[QUOTE=GorillaMan]
If you don’t have a parking brake that lets you perform a proper hill start in such situations, why not just use your left foot on the brake pedal?
[/QUOTE]
My first stick shift was a GMC pickup with a foot controlled parking brake. I had to quickly learn to get the truck moving without touching the gas.
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane]
Yeah, and my aunt could have been my uncle if she just had the balls. There is no logical reason for leaving a car length, or more. Think about the guy behind you, as well as yourself!
[/QUOTE]
and the logical reason for not leaving a car length is?
you could drive your entire life without a single at fault accident and still end up in several that were easily avoidable by yourself if you took some simple precautions.
I got rear ended by an old lady who plowed into the car I was a passenger in so hard we flew across two lanes of traffic and came to a stop sideways in the middle of an intersection with traffic going past in both directions when I was around 18. after 6 months of chiropractic care and a year of trouble with my neck I was better.
since then I have always left an escape route when stopped in traffic, one car length means I can move out of the way should some dumbass come along whos not paying attention to traffic. and its paid of more than once.
The worst near miss (avoided due to my escape route and habit of using my mirrors) was on a freeway offramp. I had stopped and the next person coming off the freeway wasnt even slowing down. he was still doing near 60 when I hit the gas and cut right onto the shoulder. what did he do? when he saw me move thats when he woke up and slammed on his brakes, instead of cutting right or left onto the shoulder to avoid a crash he panic braked and came to a stop about 2 feet short of hitting the car formerly in front of me.
now look at the 2 different outcomes in those scenarios, in one case we have to totaled cars, 3 injured people, literal months worth of peoples time spent dealing with one momentary lapse of judgment vs a guy who probably had to replace a couple tires due to the flat spots he put in them under panic braking.
you do the math, personally I could care less if some impatient ass is pissed off over 5 feet of empty road. its just like the following distance thing, so many people get angry when you arent trying to crawl up the ass of the driver in front of you they never EVER notice that you are in fact driving at exactly the same speed, there is no “slow” about it. and I also love the part where people dont leave space because some one else will move into that spot…oh no, not that, you mean if people had space to do things like lane change traffic might not slow down to a crawl at every freeway on ramp?
seriously people need to chill out in traffic. between impatience, lack of space, and starring at the car 8 feet in front of you instead of looking at what is going on WAY ahead of you its no wonder traffic sucks and collisions are the norm in day to day traffic.
[QUOTE=GorillaMan]
If you don’t have a parking brake that lets you perform a proper hill start in such situations, why not just use your left foot on the brake pedal?
[/QUOTE]
For one, I drive with hand controls. Never mind the details, but I can’t reach the pedals. I wasn’t rolling far, anyway, my car picks up pretty fast. Those are some steep hills, though.
It didn’t occur to me to use my parking brake. Nobody ever taught me to do that; do explain? It might come in handy sometime.
[QUOTE=whiterabbit]
For one, I drive with hand controls. Never mind the details, but I can’t reach the pedals. I wasn’t rolling far, anyway, my car picks up pretty fast. Those are some steep hills, though.
It didn’t occur to me to use my parking brake. Nobody ever taught me to do that; do explain? It might come in handy sometime.
[/QUOTE]
Well, I do it with a stick, but it’s even easier in an automatic. You put the parking brake on at the light. When it’s time to go you give it some gas and then release the brake. The whole operation should take less than a second. You don’t want it going up over say 1000 or 1500 RPM before you release the break, but that should be enough to get you moving forward right away.
It’s a little trickier with a stick, since you have to give it some gas and pretty much let out the clutch and release the brake simultaneously, but it’s the only way to do nasty hill starts.
If you look at driving as a social interaction, then you will realize the importance of being considerate, tolerant and polite. Unfortunately there are too many who seem to take an isolationist attitude and act as if they are more important than their fellow drivers.
The reasons I’ve seen here, attempting to justify leaving large gaps in traffic, all appear to consider the perceived needs of the individual and ignore the consequences to other drivers, until those individuals find themselves inconvenienced, then they are the first to cry foul.
[QUOTE=Asimovian]
There is a very clear white line drawn directly behind where the crossing gates come down. This is where I stop. But I see lots of people who will stop all the way behind the “Railroad Xing” lettering painted on the street, which is to say, a LONG way back. I really don’t understand this behavior at all. Like Bearflag70, I’ve often wondered if it was a fear of derailment issue. The only other thing I can think of is that some people really find train horns obnoxiously loud and might be trying to stay as far from the source as possible.
[/QUOTE]
Perhaps, like me, they watched that lady on Oprah about 10 years ago who was rear-ended by a car at a railroad crossing and careened into the speeding train, which dragged her car about 2 miles while she screamed in helpless terror.
I’m just sayin’.
I don’t leave a very big gap at traffic lights OR train crossings, but I really wouldn’t blame anyone who did. When I was 16 I was rear-ended while waiting at a traffic light by an SUV going at least 45mph, and my car careened clear out into the otherside of the intersection while simultaneously twisting into an unrecognizable mess. It hurt and it was terrifying. You can’t trust other drivers, you have to take care of yourself.
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane]
The reasons I’ve seen here, attempting to justify leaving large gaps in traffic, all appear to consider the perceived needs of the individual and ignore the consequences to other drivers, until those individuals find themselves inconvenienced, then they are the first to cry foul.
[/QUOTE]
You seem to be implying that it is worse to leave gaps in traffic and avoid potential car accidents than it is to wait a little bit longer at a stop light. If that’s the case, I can’t say I agree. It would stand to reason that safety is more important than convenience. The real question is whether leaving the gaps really DOES create a safer environment.
[QUOTE=olivesmarch4th]
You seem to be implying that it is worse to leave gaps in traffic and avoid potential car accidents than it is to wait a little bit longer at a stop light. If that’s the case, I can’t say I agree. It would stand to reason that safety is more important than convenience. The real question is whether leaving the gaps really DOES create a safer environment.
[/QUOTE]
I’m saying that there’s no evidence to support the idea that leaving a carlength, or more, offers any additional safety. In fact, if you’re rear ended, I would think it safer to be close to the car in front of you. That would lessen the effects of a second impact. All this depends upon the speeds involved, sizes of vehicles, etc. But I think the “safety gap” idea is just speculation, not based on fact.
It is a fact that the practice often causes inconvenience for other drivers and it’s more that a question of “waiting a bit longer at a stop light”. As I pointed out previously, sensor operated lights will often begin their cycle prematurely because of large gaps between cars, thereby causing backups that could be avoided.
What is the incidence of rear end collisions vs. the number of times a person stops for a light, or turn? It’s got to be in the millions.
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane]
In fact, if you’re rear ended, I would think it safer to be close to the car in front of you. That would lessen the effects of a second impact. All this depends upon the speeds involved, sizes of vehicles, etc. But I think the “safety gap” idea is just speculation, not based on fact.
[/quote]
I think your idea that being further from the car in front of you when rear ended will cause a greater second impact is just speculation, not fact. Especially when the first person who is rear ended will probably have his foot on the brakes.
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane]
What is the incidence of rear end collisions vs. the number of times a person stops for a light, or turn? It’s got to be in the millions.
[/QUOTE]
I doubt it.
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF]
You learn in various sundry places to leave gaps when stopped so if something happens you can jet instead of being so close that you have nowhere to go. For me it’s almost a habit, but I don’t lay back two car lengths, more like a couple of feet so I have clearance.
[/QUOTE]
Yep, in the inner city you may want that escape room if there is a “problem”.
I do this on my motorcycle all the time. I check the rear-view and am always on the lookout for danger. You don’t want to get rear-ended on the bike. Always good to have an escape route.
It sort of carries over into the cars that I drive too, but not to the extreme. Only if traffic is tight and I’m in the crappy part of town.
[QUOTE=joechip236]
Good grief! Is that why people do that? I always thought it was because people had a depth-perception problem or something.
Is there a similar explanation for why, when the light turns green, people wait until the car in front of them is nearly to the horizon before they lazily tap their accelerator?
[/QUOTE]
Because they live in Knoxville?
Answered by one who hates how the people here drive. They act as if they have nowhere to go and all day to get there.