Just curious. I’ve lived here for over a decade, so I never saw brake checking “back home”, but lately I’ve seen this while here. I have a drive recorder but sometimes encounter a particular driver who does this. I figured when I saw videos online it was due to road rage or something, but there’s nothing to get particularly upset about traffic here in the country.
Has anyone else encountered brake checking in Japan?
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In Japan? yes.
In the US? yes.
Just slow down and give them space. Not worth ruining a day and your wallet over some idiot’s fragile ego.
On my way into work I meet all kinds of idiots on the road – I’ve noticed I don’t get to work any sooner or later if I get wound up by them or not, or take it personally.
if you do, it probably means you’re following too closely
The first time I was brake checked was 1990 in Florida.
But yeah I’ve been brake checked on 3 different continents.
Never been brake checked in my life back home or here. I am obsessed with leaving a safe space between me and the car in front.
Twice someone forced me to stop completely. More recently I didn’t realize the light went green and the Alphard (of course…) behind me got angry about it and stopped completely in the middle of a 2 lanes road after brake checking me. I stopped side by side with him close enough to block his driver’s door and fully aware my junk car was significantly older and cheaper than his shinny Alphard if he wanted to try anything funny. The other time was back home and it involved a gun.
No, because I leave plenty of room between myself and the car in front of me.
They could literally stomp on their brakes to a complete stop and I would have enough distance to brake semi-comfortably (though harder than normal)
Y’know…….. Like you’re supposed to.
Road ragers are road ragers everywhere.
In Japan I’ve been brake checked after someone sped up to get around me, had cars running inches off my rear tire (me on a motorcycle) in crowded traffic where I couldn’t speed up to get them off my ass, had people swerve into my lane intentionally, and a couple of times had people come to a complete stop in front of me (notably a guy from one of the embassies….). Once in a while someone gets shitty that I pass them and will even drive up the wrong side of the road to get in front again.
Usual reason is that they wanted to go faster than I was going and I didn’t get out of their way fast enough, but sometimes it’s just assholes on the road that think it’s funny to mess with motorcyclists.
Yeah might want to check your follow distances.
Not personally but I’ve witnessed brake checking and road rage. One time leading to a three car pileup.
What’s brake check? Braking out of the blue to get you rear-end them?
Edit: English is not my first language so I really don’t know.
Wow… dude complains about being brake checked and only gives roughly 5 meters of space between him and the car infront? *Surprised Pikachu face*
OP, 1 cars length is too close. At most speeds in Japan you’d want at least 3.
I was driving our work car and got brake checked a couple of times. We pulled into the 7 eleven and so did they.
His reasoning was that I wasn’t doing the speed limit.
Strange how everyone else went zooming past.
The boys politely told him not to be a racist dick and to pull his head in.
To be fair, the speed limit is awfully low.
Don’t get me started on how excruciatingly slow they turn and their FAILURE to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.
The difference in level of drivers ( some painfully slow) and the surplus of silver drivers does get grating …