Do You Pull Over or Stay the Course When Someone’s Tailgating You in Japan?
Hey folks, curious to hear your thoughts on this. So the other night, I was driving through a mountain road in Nagano Prefecture—those narrow, curvy ones with barely any shoulder and no passing zones. Suddenly, this kei car pops up behind me, lights glaring, following way too closely. I was going about 50 km/h (the posted limit), but they were clearly not having it.
There weren’t any spots to safely pull over, so I kept driving, trying not to get rattled. After about 10 minutes of pressure, they finally turned off into a tiny side road without a signal or anything. Left me wondering: should I have pulled over sooner, even if it meant stopping in a sketchy spot? Or was I right to just hold steady and focus on staying safe?
I know tailgating’s technically illegal here under Road Traffic Law, but it still happens—especially in rural areas at night. Honestly, I was kind of shaken up afterward. Have you ever dealt with this kind of passive-aggressive road behavior in Japan? What’s your go-to move when someone’s tailgating on narrow roads?
Would love to hear your experiences. 🙏
#Driving #cars #roadetiquette
