The real question is why people creep forward 2 feet every few seconds when it’s red. When I stop there’s no gap and by the time the light turns green everyone has moved forward 10 feet. I don’t see the point.
I've been a passenger in my buddy's truck as he did this. From what I could tell, it was totally subconscious on his part. He kept chatting with me the whole time. He wasn't anxious for the light or in a hurry, etc.
I've done this at times thinknig the sensor that changes the lights has not seen me. TX was stupid cheap about this so I have a thing about it now. I stop at the bold white line I'm supposed too (not the cross walk). Then I creep on it. Hoping the sensor will change.
At my old apartment there was a light on my way home that would never change for my motorcycle. The first time I sat for almost 10 minutes before running it. Tried moving around tried putting my kick stand down nothing.
If a car pulled up it would change within seconds.
The loop is an inductive sensor that detects ferrous metals. You motorcycle is not made of steel so it won’t be detected. Check VA law, they changed it a few years ago making it legal in specific circumstances for motorcycles to run red lights.
The sensor is a loop of wire buried in the pavement starting at the stop line and extending just over a car length back. At busier intersections I’ve seen bigger loops and sometimes there are two loops. Either way, I’ve noticed a lot of intersections only turn if there’s car on the sensor. If you go past the stop line, the light stays red, even if you creep past it.
Except I usually stop AT the line and it still kafuckers. So I try to "move" in an attempt to trip it. If I stop too many feet BEFORE the line then I get the whiners honking.
at least they're creeping forward. i sat at a long intersection once behind a manual whose driver didn't like holding the brake peddle and it kept rolling backward toward me. had to beep several times during that light to wake them up to brake again.
THIS!! Especially at a turn lane , people are so freaking slow going through the green that maybe 7 cars go through when it could have been 20 and then the rest of us have to sit there again. Huge pet peeve!
It's a magnetic loop, but yes. Some motorcyclists put magnets on the bottom of their cycle to be more visible to the sensor.
The other day I saw an idiot who had pulled out almost fully past the crosswalk to turn left, they were in the intersection and the sensor didn't see them at all. Didn't get a green light when they would have if they had been on the sensor.
It is more that the amount of ferrous metal in your bike isn't enough to induce a current in the loop as you move past it. A magnet helps induce more current as you move into the loop.
This article is in reference to bicycles but the same concepts apply - if you can see what type of inductive loop it is (based on the sealed cuts in the pavement) then positioning the bike appropriately will help.
There's a bunch of intersections near me where you have to pull up as close to the intersection as possible so you can see the traffic coming from the left more than a half second before it gets to you.
When you’re making a right turn on red, it’s kinda necessary to at some point pull over the line. Although you should actually stop before the line to check for pedestrians. Sliding over the line without stopping briefly when the light is red is technically a violation and can earn you a ticket for failure to obey traffic lights, or with red light cameras a ticket in the mail.
There are lots of intersections that do not have traffic lights. I am specifically talking about 2-way stops. Intersections where the main road has no stop sign but the smaller road crossing it does.
i was about to say, I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times i've actually seen someone use a crosswalk in nova in my 15 years of driving here.
i meant when i was at the front of the line, people outside of like alexandria and fairfax city people barely walk because most of nova is unwalkable because of all the stroads
There is a light by me I discovered you have to go up to the crosswalk to trigger it. I complained to the city and they told me “just pull up into the crosswalk” I was honestly baffled.
By doing this, they (usually its multiple nitwits doing this) backup traffic intended for the turning lane into the main road lane. If they had left a much smaller gap, then more cars could enter the turning lane and not block traffic.
Ever since 1993 people have been taught to leave enough space between themselves and the car in front of them to get out of the way fast in case someone walks up and down the line shooting people and you're all stuck, which is what happens to several people in this attack. It's in training materials now.
Today I had a guy on 7 stop like 50-75 feet behind the car in front of them. Like are you even paying attention to the road or is whatever else you got going on in there more important?
I'm not sure how many people remember https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_CIA_headquarters_shooting but it was discussed in my drivers ed class. They told us to always stop far enough back that you can swerve around the car in front of you without reversing.
My favorite is when they come up to a red light but stop 2 car lengths behind the line. While I'm sitting at the line wondering where the car next to me went. Turn around. Ah there it is. It confuses me greatly because they don't even creep up.
That could be it. I always turn around and they are just sitting there with no phone in hand. Also I try my best to be hands free. People who text and drive terrify me
Both my boyfriend and I were baffled. However the mass amount of people who bring bowls, plates and silverware into the car to have a meal while driving scares me. The most I'll do Is eat my fries at a light or take a bite of my sandwich at a light
They’re staring at their phones. I see it every damn week on Dolley Madison blvd/chain bridge rd around Tysons. Sometimes there’s more than enough space that I actually get in front of them at the light because I want that lane after the light changes, so why not take it now?
So like it's good to leave a few feet in case of emergencies and what not, but my running theory is that it's actually lack of depth perception for a lot of folks.
It's so we can text and inch up without looking at the same time. Also so I can inch up slowly covering right turning car's view to see oncoming traffic
It’s happened several times where a car isn’t pulled up close enough to the line that we end up missing 2-3 light cycles on the way home from work. Really pisses me off, lots of smooth brained drivers here
Cause they're dummies who are in their phones or clueless and make everyone else sit through several cycles until they decide to just run the light, which then senses their car and turns green by the time they're through the intersection
Yeah that's a terrible design. I've had it happen late at night where it won't turn for several cycles and I have to do something like a left turn on red when the coast is clear.
What’s even worse is the people who slow to a crawl WAY before this, making you slam on your brakes since you’re not expecting it, and then creep up while STILL leaving 4 car lengths. I just chalk it up to low intelligence
Have you noticed if the cars doing this are EVs? That slow creep might be regenerative braking, which sends power back to the battery. Wouldn’t explain the massive gap between the next car, though.
I used to park right behind the car in front of me until my husband mentioned that the car's intake is at the front and being so close to the car in the front means we get all the fumes from the car before us. So now I leave about half a car's length in front of me.
But I am always looking in the rare view mirrors. Especially if I am right beside where the turn lane starts.
It is recommended that you pull no closer than the spot where you can see both of their back tires. This ensures you have enough space to drive around them or make other choices. I see a few people give way too much space. I've even seen them miss a turn arrow because they weren't far enough forward to trip the induction switch for the green arrow.
Phones, big hoods, sitting too low in the seat, or perhaps the only one that might be excusable (but I don’t see often) they want to time the light and begin moving slightly before the light turns green. I say that because I’ve considered doing exactly that because I accelerate very slowly because I like my gas mileage
Why? So you have a chance at maneuvering out of the way if you are about to be rear ended or reduce the chain reaction if you are. A full car length may be excessive but when I had drivers ed (in the 1970s) the instructors said you should be able to see the rear tires contact the roadway when stopped behind another car to leave yourself enough room. It‘s one of the rules I’ve tried to follow in my 54 years of licensed driving.
I mean everyone in this thread (and my gd gf) were apparently never taught to leave any space at a red light like I was. You should leave enough space for you to have a mild fender bender without being pushed into the car in front of you, and enough space for you to be able to move around the car in front of you if necessary. That shouldn’t require a full car length but the idiots that inch forward the whole time can fen turn a half car length unto a full one by the end of the light
What I was taught is to keep your foot on the brake, so if you're rear-ended you won't be pushed forward and hit the next car (or be pushed into the intersection, if you're in the front).
For what? People do a whole host of idiotic things on the road that do nothing other than cause problems. Leaving a half car length in front of you at a light literally does nothing more than exactly what I laid out above
When I see this I just slot my car in front of them and then enjoy the look of shock on their faces in the rear view mirror. I do the same thing when they’re the first car with 40 feet of space in front of them to the white line.
Can't do that with the electric parking brakes. Also the term "e-brake" is incorrect and archaic. They are "parking brakes". Your response is obsolete and invalid. Also, the difference between my '96 jeep manual and 2022 bronco manual is astounding. Do you know how to manually release the automatic hold function? Do you even know what that is?
It's not a problem unless you don't know how to drive today's manuals.
Turn signals are illegal here so you gotta leave enough room between you and the car in front of you to go around them when they only pull forward 5 feet at the green light. Plus you need ample runway to get up to speed since no one is going to let you in. Nova 101 bra
I’ve only been driving for like two years but I see it all the time I have two turning lanes on my way to work and they’re always blocked by cars who don’t pull up
There should be no space between the first car and the stop line. The vehicle's front bumper should be lined up to the leading edge of the stop line. Too far back and there's a good chance you don't trigger the inductive loop (wire under the pavement that senses metal above ground to trigger the light). Too far forward and the light might think you've already gone.
As for space between cars in a line, that's probably up for discussion.
Too much space and it might cause blockage of turn lanes or something, hindering overall traffic flow.
Too little and it takes longer for the whole line to get moving again. When you're right up to the bumper in front of you, you can't see the brake lights of cars 1 or 2 further ahead in the line and you can't start moving until the car directly in front of you does, so reaction times add up.
It a commonly taught rule of thumb to stop far enough back that you can see the tires of the car in front of you. It gives you maneuvering room in an emergency and reduces the chance that a rear end collision will slam you into the vehicle in front of you.
Partly. Yes if there's a car you should be able to see their tyres. But if you are first, the only reason to leave that gap is so when I'm on my motorcycle I can hop in front
It is exactly what the post is about? If you leave enough space to see the next vehicle’s tires, you will have roughly a car’s length between vehicles.
Yes and you can get a ticket for following too closely in the case of an accident. If someone hits you from behind and you are too close to the car in front of you, then you will hit them as well causing a pile up and you are at fault.
That’s a bad rule of thumb, as it the resulting distance will depend on the height your hood (or even dashboard) as well as the height of your vehicle.
Yup I was taught at least see 2 feet of space from the back of the car.
Here people aren't paying attention enough that if they ram me I don't want to hit the car in front too. And that's more likely if there's a pile up where they hit me and the car behind them hits them to push both of us further.
My wife does this and it makes me want to crawl under the seat. When I asked her why, she said it is so if she gets rear-ended she doesn't hit the car in front of her. Any attempt to give me ammunition to argue with her will be ignored; I like being married.
JFTR I do not do this. However, my son has been rear-ended while stopped at red lights TWICE (once he got a concussion, once the car was totaled) so it happens.
I stop so i can see the car in front rear tire touching pavement. I do it so in case of emergency i have room to change lanes - think road rage asshole coming to my POV. I also hope that if there is a chain reaction rear end accident I won't hit the car in front of me.
You KNOW too many asshat drivers are reading, on scrolling on their phone and are SURPRISED that people stop at a red light or a traffic has stopped because it's needed 🤦🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
Many city drivers will do something like this because of pedestrians. A bad rear end would easily wipe someone out (think Georgetown but busier). There are also drivers from faster traffic conditions who do this because a rear end from a zooming car will push the car into an equally speedy intersection. It depends on the driver’s background and education. For example, I was taught in driving school to never turn the wheel and vehicle on a turn lane until making the turn, but I see VA drivers doing it all the time; I assume because it was not emphasized (or taught) in education.
It's basic defensive driving. When the light turns green and cars start acceleration, you need to have space to safely accelerate and break if the car in front of you suddenly stops, like for a u-turn.
Leaving a gap should be common. Drivers should leave enough room to pull around, at one point in time they said you should be able to see the wheels on the pavement of the car in front of you. If the vehicle in front of you won’t or can’t pull forward, you’re stuck if you don’t leave room.
Leaving a gap is safer for all.
There are places in this world where people will rob/murder you in the middle of the street in broad daylight, you’d be lucky if all they take is your car. They will stop short in front and block the rear with a 2nd vehicle.
You’re so cool. People engage with the world to learn more about whether or not their experiences happen to other people but you’re so cool you act snarky about it. You’re like the coolest person ever and totally add to conversations.
You’re so cool. Look at how cool you are. People want to engage with others and share experiences. But not you because you’re the coolest person ever and so above it.
So you don’t have to push down on the brakes in a dead grip? And there is always somebody going to move into your lane at the last minute without an indicator.
Of all the dumb, mindless, and blatantly dangerous shit people do while driving, this has to the least offensive thing possible.
I can't imagine this being something that I'd feel the need to post about. The major harm of this is people not being able to get in a turn lane because traffic backs up a little more.
You’re so cool. People just want to engage with other people but you’re so cool you come and disparage what they say. On a forum for exactly that. Because you’re so cool.
I’ve been rear ended by people who don’t know how to drive a manual and jerked forward before the light turned green. It pisses me off when someone drive or stops on my A$$
1 -if someone does this intentionally it's to leave room for cyclists. In some cities this is mandated by ordinance. 2 - I was taught this (and graded on it!) in driver's ed to leave space in case another driver behind you doesn't stop fast enough. At best you might be able to avoid getting rear ended, at worst you may not also hit the person in front of you if you get hit.
The real question is why people creep forward 2 feet every few seconds when it’s red. When I stop there’s no gap and by the time the light turns green everyone has moved forward 10 feet. I don’t see the point.
You need to sneak up on the green…
I've been a passenger in my buddy's truck as he did this. From what I could tell, it was totally subconscious on his part. He kept chatting with me the whole time. He wasn't anxious for the light or in a hurry, etc.
I've done this at times thinknig the sensor that changes the lights has not seen me. TX was stupid cheap about this so I have a thing about it now. I stop at the bold white line I'm supposed too (not the cross walk). Then I creep on it. Hoping the sensor will change.
At my old apartment there was a light on my way home that would never change for my motorcycle. The first time I sat for almost 10 minutes before running it. Tried moving around tried putting my kick stand down nothing.
If a car pulled up it would change within seconds.
The loop is an inductive sensor that detects ferrous metals. You motorcycle is not made of steel so it won’t be detected. Check VA law, they changed it a few years ago making it legal in specific circumstances for motorcycles to run red lights.
This is the right answer.
The sensor is a loop of wire buried in the pavement starting at the stop line and extending just over a car length back. At busier intersections I’ve seen bigger loops and sometimes there are two loops. Either way, I’ve noticed a lot of intersections only turn if there’s car on the sensor. If you go past the stop line, the light stays red, even if you creep past it.
Except I usually stop AT the line and it still kafuckers. So I try to "move" in an attempt to trip it. If I stop too many feet BEFORE the line then I get the whiners honking.
at least they're creeping forward. i sat at a long intersection once behind a manual whose driver didn't like holding the brake peddle and it kept rolling backward toward me. had to beep several times during that light to wake them up to brake again.
This is the real reason. By the time you arrive at a light, some of the drivers have crept up several feet, while the others remained stationary.
I regularly see people at the front of the pack, ten feet back from the line
That’s when you scootch on in. Establish dominance
To rock my sleeping toddler in the back seat who wakes up when the car is stopped
Because the radio signal sucks in that particular spot and, I shit you not, because the single is clear as day two feet forward.
Because at night our cameras turn into motion based and some lights you really gotta pull all the way up for it to pick it up.
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The urge to parallel park in the space in front of them
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They probably got super annoyed at you too lol
THIS!! Especially at a turn lane , people are so freaking slow going through the green that maybe 7 cars go through when it could have been 20 and then the rest of us have to sit there again. Huge pet peeve!
It's a magnetic loop, but yes. Some motorcyclists put magnets on the bottom of their cycle to be more visible to the sensor.
The other day I saw an idiot who had pulled out almost fully past the crosswalk to turn left, they were in the intersection and the sensor didn't see them at all. Didn't get a green light when they would have if they had been on the sensor.
TIL. I thought it was a weight sensor and my motorcycle just wasn’t heavy enough to trip it
It is more that the amount of ferrous metal in your bike isn't enough to induce a current in the loop as you move past it. A magnet helps induce more current as you move into the loop.
This article is in reference to bicycles but the same concepts apply - if you can see what type of inductive loop it is (based on the sealed cuts in the pavement) then positioning the bike appropriately will help.
https://practicalcyclist.blogspot.com/2009/07/tripping-lights-fantastic.html
You can buy a special green light magnet for your motorcycle, or just get some rare earth magnets without a motorcycle markup.
ah alright I don't leave THAT much space. Definitely a single car length. Maybe less.
My usual gripe is people who seem to believe the crosswalk is the correct place to stop.
Lights look for vehicles behind the white line, not so far forward their nose is in the box.
There's a bunch of intersections near me where you have to pull up as close to the intersection as possible so you can see the traffic coming from the left more than a half second before it gets to you.
When you’re making a right turn on red, it’s kinda necessary to at some point pull over the line. Although you should actually stop before the line to check for pedestrians. Sliding over the line without stopping briefly when the light is red is technically a violation and can earn you a ticket for failure to obey traffic lights, or with red light cameras a ticket in the mail.
boooooo you don't cross the limit line "so you can see". The light is red. You don't need to see anything.
I assume they mean when they're trying to turn right on red
Right, but you stop behind the line first where you can't see. And the seeing part comes when you depart the line after you stop.
There are lots of intersections that do not have traffic lights. I am specifically talking about 2-way stops. Intersections where the main road has no stop sign but the smaller road crossing it does.
You know what you do then? You stop behind the limit line.
Nova. Crosswalks are for cars.
i was about to say, I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times i've actually seen someone use a crosswalk in nova in my 15 years of driving here.
edit, when im at the front of the line jfc
You need to pay better attention when driving then. I see it daily
i meant when i was at the front of the line, people outside of like alexandria and fairfax city people barely walk because most of nova is unwalkable because of all the stroads
Or they drive in a different place, time of day, etc than you do.
There is a light by me I discovered you have to go up to the crosswalk to trigger it. I complained to the city and they told me “just pull up into the crosswalk” I was honestly baffled.
I'm always so tempted to clamber over people's hoods when I'm crossing a crosswalk with a car stopped in it.
I know doing so is stupid and dangerous but man would it be funny.
It is against the laws for a pedestrian to open door or walk on hood. Otherwise I’d be doing it every time.
They claim it’s for emergency escape routes. However it only ever seems to be the perfect amount of space to block me from entering my turn lane.
Looking at the faces of the people doing this and how clueless and bewildered they always seem I doubt it
An emergency escape route to 10 feet ahead of you?
I can understand for motorcycles, as I ride, and it has save me already in my first 3,600miles on my bike. Cars… where the fuck you goin
By doing this, they (usually its multiple nitwits doing this) backup traffic intended for the turning lane into the main road lane. If they had left a much smaller gap, then more cars could enter the turning lane and not block traffic.
That’s what I keep seeing, people can’t get into the turn lane because of this. That’s why I’m confused.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_CIA_headquarters_shooting
What does this have to do with stopping 3-4 cars lengths behind the white line at a traffic light?
To be clear he said "or other cars at the red light"
Ever since 1993 people have been taught to leave enough space between themselves and the car in front of them to get out of the way fast in case someone walks up and down the line shooting people and you're all stuck, which is what happens to several people in this attack. It's in training materials now.
They think they are Jason Bourne. But they are just a boring accountant or engineer living a mundane life 😁
Doing their part to make sure the light never changes and/or only they will get through it
Today I had a guy on 7 stop like 50-75 feet behind the car in front of them. Like are you even paying attention to the road or is whatever else you got going on in there more important?
Those people get the horn when I end up behind them.
They're on their phone so they want to be "extra cautious" by leaving lots of space. They're just dumb.
Also the sooner they stop the sooner they can get back to looking at their sweet sweet phone
☝🏾👨🏾🦳 this is it right here
That’s what I think too. People looking at their phone sometimes take their foot off of the brake because they’re not paying attention.
Cus ppl in nova can’t drive for shit
They're dumb.
I have wondered this too. Lived in several places and this is the first place I’ve been where I see this consistently.
Even though I am going straight, I’ve been tempted enter the turning lane and pull in front of them just to prove a point.
I do that all the time
I'm not sure how many people remember https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_CIA_headquarters_shooting but it was discussed in my drivers ed class. They told us to always stop far enough back that you can swerve around the car in front of you without reversing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_CIA_headquarters_shooting
If they rear ended they won't get shoved into the intersection. I remember faintly my drivers ed teacher somewhat explaining this way back when.
A full car length is over kill.
Same, that's what I was told in drivers ed, ~1995
My favorite is when they come up to a red light but stop 2 car lengths behind the line. While I'm sitting at the line wondering where the car next to me went. Turn around. Ah there it is. It confuses me greatly because they don't even creep up.
This is especially annoying when the resulting backup prevents you from getting into the left turn lane.
I always assume the people who don’t go to the line are on their phone and it’s their weird sort of safety measure.
That could be it. I always turn around and they are just sitting there with no phone in hand. Also I try my best to be hands free. People who text and drive terrify me
Agree! I try not to use my phone other than to play music.
Also, my husband and I saw someone eating a bowl of spaghetti while driving once, that was terrifying.
I can do one better. I was in traffic on 495 looked over and saw someone eating cereal and adding more milk to it in a whole ass bowl 🤨
Edit: I understand being late and grabbing something to eat on the way to work. But cereal????
That’s either a serial killer or a potential formula one driver who missed their calling in life.
Both my boyfriend and I were baffled. However the mass amount of people who bring bowls, plates and silverware into the car to have a meal while driving scares me. The most I'll do Is eat my fries at a light or take a bite of my sandwich at a light
They’re staring at their phones. I see it every damn week on Dolley Madison blvd/chain bridge rd around Tysons. Sometimes there’s more than enough space that I actually get in front of them at the light because I want that lane after the light changes, so why not take it now?
Lazy, incompotent, distracted, unconfident, entitled, self-centered... take your pick!
To create grid locks!
So like it's good to leave a few feet in case of emergencies and what not, but my running theory is that it's actually lack of depth perception for a lot of folks.
I have bad depth perception. These people need glasses.
No exactly. That's my theory. A majority of people who leave that much space probably need to be wearing glasses lmao.
It's so we can text and inch up without looking at the same time. Also so I can inch up slowly covering right turning car's view to see oncoming traffic
Not sure, but as a motorcycle rider I love it. Free spot!
It’s happened several times where a car isn’t pulled up close enough to the line that we end up missing 2-3 light cycles on the way home from work. Really pisses me off, lots of smooth brained drivers here
There's a simple answer, thier using thier phones. Or distracted with other stuff, I seen it a lot here in Sterling and when I visit family in Spain.
Cause they're dummies who are in their phones or clueless and make everyone else sit through several cycles until they decide to just run the light, which then senses their car and turns green by the time they're through the intersection
I moved from nova to MD recently and see this much too frequently. It makes me irrationally mad
Some places the light will never turn green in a certain direction until 2+ cars are detected.
I have a lifted Jeep, sometimes the bottom of the Jeep is too far from the magnetic sensors to be ‘seen’, and the light never changes.
Sounds like another reason not to lift your Jeep
Yeah that's a terrible design. I've had it happen late at night where it won't turn for several cycles and I have to do something like a left turn on red when the coast is clear.
As a motorcycle driver I can confirm this is true. And also tell you exactly which lights this is true for in a 5 mile radius from my apartment.
Do you pay attention to the type of inductive loop and position your bike accordingly when you stop?
How would one do that?
https://practicalcyclist.blogspot.com/2009/07/tripping-lights-fantastic.html?m=1
Stop making sense.
What’s even worse is the people who slow to a crawl WAY before this, making you slam on your brakes since you’re not expecting it, and then creep up while STILL leaving 4 car lengths. I just chalk it up to low intelligence
Have you noticed if the cars doing this are EVs? That slow creep might be regenerative braking, which sends power back to the battery. Wouldn’t explain the massive gap between the next car, though.
New drivers. Or they need cushion so they can be on their phone.
I used to park right behind the car in front of me until my husband mentioned that the car's intake is at the front and being so close to the car in the front means we get all the fumes from the car before us. So now I leave about half a car's length in front of me.
But I am always looking in the rare view mirrors. Especially if I am right beside where the turn lane starts.
I've seen them leave an entire bus length. I don't get it. I think they're NPC's put here to make life difficult.
lol, I read your post a minute ago and now a few minutes later what do I find: a dash cam post where the cam car is way behind the line.
https://www.reddit.com/r/IdiotsInCars/comments/1prqr18/the_blind_leading_the_blind_oc/
So many bad things happening in one video.
You'll likely never get this answered. Just like how some people sit so close to the steering wheel their forearms/elbow touch the steering wheel.
That’s one I have not seen much of, is that common around here.
I have noticed this as well. Not just a couple of times but almost every time at a red traffic light.
Could it be they are people that learned to only stop once you don't see the white line?
Could it be that they are suspicious of a possible traffic camera and dare not to trigger a photo?
brain dead driving
I hate it when I can’t get to the turn lane and miss the light but easily could if people in front weren’t leaving huge gaps
The best is when they do this for the dedicated left lane split off so everyone not turning left gets screwed.
Finally get around and see its half to full car lengths between all of them peering into their phones
It is recommended that you pull no closer than the spot where you can see both of their back tires. This ensures you have enough space to drive around them or make other choices. I see a few people give way too much space. I've even seen them miss a turn arrow because they weren't far enough forward to trip the induction switch for the green arrow.
Phones, big hoods, sitting too low in the seat, or perhaps the only one that might be excusable (but I don’t see often) they want to time the light and begin moving slightly before the light turns green. I say that because I’ve considered doing exactly that because I accelerate very slowly because I like my gas mileage
Why? So you have a chance at maneuvering out of the way if you are about to be rear ended or reduce the chain reaction if you are. A full car length may be excessive but when I had drivers ed (in the 1970s) the instructors said you should be able to see the rear tires contact the roadway when stopped behind another car to leave yourself enough room. It‘s one of the rules I’ve tried to follow in my 54 years of licensed driving.
This exactly as far as reason and amount of space between you and the car in front of you.
I mean everyone in this thread (and my gd gf) were apparently never taught to leave any space at a red light like I was. You should leave enough space for you to have a mild fender bender without being pushed into the car in front of you, and enough space for you to be able to move around the car in front of you if necessary. That shouldn’t require a full car length but the idiots that inch forward the whole time can fen turn a half car length unto a full one by the end of the light
What I was taught is to keep your foot on the brake, so if you're rear-ended you won't be pushed forward and hit the next car (or be pushed into the intersection, if you're in the front).
All that’s going to do is get your brakes wrecked along with your bumper. You need space to be able to let up on the brakes a bit
Half a car length is still too much room.
For what? People do a whole host of idiotic things on the road that do nothing other than cause problems. Leaving a half car length in front of you at a light literally does nothing more than exactly what I laid out above
People are bad at driving.
Mystery solved. So deep.
You’re so cool. Look at you being so cool.
When I see this I just slot my car in front of them and then enjoy the look of shock on their faces in the rear view mirror. I do the same thing when they’re the first car with 40 feet of space in front of them to the white line.
I drive a manual. And I'm stopped on a hill.
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Can't do that with the electric parking brakes. Also the term "e-brake" is incorrect and archaic. They are "parking brakes". Your response is obsolete and invalid. Also, the difference between my '96 jeep manual and 2022 bronco manual is astounding. Do you know how to manually release the automatic hold function? Do you even know what that is?
It's not a problem unless you don't know how to drive today's manuals.
Turn signals are illegal here so you gotta leave enough room between you and the car in front of you to go around them when they only pull forward 5 feet at the green light. Plus you need ample runway to get up to speed since no one is going to let you in. Nova 101 bra
My question is why is this such a recent phenomenon, I don’t remember this being a thing even four years ago
I’ve only been driving for like two years but I see it all the time I have two turning lanes on my way to work and they’re always blocked by cars who don’t pull up
There should be no space between the first car and the stop line. The vehicle's front bumper should be lined up to the leading edge of the stop line. Too far back and there's a good chance you don't trigger the inductive loop (wire under the pavement that senses metal above ground to trigger the light). Too far forward and the light might think you've already gone.
As for space between cars in a line, that's probably up for discussion.
Too much space and it might cause blockage of turn lanes or something, hindering overall traffic flow.
Too little and it takes longer for the whole line to get moving again. When you're right up to the bumper in front of you, you can't see the brake lights of cars 1 or 2 further ahead in the line and you can't start moving until the car directly in front of you does, so reaction times add up.
Phantom car syndrome. They're reacting to a car that only they can see.
It a commonly taught rule of thumb to stop far enough back that you can see the tires of the car in front of you. It gives you maneuvering room in an emergency and reduces the chance that a rear end collision will slam you into the vehicle in front of you.
The VA DMV even posted about it a few years ago.
OP is posting about people leaving entire car lengths in front of them. This will not be the case if you stop as you described.
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Partly. Yes if there's a car you should be able to see their tyres. But if you are first, the only reason to leave that gap is so when I'm on my motorcycle I can hop in front
It is exactly what the post is about? If you leave enough space to see the next vehicle’s tires, you will have roughly a car’s length between vehicles.
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the title is literally "space between the line for the red light or other cars at the red light." My explanation was directed at that.
Yeah that person above just provided a valid explanation to the reason.
If you get hit at high speed from behind, there's less of a chance you could get shoved into an intersection and hit by cross traffic
Like them, I was taught this at drivers ed too in another state.
Yes and you can get a ticket for following too closely in the case of an accident. If someone hits you from behind and you are too close to the car in front of you, then you will hit them as well causing a pile up and you are at fault.
That’s a bad rule of thumb, as it the resulting distance will depend on the height your hood (or even dashboard) as well as the height of your vehicle.
Yup I was taught at least see 2 feet of space from the back of the car.
Here people aren't paying attention enough that if they ram me I don't want to hit the car in front too. And that's more likely if there's a pile up where they hit me and the car behind them hits them to push both of us further.
My wife does this and it makes me want to crawl under the seat. When I asked her why, she said it is so if she gets rear-ended she doesn't hit the car in front of her. Any attempt to give me ammunition to argue with her will be ignored; I like being married.
JFTR I do not do this. However, my son has been rear-ended while stopped at red lights TWICE (once he got a concussion, once the car was totaled) so it happens.
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This is just an excuse that morons use.
I don't wanna put the car back in first gear just to inch a bit forward and put it back in neutral 😅
although if it's something ridiculous like 2 whole car lengths or if I'm blocking a turn lane, then I will pull forward
Surprised that person never shows up here because I'd really like to hear from them. Why?
I genuinely think the people who do this do so unknowingly and just lack spatial awareness.
I’d rather this than the opposite, odd but doesn’t bother me that much
I stop so i can see the car in front rear tire touching pavement. I do it so in case of emergency i have room to change lanes - think road rage asshole coming to my POV. I also hope that if there is a chain reaction rear end accident I won't hit the car in front of me.
You KNOW too many asshat drivers are reading, on scrolling on their phone and are SURPRISED that people stop at a red light or a traffic has stopped because it's needed 🤦🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
I was always taught to leave enough room so that if you get rear-ended, you won't get pushed into the car in front of you.
That seems to be the most popular answer but I do not believe that’s an entire car length or more.
Many city drivers will do something like this because of pedestrians. A bad rear end would easily wipe someone out (think Georgetown but busier). There are also drivers from faster traffic conditions who do this because a rear end from a zooming car will push the car into an equally speedy intersection. It depends on the driver’s background and education. For example, I was taught in driving school to never turn the wheel and vehicle on a turn lane until making the turn, but I see VA drivers doing it all the time; I assume because it was not emphasized (or taught) in education.
I'm afraid of someone rear-ending me and then smashing me into the person in front.
you don't need an entire car length in front of you to prevent that, and even if it does happen it's still the person behind you's fault not yours
I'd like to NOT have extra physics applied to me thank you. Bad enough being hit from one end.
But if you pulled forward, the car behind you will have a little bit more room to brake.
The burden is on them to gauge when to stop before they hit the thing in front of them. not on me to gauge it for them.
It’s a good practice to leave room for emergency maneuvers.
Enough space to move around someone, sur. Enough to qualify for a zip code? Come on…
Makes it easier for people like me to cut in. I appreciate those squares.
It's basic defensive driving. When the light turns green and cars start acceleration, you need to have space to safely accelerate and break if the car in front of you suddenly stops, like for a u-turn.
A whole cars length?
Leaving a gap should be common. Drivers should leave enough room to pull around, at one point in time they said you should be able to see the wheels on the pavement of the car in front of you. If the vehicle in front of you won’t or can’t pull forward, you’re stuck if you don’t leave room.
Leaving a gap is safer for all.
There are places in this world where people will rob/murder you in the middle of the street in broad daylight, you’d be lucky if all they take is your car. They will stop short in front and block the rear with a 2nd vehicle.
I sometimes leave space before the line when the lights are poorly designed and I have to hunch over to see them at the line.
It can be hard to see the lights and i have to crank my neck to the side to see if it turned green or not
It prevents multi car accidents.
I treat it like a crack and don’t want to even seem like I’d get close to breaking my mamas back
I don’t get it either. I would be home like 30 minutes earlier if people just left 1/4 car length between them and the car in front of them. /s
You’re so cool. People engage with the world to learn more about whether or not their experiences happen to other people but you’re so cool you act snarky about it. You’re like the coolest person ever and totally add to conversations.
My work van goes into alarm when I get too close to the bumper so I have no choice
I have one of those and it for sure does not need an entire car length.
Mine does. I tried it all.
Get over yourself dude, it ain’t that serious
You’re so cool. Look at how cool you are. People want to engage with others and share experiences. But not you because you’re the coolest person ever and so above it.
To make up for all of the following too closely at every other speed, lol.
MD driver?
I’ve seen all DMV license plates not just Maryland.
those same people leave no space between themselves and the back of your car while going 60 in a 45.
they also have maryland plates lol
So you don’t have to push down on the brakes in a dead grip? And there is always somebody going to move into your lane at the last minute without an indicator.
If the space is there, ima take it. But, will use a blinker.
Of all the dumb, mindless, and blatantly dangerous shit people do while driving, this has to the least offensive thing possible.
I can't imagine this being something that I'd feel the need to post about. The major harm of this is people not being able to get in a turn lane because traffic backs up a little more.
I can’t imagine going on a forum for discussions and being mad that people are discussing things but here you are.
How does people leaving space while lining up at a light hurt you? Idk, just seems kinda petty.
I said I was confused by it, not hurt, and wanted to see what other people thought. But go on with your negative Nancy vibe ruining.
Negative Nancy in response to a post where someone's being negative about something that literally hurts no one from YoManYouCantDrive 😄
You’re so cool. People just want to engage with other people but you’re so cool you come and disparage what they say. On a forum for exactly that. Because you’re so cool.
So if someone rear-ends you, you won’t hit the car in front of you.
I don’t think that’s requires leaving an entire car length.
I’ve been rear ended by people who don’t know how to drive a manual and jerked forward before the light turned green. It pisses me off when someone drive or stops on my A$$
Maybe they are leaving room because the at the front went past the stop line and is now blocking the cross walk.
1 -if someone does this intentionally it's to leave room for cyclists. In some cities this is mandated by ordinance. 2 - I was taught this (and graded on it!) in driver's ed to leave space in case another driver behind you doesn't stop fast enough. At best you might be able to avoid getting rear ended, at worst you may not also hit the person in front of you if you get hit.