If a Car Is Tailing You, What Can You Do? (PDF)

Did you ever have the feeling that someone was following you? If you are driving, it’s easy to double-check because you can see vehicles behind you. If someone is truly following you, help may just be a phone call or a short drive away.

First, make sure that the car is following you

There is a simple way to see if a vehicle behind you is following you. Take four right-hand turns, going around the block in a full circle. If one car makes all four turns with you, they’re likely following you.

A driver would have to be completely lost to take four right-hand turns because they would end up back where they started. In order to verify this, you could then repeat the process by taking four left-hand turns and if the same car is either still behind you or tailgating you, it’s almost certain that they’re following you.

What should I do next?

If you think you’re being followed by a car, the first thing to do is look for help. You can call the police if you have service, or go to a police station if you don’t.

When being followed by someone, roll up your windows and lock the doors. If they try to pass you on the road, don’t slow way down to let them. One thing that could happen is that they might run into you and cause an accident on the side of the road.

Maybe, your first instinct might be to drive home, but this is a bad idea. Driving home would give the driver following you your personal address. If possible, avoid deserted side streets and keep moving with traffic.

If there’s a police presence nearby, simply pull out your phone and call them. The dispatcher should be able to direct you to the nearest station. They may also ask you to collect some information on the vehicle behind you.