Do those "Stay Back" signs on trailers work? (aka "STOP TAILGATING ME!")

[FrittSkritt]

I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I live in a region with the 3rd worst drivers in the U.S., but I am so SICK AND TIRED of people riding my ass when I’m driving the trailer.

I consider myself a safe driver and stay within 5 mph of the speed limit, but people around here are horribly impatient and tailgate like crazy here. It makes me nervous when someone is so close behind me that I can’t see them behind the trailer in my sideview mirror.

(My favorite is when I’m in the left lane for whatever reason – passing someone, merging onto the highway from the left – and drivers dart out and pass me on the right when I’m trying to move over back to the right lane!)

I’m considering buying those “Please Stay Back 200 ft” stickers for my trailer, but am unsure whether they’re actually effective. Any success stories? I’m tempted to also just make a sticker that has a picture of a horse pooping out the back of a trailer and it hitting the car behind them. Or maybe this Tasmanian Devil “BACK OFF ARSEHOLE” sign in the window.

[Trakehner]

Really, do you stay back 200’ and is that really a reasonable “request”? Dumptrucks have the same sign…plus, “Don’t Push”…didn’t realize that was a big risk with dump trucks.

The tractor-trailer signs saying, “If you can’t see my mirror, I can’t see you” can wake people up a bit.

Best stay back hint was a tall Shire mare who’d pee going down the road. It was really funny to see a convertible suddenly slow down behind me trying to get away from all that mare urine splatting their windshield.

One friend had a small nozzle hooked up to a windshield washer pump…thin oil could be vaporized behind the trailer if people got too close.

[caryledee]

My favorite has been “If you can read this, get your nose out of my horse’s ass!”

What I think would be more effective is “Tailgaters slow me down.” And then follow through. Unfortunately I don’t think there is a lot you can do except drive defensively.

[VFT]

Mine says " CAUTION HORSES STAY BACK" and the only time I have used the trailer to go any real distance (12 hours) is when we were moving and so we had a bit of a caravan going and my husband drove behind the trailer to keep people away. So I can’t give you info on how effective the sign was, but for some reason at a rest area some guy asked me to take his picture while he stood next to the back of the trailer. So apparently they are at least good for photo ops!

[FrittSkritt]

The dump trucks around here have signs that say “Stay Back 100 ft” and people tend to respect that… probably because they realize they’ll be completely pulverized if they rear end a dump truck.

Maybe if I had a remote-controlled LED sign in the back that flashed messages like, “Give me two seconds and I’ll move over to the right lane!” or “Thanks for the free rectal exam.” :lol:

[Jim_in_PA]

A proximity based LED flasher would be a nice thing to have…they get too close and the trailer “speaks” to them with flashing lights.

[AmarachAcres]

Ours seemed to work. Got them for the same reason, people tail gating. We knew we were moving thousands of miles and thought it couldn’t hurt. We had maybe one tail gater the whole trip and my husband slowed down until the guy moved off.

[netg]

[QUOTE=Trakehner;7807871]
Really, do you stay back 200’ and is that really a reasonable “request”? Dumptrucks have the same sign…plus, “Don’t Push”…didn’t realize that was a big risk with dump trucks.

The tractor-trailer signs saying, “If you can’t see my mirror, I can’t see you” can wake people up a bit.

Best stay back hint was a tall Shire mare who’d pee going down the road. It was really funny to see a convertible suddenly slow down behind me trying to get away from all that mare urine splatting their windshield.

One friend had a small nozzle hooked up to a windshield washer pump…thin oil could be vaporized behind the trailer if people got too close.[/QUOTE]

I want an image of a horse peeing and “splash zone” on the back of my trailer.

I had a mare who used to do that any time a car was too close behind us when I was growing up. I am sure the positive feedback of cars moving away taught her to do it.

[red_mares]

As the driver who’s probably tail gaited you at some point, no they aren’t effective.

Or at least as effective as those “Baby on Board” signs that I also ignore.

People stay away from dump trucks because the gravel they shed can chip or break windshields.

[FrittSkritt]

[QUOTE=red mares;7807978]

People stay away from dump trucks because the gravel they shed can chip or break windshields.[/QUOTE]

That’s it! I’ll just have to have another trailer attached to my trailer full of gravel.

[AmarachAcres]

Why do you tail gate then?

Truly curious, I don’t understand the point of doing it and never have.

[QUOTE=red mares;7807978]
As the driver who’s probably tail gaited you at some point, no they aren’t effective.

Or at least as effective as those “Baby on Board” signs that I also ignore.

People stay away from dump trucks because the gravel they shed can chip or break windshields.[/QUOTE]

[Bluey]

Decades ago we had one old wooden slatted stock trailer.
On a board on the back it read:“FULL OF BULL----” and you better believe everyone was keeping their distance.

I wonder if “FULL OF HORSE----” would work today?

[ChocoMare]

I have a big one that says HOLD YOUR HORSES! I’LL LET YOU PASS AS SOON AS I CAN!

Dunno if it really helps, but I like it

[red_mares]

[QUOTE=AmarachAcres;7808121]
Why do you tail gate then?

Truly curious, I don’t understand the point of doing it and never have.[/QUOTE]

I drive in DC. It happens. If you leave a couple car lengths ahead of you, another car pulls in. It’s not like driving else where. I do it outside of DC & don’t even realize it; I’m just used to close quarters on the road.

I rarely get behind horse trailers, they’re generally in the right lane;I’m usually not. Too hard to see what’s in them.

[Desert_Topaz]

I have a “Patience Please, Horses on Board” decal and I do think its made drivers behind me more patient. I figure, if nothing else, it’s an explanation as to why I’m driving so slow. A friend put a Caution Horses sticker on her trailer and she’s pretty positive it has increased the distances people follow at. But, we live in ranch land, so maybe people here are more tolerant of slow moving horse trailers.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

I’d add a sign that says “warning, horses urinate frequently” and then hook up a washer/spray thing from a car to the back door. A$$hole tailgaters get sprayed at the press of a button.

[Chall]

I’ve always wanted a led flashing text signs on cars, but they probably be misused :eek:
I think a better sign would be something like “apologies if your stuck behind me, thanks for your patience”

[clanter]

[QUOTE=Trakehner;7807871]
Dumptrucks have the same sign…plus, “Don’t Push”…didn’t realize that was a big risk with dump trucks.

.[/QUOTE]

that is for construction sites when the rig gets stuck… the don’t push is to warn them that damage to the unit could/will occur when you take the bulldozer to push the thing

[Zwarte]

I don’t worry about tail gaters. The drivers who get my goat are the ones who zip into the interval I have maintained in front so that I can do smooth decelerations.

I really hate having to stand on the brakes when I am trailering. And I bet it is awful for my horse.

[moving_to_dc]

[QUOTE=Zwarte;7809443]
I don’t worry about tail gaters. The drivers who get my goat are the ones who zip into the interval I have maintained in front so that I can do smooth decelerations.

I really hate having to stand on the brakes when I am trailering. And I bet it is awful for my horse.[/QUOTE]

Same here. You can ride my butt all you want, and it doesn’t bother me in the least. The tailgater will likely have a quicker and shorter stopping distance anyway, vs. my ~16K-28K combined weight.

We have train horns (REALLY loud air horns) for those drivers who think they need to squeeze in front of us when we have a trailer on - whether it is the horse trailer, hay trailer, or toyhauler. We delight in seeing drivers jump out of their skin and the fact that they likely need to change their undies after we blast them.