In the stop light line: how much space between cars?

[vigil617]

The turn-signal thread reminded me of something I've been meaning to ask the national audience here on the Forum.

Where I now live in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area, I have observed a phenomenon I don't ever remember seeing anywhere else I have lived. I can't figure it out, and I wonder if anyone else sees it and whether it's some kind of new trend.

When coming to a stop for a stoplight, my habit has always been to leave perhaps 3 to 5 feet or so between me and the car ahead. This is what feels like a comfortable space, plus I do it in consideration of people behind me so when the light changes, most or all of us can get through the light before it turns red again. Simple, right?

Well, it's amazing to me that so many drivers here will stop a full car length, or even more, behind the one in front of them. Some even stop that far behind the stop line if they're first in line. In a long line of stopped traffic, this means that the folks near the end of the line are gonna have to wait through another light cycle to move through.

Not to mention the fact that when someone "stops short" ahead of me as I'm decelerating, I have less room to stop and sometimes have to brake hard, even if I had not been following too closely. We have a ton of rear-end collisions in our area, and I wonder if this is partly why.

This behavior puzzles, and frankly, gripes me. It's another grrrrrrrrrrrr moment among the many others I have when driving these days.

Do people do this where you live? Is there a reasonable explanation?

 

[ColbyBruce]

I like to be able to see the rear wheels of the vehicle in front of me touch the road. A minor impact shouldn't push me into the vehicle in front of me.

 

[Ray1970]

I like to be able to see the rear wheels of the vehicle in front of me touch the road. A minor impact shouldn't push me into the vehicle in front of me.

This is sort of what I do. Sometimes I'm actually at the point where I can't see their rear tires but I can at least see the bottom of their rear bumper. My main reason is to "leave myself an out". In other words, if traffic doesn't move for whatever reason (someone broken down in the lane, etc.) or any weird monkey business goes down (car jacking attempt, terrorist attack, etc.) I want to be able to pull out of my lane without having to back up.

 

[NYlakesider]

On a open road in a safe area, i get a few feet behind the car in front. In a more potentially hostile area, I do my best to stay back far enough that I can pull around the vehicle in front of me if that action is needed. Too many years of living in the city I guess, its just part of my being aware! (AKA street creed)

 

[old bear]

I try to stay far enough back that I can read the license plate of the car ahead of me.
As with NYlakesider, in some areas I'm very careful not to let myself get parked in..

 

[nachogrande]

THRICE BITTEN, QUITE SHY.

Having been hit from behind while stopped 3 different times and left disabled/forced to retire, I MAY have a different view than most. AT LEAST 1 full car length! Sorry for the inconvenience. If you have to brake hard at a stop light (which turns yellow BEFORE red) it should not come as a surprise & you MAY be tail gaiting or speeding. Stopped too close together and a rear end hit causes a multiple car chain reaction. In the event of a car jacking or other S/D evasive type maneuver, that space can make all the difference. Where's the fire?

 

[Ray1970]

As far as some of the OP's questions...

I think the high rate of rear end collisions you are noticing are more likely due to inattentive drivers. Cell phones and other distractions are way out of hand in society today.

Getting a decent volume of traffic through an intersection between lights seems more difficult in the south. Where I live pretty much everyone in line starts going when the light turns green and you can get a lot of cars through the intersection before the light changes. It drives me nuts when I'm in the southern states because when the light turns green people start to move in a sort of chain reaction. In other words, the light turns green and the first car starts to go then when the first car starts to move the second car starts to go and once he moves then the third car begins moving, etc. People are lucky to get through the light if they're five or six cars back.

Not sure if that makes sense the way I explained it.

 

[oneounceload]

Here in FL, many older folks can't judge distances very well, so they tend to overcompensate. We have a few intersections where that means sitting through several cycles, or worse, having your car sitting out halfway in the travel lane because you can't get into the turn lane.

 

[Jack Flash]

I usually leave what I consider a reasonable, respectful distance between me and the car in front of me. Most people in my area don't. When I come to a stoplight in the Jeep, it seems like the driver behind me is trying to fit his bumper under mine.

 

[ralph7]

The turn-signal thread reminded me of something I've been meaning to ask the national audience here on the Forum.

Where I now live in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area, I have observed a phenomenon I don't ever remember seeing anywhere else I have lived. I can't figure it out, and I wonder if anyone else sees it and whether it's some kind of new trend.

When coming to a stop for a stoplight, my habit has always been to leave perhaps 3 to 5 feet or so between me and the car ahead. This is what feels like a comfortable space, plus I do it in consideration of people behind me so when the light changes, most or all of us can get through the light before it turns red again. Simple, right?

Well, it's amazing to me that so many drivers here will stop a full car length, or even more, behind the one in front of them. Some even stop that far behind the stop line if they're first in line. In a long line of stopped traffic, this means that the folks near the end of the line are gonna have to wait through another light cycle to move through.

Not to mention the fact that when someone "stops short" ahead of me as I'm decelerating, I have less room to stop and sometimes have to brake hard, even if I had not been following too closely. We have a ton of rear-end collisions in our area, and I wonder if this is partly why.

This behavior puzzles, and frankly, gripes me. It's another grrrrrrrrrrrr moment among the many others I have when driving these days.

Do people do this where you live? Is there a reasonable explanation?

It irks me as well, and it seems a lot of them are your basic paper license plate, trash throwing, loud music playing, gems of society that are the same ones that take off extra slow to punish you when you give them a polite tap on the horn when they are asleep at a green light change.

 

[ladder13]

Due to carjackers, I leave two car lengths when driving my Lambo, only a foot or so when in the Yugo.




But seriously, enough room to go around the car in front.

 

[sheepdawg]

Bring back the days of clutches and steep hills.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I've seen examples of it pretty much everywhere I've been. My guess is that, for the most part, it's people who have difficulty judging distances, for whatever reason.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

I leave enough room to get around the car in front of me. The instructor of a driver ed course for speeders once said that you should be able to see the rear wheels of the car in front of you when stopped. That's probably about right. IMO, anything up to a car length is OK. More invites someone to nose in. IMO, the distance between cars makes NO difference in how many cars get through the light. OF COURSE there is what one poster calls a chain reaction in starting up. Do you think that all drivers should start moving at the same time and maintain near-zero distance between cars? In MA, it would make sense, because they would just be practicing for 90mph driving in the left lane with less than a car length between cars, but in fact, even in MA no one starts up that way.

Not to mention the fact that when someone "stops short" ahead of me as I'm decelerating, I have less room to stop and sometimes have to brake hard, even if I had not been following too closely.

If you have to brake hard, you ARE following too closely. I admit that it happens to me occasionally, but I recognize it as MY error, and try to do something about it.

STOP TAILGATING. Even in MA, you don't have to do it.

 

[Absalom]

I like to be able to see the rear wheels of the vehicle in front of me touch the road. A minor impact shouldn't push me into the vehicle in front of me.

And if I'm having to stop behind a large truck, I actually tend to leave correspondingly more space. One of my (probably statistically irrational) phobias is getting squished to death by being rammed forward by another truck. Happens often enough.

 

[crsides]

I've seen this big gap at the stop light. It is always someone texting. they want to get completely stopped as fast as they can, so they can continue on the phone without looking at the guy ahead. Guess they've learned after bumping into people.

Charlie

 

[cougar14]

I've actually had people get out and walk back towards me, but stop and go back when they see how much room I left between us. My F 250 looks WAY closer than it actually is behind a small car. I leave 4-5 feet.

 

[ContinentalOp]

And if I'm having to stop behind a large truck, I actually tend to leave correspondingly more space. One of my (probably statistically irrational) phobias is getting squished to death by being rammed forward by another truck. Happens often enough.

Somewhat off topic...

I once got stuck driving in the left lane on a freeway, with a semi-truck in front of me, a semi-truck tailgating me, a car on my right, and the divider to my left, while raining. Needless to say, I got out of there as soon as I was able. It was not a peaceful, easy feeling.

On the plus side, the vehicle in front of me was not a Pinto, so...

 

[Watchdog]

Distance between cars when stopped at stoplights?

Until I just read this thread, it's never even occurred to me to think or wonder about this.

And get irritated about it? No. Life is too short. I'd hate for my last coherent thought to be, "I wonder if I'm far away enough from that car in front of me?" Saint Peter would be laughing and pointing at me when I got to the Pearly Gates..."Hey, look, here he is guys! Should I let him in?"

 

[TomkinsSP]

This is sort of what I do. Sometimes I'm actually at the point where I can't see their rear tires but I can at least see the bottom of their rear bumper. My main reason is to "leave myself an out". In other words, if traffic doesn't move for whatever reason (someone broken down in the lane, etc.) or any weird monkey business goes down (car jacking attempt, terrorist attack, etc.) I want to be able to pull out of my lane without having to back up.

That is acutually what they taught us 100 or so years ago, well they weren't thinking about terrorists, but if you had a Model A, Dillinger or the Barrows might ' jack it.