I captured a tailgater on my camcorder. Can I give the film to the highway patrol and have the driver cited?

Question

I usually bring my digital camcorder with me on long drives in order to catch tailgaters. If someone tailgates me, I will ask my passenger to film them and then record their license plate number as they overtake us.

Sure enough, this happened to me the other day while on a cross-country trip. I was driving about 60 (with a posted speed limit of 65) in the RIGHT-hand lane when another vehicle got a bit too close to my rear end.

I don't consider myself vindictive and don't necessarily want any fines to be imposed on the offending driver. A simple warning (in the form of a letter or phone call) will suffice. To me, it's just a way to make that driver think twice in the future before he commits similar infractions.

Actually, two tailgating incidents happened to me yesterday. One of them happened on the interstate, one happened on a state highway. Can I report these, and to whom do I report them?

Side note: after the driver passed by me, I captured him on film tailgating another vehicle, and then made an illegal lane change (he crossed over a double-yellow line, illegal even though there were no other approaching cars in sight)

There is NO excuse for tailgating. As long as you are not in the left lane, and as long as you are driving within 5 mph of the posted speed limit, there is no excuse for it. It is illegal, and a form of harassment.

Answer 1

Everyone hates tailgaters but why are you making a vendetta out of it?   Who made you the tailgate police?  Boy, you can get into a lot of trouble from some road rage person.

Join the highway patrol if you want to police the highway. Be careful.

Answer 2

I'm surprised some of these responders are so defeatist about this. I think everyone should have their passengers record moving violations on the highway as you did. It would certainly cut down on offenses like tailgating.

You certainly have the right to give the tape to the highway patrol. But, keep in mind that even if you have the vehicle (and the driver's face) on tape, if you're driving on a stretch of open rural highway then it might be impossible to identify the location, and the police may be reluctant to act if they have any doubts about the jurisdiction.

Just my opinion.  

Answer 3

I usually give tailgaters a nice brake check. And if the first one doesnt work, i give increasingly stonger ones until they get the message.

usually though they get the point after a nice slight quick tap on the brakes.  

Answer 4

It would be helpful to know what state or country you're in.

Aside from that, it's possible what you're asking about here can be done.  Frankly, there's no way would I take the kind of time you're talking about here just to warn someone about their driving behavior; if I have the legal right to act, I'm acting.  

You didn't say if you have the driver's face on the tape.  So many people don't seem to understand that it's not the vehicle that commits the violation, it's the driver.  Merely having a picture of a vehicle's license plate while the driver commits a violation is nearly worthless if the driver cannot be identified.  

Assuming the driver can be identified, it's possible law enforcement can act on it (at least in California).

Answer 5

Short answer is no. A bit of advice, leave policing to the professionals.

Answer 6

You could give the Highway Patrol the tape and they could use it. But then you might be called into court as a witness and have to take time off of work to be there.

That being said, you might consider this as well. With the information you have given us you might be cited for impeding the flow of traffic.

Yes, you were in the right hand lane, but you were not going the speed limit and therefore could be cited for that.

I know it sounds weird, but it can and does happen.

While there is no excuse for tailgating there is also no excuse for going that much slower, almost instigating a driver to tailgate you. Please observe the posted speed limits.

Answer 7

I would pull over if I could. Let the person pass. Not sure what police would say. Guessing they would say. How did you do that while driving?

Good luck. :)