Towing a trailer in Florida? I bet you didn't know this law....

Fish Haid

Who knew???

316.0895 Following too closely.—

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the highway.

(2) It is unlawful for the driver of any motor truck, motor truck drawing another vehicle, or vehicle towing another vehicle or trailer, when traveling upon a roadway outside of a business or residence district, to follow within 300 feet of another motor truck, motor truck drawing another vehicle, or vehicle towing another vehicle or trailer. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to prevent overtaking and passing nor shall the same apply upon any lane specially designated for use by motor trucks or other slow-moving vehicles.

Soda Popinski

Oops, i guess passing people on 33 going to St Pete with the boat is frowned up on in this establishment. 

Florida Bullfrog

Yep. Sure enough provides lots of PC for stops on the interstate. 

Fish Haid

Soda Popinski said:

Oops, i guess passing people on 33 going to St Pete with the boat is frowned up on in this establishment. 

No.  It says, The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to prevent overtaking and passing...

Soda Popinski

ok so basically they just don't want you tailgating. 

mustang190

Soda Popinski said:

ok so basically they just don't want you tailgating. 

Bingo!!!

Soda Popinski

mustang190 said:

Soda Popinski said:

ok so basically they just don't want you tailgating. 

Bingo!!!

I remember coming back from Mosquito lagoon about 3 years ago and we're on 50 in Bithlo and you see thousands of "tuner" cars, they were having some kind of whatever race of the rice rockets I guess and I remarked to the boy "those would be pretty embarrassed to lose to a Ram 1500 towing a boat."    

Never understood buying a 4 cylinder, then dropping 10 grand in it just so you could get dusted by a stock mustang.    

smallboat

Soda Popinski said:

mustang190 said:

Soda Popinski said:

ok so basically they just don't want you tailgating. 

Bingo!!!

I remember coming back from Mosquito lagoon about 3 years ago and we're on 50 in Bithlo and you see thousands of "tuner" cars, they were having some kind of whatever race of the rice rockets I guess and I remarked to the boy "those would be pretty embarrassed to lose to a Ram 1500 towing a boat."    

Never understood buying a 4 cylinder, then dropping 10 grand in it just so you could get dusted by a stock mustang.    

Please. Mustangs have been a joke for years. They are finally starting to come back around to being a decent car, but they struggle to dump their reputation among any group except the freshly signed military. 

mindyabiness

Soda Popinski said:

mustang190 said:

Soda Popinski said:

ok so basically they just don't want you tailgating. 

Bingo!!!

I remember coming back from Mosquito lagoon about 3 years ago and we're on 50 in Bithlo and you see thousands of "tuner" cars, they were having some kind of whatever race of the rice rockets I guess and I remarked to the boy "those would be pretty embarrassed to lose to a Ram 1500 towing a boat."    

Never understood buying a 4 cylinder, then dropping 10 grand in it just so you could get dusted by a stock mustang.    

mustang190

smallboat said:

Soda Popinski said:

mustang190 said:

Soda Popinski said:

ok so basically they just don't want you tailgating. 

Bingo!!!

I remember coming back from Mosquito lagoon about 3 years ago and we're on 50 in Bithlo and you see thousands of "tuner" cars, they were having some kind of whatever race of the rice rockets I guess and I remarked to the boy "those would be pretty embarrassed to lose to a Ram 1500 towing a boat."    

Never understood buying a 4 cylinder, then dropping 10 grand in it just so you could get dusted by a stock mustang.    

Please. Mustangs have been a joke for years. They are finally starting to come back around to being a decent car, but they struggle to dump their reputation among any group except the freshly signed military. 

Please explain?????

Turner River Terror

I'm Not a Car Guy but I know Mustangs went from being Cool and Special to looking like a Vega and a 4 cylinder rattling away.
Teenagers got them to drive to school cause they were cheap.
Sad to see it. My buddy has 2 Shelbys

james 14

Fish Haid said:

Soda Popinski said:

Oops, i guess passing people on 33 going to St Pete with the boat is frowned up on in this establishment. 

No.  It says, The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to prevent overtaking and passing...

One should ask them how making a 100 yard (plus a few car lengths) pass is safe in all but the most extreme cases.

I could always just claim I'm getting ready to pass.

cadman

If I am reading it correctly, it applies to anyone towing a boat or trailer following another person towing a boat or trailer. You can tailgate the guy in front of you if he isn't towing anything. 

Big Battery

cadman said:

If I am reading it correctly, it applies to anyone towing a boat or trailer following another person towing a boat or trailer. You can tailgate the guy in front of you if he isn't towing anything. 

Agreed, except para (1) prevents your second sentence.

fishincamel

Anyone ever hear the word "Convoy?"  You can blame this on Rubber Ducky and his crew.

surfman

300' dang.

Florida Bullfrog

cadman said:

If I am reading it correctly, it applies to anyone towing a boat or trailer following another person towing a boat or trailer. You can tailgate the guy in front of you if he isn't towing anything. 

Any tailgating is prohibited. The difference with the quoted statute is that is prescribes a particular distance. 

In all other circumstances, its up to the LEO to figure out if you are tailgating. Nearly everyone on the Interstates are tailgating under the statute, just like everyone speeds. The LEOs are allowed to selectively stop people for tailgating even if they ignore 99% of the violations for it. What they’re looking for is whether the tailgater fits the profile for a drug mule.  That’s the person who will be stopped. 

Big Battery

Florida Bullfrog said:

cadman said:

If I am reading it correctly, it applies to anyone towing a boat or trailer following another person towing a boat or trailer. You can tailgate the guy in front of you if he isn't towing anything. 

Any tailgating is prohibited. The difference with the quoted statute is that is prescribes a particular distance. 

In all other circumstances, its up to the LEO to figure out if you are tailgating. Nearly everyone on the Interstates are tailgating under the statute, just like everyone speeds. The LEOs are allowed to selectively stop people for tailgating even if they ignore 99% of the violations for it. What they’re looking for is whether the tailgater fits the profile for a drug mule.  That’s the person who will be stopped. 

Obeying all the traffic laws and rules also fits the "profile" of a drug mule.

mustang190

Wait until you all get those collision avoidance systems in your vehicles! You think driving is a pain in the rear now you ain’t seen nuthin yet!!😝😝

Gardawg

tailgating is stupid

my system is to stay three seconds behind a large bodied truck. 
 people will pass me and pull in and then pull right back out.
 it's like tailgating a billboard. 
 three seconds is a more relaxing stopping distance.
 and I can for sure stop quicker than a truck

Florida Bullfrog

Big Battery said:

Florida Bullfrog said:

cadman said:

If I am reading it correctly, it applies to anyone towing a boat or trailer following another person towing a boat or trailer. You can tailgate the guy in front of you if he isn't towing anything. 

Any tailgating is prohibited. The difference with the quoted statute is that is prescribes a particular distance. 

In all other circumstances, its up to the LEO to figure out if you are tailgating. Nearly everyone on the Interstates are tailgating under the statute, just like everyone speeds. The LEOs are allowed to selectively stop people for tailgating even if they ignore 99% of the violations for it. What they’re looking for is whether the tailgater fits the profile for a drug mule.  That’s the person who will be stopped. 

Obeying all the traffic laws and rules also fits the "profile" of a drug mule.

If they did, they’d never get caught. 

Ever wonder why FHP doesn’t strictly enforce the speed limit or tailgating or other minor infractions on the interstate? When everyone is speeding or tailgating, it creates a false sense of security that causes almost everyone to do it. Then they can pick and choose who to pull over. 

cadman

Florida Bullfrog said:

Big Battery said:

Florida Bullfrog said:

cadman said:

If I am reading it correctly, it applies to anyone towing a boat or trailer following another person towing a boat or trailer. You can tailgate the guy in front of you if he isn't towing anything. 

Any tailgating is prohibited. The difference with the quoted statute is that is prescribes a particular distance. 

In all other circumstances, its up to the LEO to figure out if you are tailgating. Nearly everyone on the Interstates are tailgating under the statute, just like everyone speeds. The LEOs are allowed to selectively stop people for tailgating even if they ignore 99% of the violations for it. What they’re looking for is whether the tailgater fits the profile for a drug mule.  That’s the person who will be stopped. 

Obeying all the traffic laws and rules also fits the "profile" of a drug mule.

If they did, they’d never get caught. 

Ever wonder why FHP doesn’t strictly enforce the speed limit or tailgating or other minor infractions on the interstate? When everyone is speeding or tailgating, it creates a false sense of security that causes almost everyone to do it. Then they can pick and choose who to pull over. 

Between Gainesville and Micanopy the State Troopers set up to pull people over and it seems like almost every car is getting searched when you pass them on the side of the road. I always assumed they were looking for drugs and such and choosing who to pull over. 

Turner River Terror

An Army Proud sticker , A NRA and a Ruger sticker will get you far in the Heartland..

AC Man

 I got pulled over by a cop in Miami on the 826. It was 5:00 traffic and bumper to bumper 30 miles an hour half the speed limit. Gave me a ticket for tailgating. I drive slow compared to most people. He could have written that ticket to anyone of thousands of cars.No trailer. But I digress.

Fortunately, never had a problem pulling a boat from 17 foot to 36 foot. All is well.

Florida is a no brainer. I was a bit nervous pulling a 36 CC from Texas to Florida mostly in the rain at night during road construction. Across I-10. Worked out well no issues and never got pulled over which I was worried about.

Fish Haid

AC Man- "The 826"???  Guys, I think we have found a Cali boy posing as a Southerner.

Years ago, I took up an offer from a forum member I had never met to go fish in Louisiana.  He picked me up and we headed up I75 towing his 35' offshore boat.  He missed the turn onto I-10 west.  Didn't want to go to next exit (10 miles), so he pulled a U-turn on I75 using one of those narrow gaps the troopers use.

surfman

Is that it? Did he make it?

Fish Haid

Yes, he made it, but I was scared he would get stuck with us broadside to oncoming traffic.  He used every inch of that highway.

Soda Popinski

how come other people can tell stories but i get trolled by @mindyabiness for telling one?   Guy just follows me around.    

mustang190

Fish Haid said:

AC Man- "The 826"???  Guys, I think we have found a Cali boy posing as a Southerner.

Years ago, I took up an offer from a forum member I had never met to go fish in Louisiana.  He picked me up and we headed up I75 towing his 35' offshore boat.  He missed the turn onto I-10 west.  Didn't want to go to next exit (10 miles), so he pulled a U-turn on I75 using one of those narrow gaps the troopers use.

How do you miss the exit at I75and I10?
 Never mind. 

Gardawg

Back in the late 70's my brother and I bought an old wooden sport fisherman in  Montauk Long Island.  We towed it back to Carrabelle Florida using our farm truck.  Ford F 550 size truck. 

The boat was 32 feet long.   On the trailer it was  12 feet 9 inches high. 
We started driving back early Sunday. Drove through Manhattan at first light.  That was neat. The streets were mostly empty. The guy who went with us had never been our of North Georgia.  He was wide eyed the whole time.  We went through one of the tunnels to reach New Jersey. Forgot the name of it.  The tunnel had 13 feet of height clearance. 

As we descended down towards the opening of the tunnel I noticed there weren't any cars closely following us.  The tunnel  was 13 feet tall but as we rushed towards it looked like a rabbit hole.  Apparently the cars behind us weren't sure we were gonna make it.  We weren't either but pushed the pedal to the metal.  Once in the tunnel we all let out a big Yee-Haw. 


Like I said it was an old boat. Had plate glass for windshield. Not tempered. Not safety. Just plain old plate glass.


We propped the windows open to reduce drag. But when we hit a bump they came crashing down and shattered into a million razor sharp pieces. That was on a bridge near Baltimore.  Thankfully no one was tailgating or riding a motorcycle nearby.

We got to Carrabelle and put it in the water and took it out the next day. 

Right outside the harbor the CG pulled up and asked what we planning to do. My brother replied, "Oh we're on our way to Columbia to pick up a load of bales." 
The CG just looked at us and said, "You're gonna need a bigger boat."