Thread: Wot is it with leaving whole car spaces at traffic lights?

Originally Posted by CraigE

It can be annoying at lights. However I know a lot of people leave this gap in case they are rear ended and pushed into the car in front. If this occurs they are immediately partially to blame even though they have been pushed into the car in front. I know a lot of driving instructors are teaching this.

Originally Posted by Boofla

They are taught that you are to see the rear tyres or white line on the road.
Plus if you get rear ended if you are that little bit back it might reduce you getting pushed into the car in front.
But, leaving an entire car space between you and the car infront is crazy and annoying though....

Have these supposed driving instructors never heard about the traffic conjestion and the rising cost of fuel.

If the drivers can't estimate the space in front of their car and the threshold to leave a normal space, perhaps they don't have the skills to be driving!

In my recent experience some of the driving instructors are the worst at ignoring the road rules.

yes you get taught to leave a car space. In case of a crash or breakdown then you can get out.
If I didnt leave at least a car space I would have failed my Ps test.

Then its O.K not to sit on the magnetic loop and make everyone wait and wait and wait until the lights go into a mandatory cycle.

There's a simple solution, we'll make all the traffic lights further apart so we can accommodate the traffic tail backs, then well be able to add lots more housing into the spaces between intersections.

This all sounds like solving a problem that wasn't there. An idea dreamed up by a public servant who walks to the train station and has never driven in their life. They must have gone to the same college as the road designers who think cars make 90 degree turns like in the movie Tron.

Harold Scruby are you there, I can see your hands in this?

Originally Posted by davidsonsm

I did a defensive driving course a couple of years ago. They recommended leaving a gap whereby you can see the rear tyres of the car on front. It allows you to take evasive action if needed. Reckon on average that's half a car length. ...

Actually it's very dependent upon the design of the vehicle, if you're in an older HiLux its likely well over a car length. I don't mind half a car length thats fine, but on my way to and from work each day I have to pass numerous intersections where the lights require a car trigger the magnetic loop otherwise it takes about 3 cycles before it gives a mandatory green to the side road. Then the cycle only alows about 3 cars through on the green, a couple of these park a football field behind the threshold/car in front people and it can be 5-10 minutes getting through the one intersection while theres only light traffic on the crossroad.

Originally Posted by Landy Smurf

yes you get taught to leave a car space. In case of a crash or breakdown then you can get out.
If I didnt leave at least a car space I would have failed my Ps test.

Leaving enough of a gap to pull around the car in front I can totally understand, that's what I usually do. I've seen too many cars roll backwards on an incline to do otherwise. But when it's a whole car length or more, I can't understand that, and the "leave a big gap then shuffle forwards" I understand even less.

Originally Posted by Landy Smurf

yes you get taught to leave a car space. In case of a crash or breakdown then you can get out.
If I didnt leave at least a car space I would have failed my Ps test.

Yes, RTA (name changed in Sept 2011 but they are taking no notice and won't change their name to RMS) driving test officers will fail an applicant on this "requirement" - would like to see if it is in anything published - have not time to look for it a second time.....

Bob

Originally Posted by CraigE

It can be annoying at lights. However I know a lot of people leave this gap in case they are rear ended and pushed into the car in front. If this occurs they are immediately partially to blame even though they have been pushed into the car in front. I know a lot of driving instructors are teaching this.

Not if you are stationary.. I know because it happened to me and the car that hit me was liable for my damage, the car I hit in front and the car I hit to the side (as I was hit so hard my car bounced off the car in front and then into the opposite lane where I was again bounced into another car).

Yep, stop so as you can see where the rear tyres of the vehicle in front touch the road. It's just good practice and is taught by any decent driving instructor.

It's not only about safety in case of a rear-ender; but also so that if the car in front fails to move off for some reason, you have room to get around them without having to reverse first.

It's called common sense mostly

The way I was taught (And I also would have failed my test had I not done it) was to leave a car length between you and the car in front until two or three cars pull up behind you, then you can slowly move forward.
Seems no-one is interested in it these days, its all about getting to where you want a whole 5 seconds faster and being a sanctimonious ****** if someone prevents you from doing that...
EDIT
But if you're the first car then I see no reason as to why it should occur...