What's with leaving a gap at the lights?

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May 21, 2014 | 07:42 AM
  #1  
Noticing it more and more, people pulling up to the lights (first in the line) and leaving one or two car lengths ?

At first I thought it was a clutch control thing, allowing them to move slowly forward to get going, but they don't all move till the lights change??

Seems to be getting worse.
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May 21, 2014 | 07:55 AM
  #2  
Leaving space to move in case of emergency services need to get by perhaps ?
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May 21, 2014 | 08:00 AM
  #3  
EMS or car jacking threats.
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May 21, 2014 | 08:14 AM
  #4  
I don't see it, as you'd only have to move further forward to get out the way.
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May 21, 2014 | 08:24 AM
  #5  
Small / short person driving and can only see the lights properly further back ?

Richard
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May 21, 2014 | 08:37 AM
  #6  
Most drivers are zombies.

Because so many cities now have cyclist boxes at the lights it wouldn't surprise me if some drivers are so accustomed to leaving this area free in front of them that it is now programmed into their zombie subconscious.

They do it now without thinking about it and probably wouldn't be able to tell you why if you asked them.
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May 21, 2014 | 08:49 AM
  #7  
Maybe not at the lights but if I'm at the back of a queue of stopped traffic I tend to leave a gap so as to get out of the way if the next person along has failed to notice all the cars have stopped / is half asleep. Fairly sure they teach you that on advanced driving courses.
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May 21, 2014 | 08:57 AM
  #8  
I'd say cyclist gap
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May 21, 2014 | 09:28 AM
  #9  
A 'truck' gap IMO! When trucks/buses turn at lights they can swing pretty close to the traffic queuing on the other side of the road. If you stop further back they have more room and you have less chance of being twatted!
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May 21, 2014 | 09:48 AM
  #10  
When you took your driving lessons the instructor would/should have said you should stop so you can see the car in fronts rear tyres it's called a 'safe distance' allows for that car rolling back and gives you some chance of not having front and rear damage if some numpty drives into your rear end
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May 21, 2014 | 10:06 AM
  #11  
What about those who go to the line in the red box where it's designed for cyclist to be.
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May 21, 2014 | 10:31 AM
  #12  
Quote: What about those who go to the line in the red box where it's designed for cyclist to be.
They've paid for the road, the cyclists haven't. F**k the cyclists!!































Thought we may as well get the cyclist debate going again
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May 21, 2014 | 10:42 AM
  #13  
Quote: A 'truck' gap IMO! When trucks/buses turn at lights they can swing pretty close to the traffic queuing on the other side of the road. If you stop further back they have more room and you have less chance of being twatted!

Yup, I'll go with this. How many times has anyone been parked/stopped at a junction and had to reverse when a lorry comming around the corner can't make it due to not enough space or the corner being too tight?
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May 21, 2014 | 11:02 AM
  #14  
Quote: They've paid for the road, the cyclists haven't. F**k the cyclists!!

Thought we may as well get the cyclist debate going again

In that case>

http://news.uk.msn.com/cyclists-slow...n-internet-hit

A lot of you love your cycling, so one of you could be him, for what we know. Come on. Please own up.
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May 21, 2014 | 11:38 AM
  #15  
Quote: Maybe not at the lights but if I'm at the back of a queue of stopped traffic I tend to leave a gap so as to get out of the way if the next person along has failed to notice all the cars have stopped / is half asleep. Fairly sure they teach you that on advanced driving courses.
That makes sense.. if you have a car in front.

Quote: A 'truck' gap IMO! When trucks/buses turn at lights they can swing pretty close to the traffic queuing on the other side of the road. If you stop further back they have more room and you have less chance of being twatted!
Maybe ..

Quote: When you took your driving lessons the instructor would/should have said you should stop so you can see the car in fronts rear tyres it's called a 'safe distance' allows for that car rolling back and gives you some chance of not having front and rear damage if some numpty drives into your rear end
But these people have no cars in front of them .. you think it's habit?
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May 21, 2014 | 12:15 PM
  #16  
Quote: When you took your driving lessons the instructor would/should have said you should stop so you can see the car in fronts rear tyres it's called a 'safe distance' allows for that car rolling back and gives you some chance of not having front and rear damage if some numpty drives into your rear end
Tyres and Tarmac..
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May 21, 2014 | 12:36 PM
  #17  
Quote: In that case>

http://news.uk.msn.com/cyclists-slow...n-internet-hit

A lot of you love your cycling, so one of you could be him, for what we know. Come on. Please own up.
Haha, ......I guess the bulbous top hamper would be tricky to control
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May 21, 2014 | 01:25 PM
  #18  
Hahahahaha,deffo no Tour de France burning 5000calories a day
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May 21, 2014 | 03:02 PM
  #19  
Quote: Maybe not at the lights but if I'm at the back of a queue of stopped traffic I tend to leave a gap so as to get out of the way if the next person along has failed to notice all the cars have stopped / is half asleep. Fairly sure they teach you that on advanced driving courses.
I have been doing this for a while now too for exactly the same reason. Too many people texting or using their phone now so you have to drive as if someone is going to drive into you. I will sit at the back of the queue looking intently in the rear view mirror to see what's coming. If they're approaching too fast I can start to move forward taking up the slack or getting out the way. Also do it if there's a queue involving a blind bend for the same reason.

By the way, has anyone noticed more and more people driving over the white line? I think it is a combination of things - cars that are too big for our roads, and again, texting etc.
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May 21, 2014 | 03:36 PM
  #20  
So, no owner-up for that cycle champion act, then?

Oh, well. I did try.

On the topic and looking from another angle, staying away from the final line as a rule of thumb could be the OCD in those people. If there's no line in the road, it could be the traffic lights that they need to keep reasonable (to them) distance from.

I just wish more people had this type of 'keeping 2 cars length away' OCD on the motorways.
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May 21, 2014 | 03:41 PM
  #21  
Keeping a distance is a good idea, but at the line is odd ..
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May 21, 2014 | 03:47 PM
  #22  
Quote: Keeping a distance is a good idea, but at the line is odd ..

Sure. Generally, creeping up to the line is ok. It's the crossing of it that could be detrimental.
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May 21, 2014 | 04:05 PM
  #23  
I get really irritated by the udgers, you know, they come to a stop, then shuffle up a few yards closer to the rear of the car in front.

Its like they cant judge the distance to enable them to pick the spot where they need to stop at the required distance from the car in front.

Lost count the number of times I have stopped, handbrake on, out of gear. then the plebs in front start shuffling up, leaving a big gap in front of me. **** poor driving IMO
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May 21, 2014 | 04:17 PM
  #24  
Quote: When you took your driving lessons the instructor would/should have said you should stop so you can see the car in fronts rear tyres it's called a 'safe distance' allows for that car rolling back and gives you some chance of not having front and rear damage if some numpty drives into your rear end
Op wrote first in lane,
Next yours driving instructors are mainly asia pacific and sorry but where they learn?
lines are painted correctly I mean with enough space for turning lorries.
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May 21, 2014 | 06:32 PM
  #25  
Quote: lines are painted correctly I mean with enough space for turning lorries.
This is true.

Also there is often a fapping great big lamp post with a set of traffic lights attached to it at the front of a set of traffic lights. This would tend to negate the need to sit 20 feet away from the line but I still see them doing this (well, maybe not 20 feet lol)
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May 21, 2014 | 08:09 PM
  #26  
I would like to bet 90% of people doing this have no clue they are even doing it myself. The average motorist has simply not got a clue.

On car forums most people are into their driving, drivers vs motorists - so one might wonder whats their reason - they probably don't have one!
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May 21, 2014 | 08:14 PM
  #27  
To pi55 the car behind off
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May 21, 2014 | 08:16 PM
  #28  
Quote: Noticing it more and more, people pulling up to the lights (first in the line) and leaving one or two car lengths ?

At first I thought it was a clutch control thing, allowing them to move slowly forward to get going, but they don't all move till the lights change??

Seems to be getting worse.
You get a better time but you're less likely to finish first.
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May 22, 2014 | 12:44 AM
  #29  
Quote: Tyres and Tarmac..
Always wondered, is that above the bonnet or above the scoop
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May 22, 2014 | 02:09 AM
  #30  
Quote: Yup, I'll go with this. How many times has anyone been parked/stopped at a junction and had to reverse when a lorry comming around the corner can't make it due to not enough space or the corner being too tight?
+1 ( I drive buses for a living)
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