They're great for parties, but tailgaters spell trouble for drivers. Besides being annoying, these fender fiends can cause minor or even major accidents. Here are some tips to get them off your tail.

First, be alert. Stay aware of your surroundings and where other cars are in proximity to yours. The vehicle behind you should be one car length of space away. This insures that you have enough time to brake suddenly and not get rear-ended.

If the car behind you is following too closely, it's best to get that driver around you as soon as possible. Do this by slowing slightly and allowing plenty of space for them to maneuver past you. If there still isn't enough room for them to pass, simply change lanes or pull over to the shoulder. The bottom line is, you don't want someone who's driving aggressively to be where you can't see them. Let them go.

You may have heard that one way to stop tailgaters is to tap on your brake pedal or hit the brakes suddenly. Resist this urge! Slamming on your brakes to ward off tailgaters is illegal in many places, and it could just as well cause a wreck if a car is close to your bumper anyway. And crying "wolf" with your brake pedal causes the tailgater not to take your brake lights seriously. If in fact you do have to stop for real, the driver may think you're just playing again and not stop his car in time.

Finally, don't be a tailgater yourself! Remember the one-car-length rule and drive safely!

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