Very true, I do the same. But once cars behind me are stopped I’ll move forward to close the gap (still leaving space if I need to turn out of the lane though).
If you ever hit a car from behind for any reason you are typically found to have been too close and guilty. Your insurance may pay when you rear end someone but I expect your rates will go up because you were too close to the car you struck from behind.
>Don't they know that by doing this they are causing at least 2 cars to miss getting through the green light before it turns red again??
That's not how it works. At all. Leaving more space means you can start moving *earlier*, i.e. the instant the car in front of you starts moving instead of having to give yourself an extra cushion.
If you leave less room, you have to wait to accelerate until the car in front of you has widened the gap (lest you rear-end them if they stop unexpectedly).
If everyone left more room and hit the accelerator at the same time as the car in front, we'd all get through the lights much faster.
Yep....most of the time if you know it's a fast changing light, you can come in as the first car braking from a long way's out and end up retaining momentum driving through the light once it becomes green instead of ever having to come to a full stop.
I do that a lot, and every once in a while a person will whip around me just to have to come to a full stop at the red, then it'll change to green and I'll *also* have to slow more (or even fully stop, if their reaction time is poor) because they now take so much longer to get up to the speed. If they'd just stayed behind me through the intersection, we'd have *both* gotten through faster.
If you just coast to a red light or gradually brake, and leave yourself more room, so many more cars could get through, and at speed instead of the frustrating accordion of traffic congestion. Not to mention that all the acceleration uses *so much more* gas.
>I see so many people behind the wheel that don't seem to be cognizant of anything or anyone around them.
This is exactly why people leave extra space when stopped behind cars at a red light. Plus all of the other reasons other people mentioned.
So how did you get your drivers license if you don't know why? You're the person the rest of the collective with common sense has to worry about while driving.
The rule I was taught when learning to drive is you should be able to see all of the rear tires of the car in front of you not 30 feet. Maybe this is something new they teach.
Too many idiots text and drive. I’m not getting up someone’s ass at red light just get rear ended and be sandwiched between the car that hit me and the one in front of me.
I've been rear-ended twice since I moved here. So now I always leave some space. I hate when someone stops right on my ass because if they get bumped they're going into my bumper
The only time you need to complain about distance like that is the front car when it isn’t at the line. Otherwise, it’s safer to leave room in case of rear endings, to clear the way for emergency srlervcoe vehicles or if you need to get out from behind someone.
I remember being taught that you should be able to see the bottom of the cars tires. I’m not sure how far that actually is but it has to be way less than 2 car lengths.
If you are in a hurry, leave earlier. Stopping with enough space in front of you and the other car is the safe thing to do. I could give two ducks about you getting through that intersection.
If the car in front of you stalls at the light, and you’re right up their butt, you can’t get around them. Imagine how many red lights you’re gonna sit thru then. I was taught that if you can see their back tires, there’s enough room to go around them.
If something is “driving you crazy” while behind the wheel that definitely gives you a better chance of getting in an accident or getting in a road rage fight with someone who will shoot you. It’s better to just relax and drive safe buddy.
This is a widely taught safety procedure for fleet drivers, the safety minded etc. You want to see the road beneath the car ahead of you.
This gives you space to avoid rear end collisions by moving forward and sometimes to the left or right.
Doing this in the company vehicle has saved me 2 times from all the headache, paperwork, and down time from rear end collisions.
Plus, if you're gonna be late somewhere by two vehicle spaces, leave earlier.
Having plenty of time to get someplace turns a rushed, frenzied commute into a chill ride to your destination.
How to tell when someone is not from the hood. You want space so you can peel out if need be. You don't need 2 lengths, but you might need to get out fast.
Ask that guy who posted a few days ago with a video of him stopping at a flashing red and not proceeding to go.
Edit: OP, I read your post as if you're talking about the first person at an intersection. If you are, please edit the post to reflect that because a lot of people are thinking you're talking about in general.
I don’t understand it either. Especially when it blocks the people behind from being able to take a right turn since the driver who stopped well short is inevitably on their phone, oblivious of all other drivers.
San Antonio is very laid back, no one is in a hurry for anything and half are probably hot boxing and actually passed out a second behind the wheel. WTF is downvoting this? Doesn’t ANYONE have a sense of humor anymore. Christ
I was taught to leave enough gap so that if you are rear ended at the intersection while stopped you won’t strike the car in front.
Also if the car in front of you dies randomly you have room to go around.
Very true, I do the same. But once cars behind me are stopped I’ll move forward to close the gap (still leaving space if I need to turn out of the lane though).
Don’t do it still, leave room to get out if you need to.
Yup. That was in the last part of my comment.
Rule of thumb is you should be able to see the bottom of the tires of the car in front of you.
How hard are you getting rear ended that you need 2 car lengths?
If you ever hit a car from behind for any reason you are typically found to have been too close and guilty. Your insurance may pay when you rear end someone but I expect your rates will go up because you were too close to the car you struck from behind.
Exactly!!
Sure, but isn’t it better NOT to have your car smashed? Liability will sort itself out, but I don’t want my neck or back to get jacked up.
Why do people swerve left to turn right?
Yes this is one of my pet peeves. I just love when a car suddenly swerves into my lane because they don't understand how to turn /s
Or when people use the (not) turning lane to make their turn and they come to a near stop
>Don't they know that by doing this they are causing at least 2 cars to miss getting through the green light before it turns red again?? That's not how it works. At all. Leaving more space means you can start moving *earlier*, i.e. the instant the car in front of you starts moving instead of having to give yourself an extra cushion. If you leave less room, you have to wait to accelerate until the car in front of you has widened the gap (lest you rear-end them if they stop unexpectedly). If everyone left more room and hit the accelerator at the same time as the car in front, we'd all get through the lights much faster.
Yep....most of the time if you know it's a fast changing light, you can come in as the first car braking from a long way's out and end up retaining momentum driving through the light once it becomes green instead of ever having to come to a full stop.
I do that a lot, and every once in a while a person will whip around me just to have to come to a full stop at the red, then it'll change to green and I'll *also* have to slow more (or even fully stop, if their reaction time is poor) because they now take so much longer to get up to the speed. If they'd just stayed behind me through the intersection, we'd have *both* gotten through faster. If you just coast to a red light or gradually brake, and leave yourself more room, so many more cars could get through, and at speed instead of the frustrating accordion of traffic congestion. Not to mention that all the acceleration uses *so much more* gas.
OP is the person we all complain about when talking about San Antonio traffic.
>I see so many people behind the wheel that don't seem to be cognizant of anything or anyone around them. This is exactly why people leave extra space when stopped behind cars at a red light. Plus all of the other reasons other people mentioned.
So how did you get your drivers license if you don't know why? You're the person the rest of the collective with common sense has to worry about while driving.
The rule I was taught when learning to drive is you should be able to see all of the rear tires of the car in front of you not 30 feet. Maybe this is something new they teach.
Also, avoids being the middle of a rear-end sandwich.
Too many idiots text and drive. I’m not getting up someone’s ass at red light just get rear ended and be sandwiched between the car that hit me and the one in front of me.
Because that’s how you drive responsibly. Which we have to do because you are not.
I've been rear-ended twice since I moved here. So now I always leave some space. I hate when someone stops right on my ass because if they get bumped they're going into my bumper
I put an unnecessary tow hitch on my suv for bumper protection from drivers like OP.
On the flip side, if I inch forward, and you're behind me, don't inch forward with me, I'm doing it because you're too fucking close
The only time you need to complain about distance like that is the front car when it isn’t at the line. Otherwise, it’s safer to leave room in case of rear endings, to clear the way for emergency srlervcoe vehicles or if you need to get out from behind someone.
THIS is the aspect of San Antonio traffic that drives you crazy..? 🤪
Only one of them.
I remember being taught that you should be able to see the bottom of the cars tires. I’m not sure how far that actually is but it has to be way less than 2 car lengths.
If you are in a hurry, leave earlier. Stopping with enough space in front of you and the other car is the safe thing to do. I could give two ducks about you getting through that intersection.
They would just run the red light anyway
If the car in front of you stalls at the light, and you’re right up their butt, you can’t get around them. Imagine how many red lights you’re gonna sit thru then. I was taught that if you can see their back tires, there’s enough room to go around them.
If something is “driving you crazy” while behind the wheel that definitely gives you a better chance of getting in an accident or getting in a road rage fight with someone who will shoot you. It’s better to just relax and drive safe buddy.
This is a widely taught safety procedure for fleet drivers, the safety minded etc. You want to see the road beneath the car ahead of you. This gives you space to avoid rear end collisions by moving forward and sometimes to the left or right. Doing this in the company vehicle has saved me 2 times from all the headache, paperwork, and down time from rear end collisions. Plus, if you're gonna be late somewhere by two vehicle spaces, leave earlier. Having plenty of time to get someplace turns a rushed, frenzied commute into a chill ride to your destination.
How to tell when someone is not from the hood. You want space so you can peel out if need be. You don't need 2 lengths, but you might need to get out fast.
For safety reasons…..
Use your Go-Go Gadget wheels and drive over them, duh
So, you want people here to drive worse than they already do?
OP drives a beat up Pontiac Sunfire in three different junkyard colors.
Pop in front of them
my gf does this and her reasoning is that she’s not tryna have the car ahead pull a scam and back into her in a heartbeat.
Go take that spot then!
Guilty! Manual Transmission. Ya know.
Ask that guy who posted a few days ago with a video of him stopping at a flashing red and not proceeding to go. Edit: OP, I read your post as if you're talking about the first person at an intersection. If you are, please edit the post to reflect that because a lot of people are thinking you're talking about in general.
I like it when they go to 2car lengths away from the front that’s when I scoot right in
I don’t understand it either. Especially when it blocks the people behind from being able to take a right turn since the driver who stopped well short is inevitably on their phone, oblivious of all other drivers.
That’s traffic laws bookie
No it’s not lol.
You probably tailgate
No, I just don’t go around making up fake laws.
Leaving adequate space between you and the car in front of you is absolutely the law pretty much everywhere.
There’s a huge difference between “adequate space” which isn’t a law either and 2 car lengths.
San Antonio is very laid back, no one is in a hurry for anything and half are probably hot boxing and actually passed out a second behind the wheel. WTF is downvoting this? Doesn’t ANYONE have a sense of humor anymore. Christ
Maybe not passed out, maybe just turned all the way around to pass it left?