Have you ever been riding down the road and had a car or other biker come right up on your exhaust? Some crazy people will tailgate motorcycles just as they would any other vehicle, and it can be pretty nerve wracking to the biker. If a vehicle is that close to a motorcycle and the biker has to make a sudden stop, it's very likely that they will get hit. If both vehicles are moving slowly, the biker may not get hurt, but if it's on the highway or in-between stop lights, the high speeds may result in injury or worse.
What can you do with drivers who are tailgating you? Some bikers and other drivers slow down until they're doing much less than the speed limit. This pisses off the person doing the tailgating and, hopefully, convinces them to change lanes. Others change lanes themselves just to get rid of the vehicle behind them. Some may even turn and take a different route if they can't seem to shake the other driver. Tailgating can be dangerous, so it may be worth going a little out of your way or taking an unplanned break just to avoid a wreck.
If someone is coming up too close on your bumper, you might want to put this If You Can Read This, You Are Too Damn Close patch on the back of your jacket or vest. This will at least let them know that you hate tailgaters and that they need to back off.
