is a tailgater. I get that they may need to get somewhere in a hurry, but even in foggy conditions and, more recently, in the rain, they tailgate. If they were to flash their lights from a distance, I’d move over, but as soon as I let one pass, another is riding up my tail.

It’s basic physics. F=MA. Force equals mass times acceleration. The greater the mass and acceleration, the longer it will take to stop. It’s not unusual to see the flashing blue lights of patrol cars on the shoulder of the 101 as they sort out a rear-end collision.

Let me add to Wendy’s letter … slow down and don’t tailgate.

This story was originally published December 25, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Highway 101 drivers: Tailgating won’t save you much time, and it’s unsafe."