It’s not so much leaving too much car length between cars at a stop light, it’s the waiting until the car ahead is ahead by 20 feet before even starting to move. It can take 30 seconds for the cars 20 cars back to even start moving. Theoretically everyone should be moving almost at the same time.
Because the cars ahead are accelerating by the time the car behind even STARTS to move, the distance between them expands, kind of like a slinky. If you look at the actual intersection there is huge amount of space between cars. Pretty infuriating when you’re 20 cars back and it’s a short light.
It's not so much leaving too much car length between cars at a stop light, it's the waiting until the car ahead is ahead by 20 feet before even starting to move. It can take 30 seconds for the cars 20 cars back to even start moving. Theoretically everyone should be moving almost at the same time
From my observation…the reason MOST don’t mover right away…is because they’re texting.
I lived in Plymouth for a couple yrs around the turn of the century, when the “big dig” was going on in boston. I had to drive thru boston to get to new Hampshire a couple times a month.
these guys are not lying about the drivers there. they will cut you off, drive on your bumper and curse you the whole time. this was eexacerbated by the big dig. the path of the road and exits changed weekly, daily at times and no one knew where exactly they would have to stop, merge or exit. the Washington beltway was a drive in the park in comparison
I lived in Plymouth for a couple yrs around the turn of the century, when the "big dig" was going on in boston
The big dig is finished…and it alleviated traffic for about 5 months. The traffic problem is just as bad BEFORE the big dig. When asked about it…one (brain dead) politician said - “They didn’t anticipate the INCREASE in traffic after the Big Dig”. HOW COULD YOU NOT anticipate an increase in traffic. Anyone with an IQ over 90 could tell you that if you make an easier drive MORE people are going to use it. So the traffic problem is as bad or worse then before the Big Dig…only there are more cars. Go figure!!! And plus the fact they really screwed it up some portions of the expansion. There are a couple places on I-93 near Boston where they REMOVE a lane. So everyone in the right most lane has to get over. This causes MAJOR problems every day. For the life of me I can’t think of a single reason they would purposely do that…but they did.
Another reason I want power under the hood is for what’s called ‘‘HEAD ROOM’’ in the overall power/speed picture.
( much that same as using a powerful sound system for the band or your home stereo. The power headroom, ie; having much more power available than you intend to use, makes the low and regular volume useage sound even better instead of taxing the maximum from the system just for normal listening. )
The overall power is there to be used…IF… needed. plus the knowledge that you must have it for accelerating into traffic, passing, and hauling.
If I can’t accelerate up nine mile hill with seven people and all the shopping in the car…it’s useless to me.
If I’m entering 65 mph traffic…and I step on the gas…I had dang well better be going 65 in shot order !
There are a couple places on I-93 near Boston where they REMOVE a lane. So everyone in the right most lane has to get over. This causes MAJOR problems every day.
Ironically, you posted the solution to that problem a few posts back. I re-post below for reference:
People sit in the left lane…and then with less then 1/4 mile from their exit they decide to cut across 4 lanes of traffic
I drive a V6 Camry . . . is it a dangerous weapon that I should not be allowed to possess?
I feel my driving style is average. I don’t drive 55 in the left lane, yet I am also not racing. I probably drive 70-72mph in a 65 zone. That seems to be fast enough to not slow too many people down, but also not too fast as to be a danger.
I feel safer passing a semi on the freeway, versus my old 1995 Corolla
As far as distances between cars, when coming to a stop . . .
I tend to NOT stop directly behind somebody’s bumper, in case they roll back a bit. And also to be polite. I leave perhaps a 1/2 car length.
Stopping 3 inches behind somebody’s bumper might cause road rage
I don’t have a huge problem with people driving really fast on the freeway, as long as they’re not constantly weaving in and out without looking or using the turn signal. I find that to be dangerous
Somebody mentioned people suddenly crossing 4 lanes of traffic, without looking and without using the turn signal. I agree that this is dangerous behaviour. Yet highway patrol never seems to be around when this occurs. I truly believe these drivers don’t even think they’re dangerous.
DC/Baltimore metro area traffic is all that you describe Boston traffic as. If I am in the left lane in a 65 zone going 70, I can be sure that someone will tailgate me soon. There is a 55 MPH limited access road on my commute route and I will be tailgated by someone even if I go 65 and there is traffic in front and on my right. Some nut in a Ford SUV did that yesterday and she was about a car length behind me. How do I know how close? She did it to everyone she encountered on her balls out rush to the exit. I could see how close she was to the traffic in front after she managed to pass me. On I95 I go between 65 and 70 in a 65 zone and there are dozens of people passing me at 5:45 am and swerving through thick traffic at what must be at let 80. No, I’m usually not in the far left lane. I reserve that for passing since I see how fast many others are going.
All that is to say that I think poor driving is everywhere and you can’t get away from it unless you stop driving. I used to travel a lot for work and I saw lots of aggressive driving everywhere.
Gee, how’d we get to 5 pages of comments since 7:00? Gotta agree with Mike though, with lane changes. That’ll tie up traffic for sure. They added a lane on I35 in MPLS and everything was great for two weeks, until they turned the lane into an HOV lane per the fed requirements, and the bottleneck was back.
For defensive driving though, when stopped, you should be able to see the rear tires on the car ahead of you. Then if you get hit from behind, you are less likely to hit the car in front of you again. Also, try leaving five car lengths between you and the next car on the freeway. Believe it or not, it eliminates the catapiller effect and makes it much more efficient… The volume that you can push through a pipe or a highway is determined by speed too so the faster you can drive, the more cars you can push through.
If I am several cars back at a red light, I tend to leave more room between me and the car in front. The longer the line, the more you see the caterpillar or slinky effect as the cars begin to accelerate, most cars will shift at different points causing sudden changes in their acceleration. By leaving a couple car lengths if I’m 4 or more cars back, I can accelerate at my own pace and not have to constantly compensate for the car in front of me.
As a driver of a manual transmission, I don’t roll back very far when taking off up a hill, but I do roll a couple of inches. I do appreciate people leaving a little room behind me. Even though I don’t roll back much, when someone is right up to my bumper, it puts pressure on me that I’d rather not have.
BTW, I have driven in Mass and in Baltimore/DC and I have found the drivers to be quite courteous and non aggressive. There are a lot worse places.
Ok, I believe I over generalized quite a bit. I never meant to say anyone with a powerful car drives poorly because we know that just isn’t true. You can drive just as aggressively in a geo metro as you can in an f 350.
I was just trying to figure out why people seem so rude on the roads these days, is it the cars? Phones? Are we all in such a big hurry all the time we are always impatient?
Its planting time around here, yesterday I almost seen a head on wreck, there was a tractor going down a two lane undivided highway which is heavily trafficked, the tractor was going 25-30mph in a 50mph zone. Some lady in a Tahoe was a few vehicles behind me and she decided to floor it and blow past about 4 cars a and the tractor, there was a car coming but she stayed foot to the floor, causing the oncoming car to slam on its brakes and swerve almost going off the road.
If she was in a chevette would she have tried that maneuver? I understand that the problem isn’t the vehicle though.
When im stuck behind a tractor I take the time to notice things that you normally would not notice going 55mph, I think about the food that the farmer will produce (they get paid well for it and use enough chemicals to kill an elephant, but I do appreciate their efforts.), and I take time to reflect on things. I am not going to almost kill someone in a head on crash to save 2 minutes.
On the same note around here farm machinery is often piloted by drunk farmers, I kid you not… They have to have a case of beer in a cooler to plant a field… sometimes they do some dumb stuff or won’t pull over to let cars pass, but this guy was only on the road for a minute and a half going between fields, there was no one for him to pull over and he had the appropriate lights and signage on.
Farm machinery has the right to be on the road, yet some people drive so ignorantly around it…
They added a lane on I35 in MPLS and everything was great for two weeks, until they turned the lane into an HOV lane per the fed requirements
What fed requirement is there for an HOV lane?? Boston has ONE that’s pretty much worthless. Why don’t other cities have them (there are plenty that need them) if it’s REQUIRED.
@WheresRick - Actually, I’d consider myself and many other drivers of fast cars as the courteous ones. As other people mentioned, when merging onto a highway with traffic going 70mph, getting up to speed on the on ramp prevents other drivers from having to brake or move out of the lane. The driveway to the condo complex I live in leads to a main road, so its important to be able to make it on in the morning when theres traffic and be able to get up to 45mph so the rest of the drivers don’t brake.
By driving fast I am not affecting other people, but if I drove slow then I am imposing my will on other drivers so they have to slow down because of me.
@MikeInNH - I’d have to disagree about your geography of rude drivers. I live in Massachusetts, and sure we aren’t the nicest drivers in the world, but every time I’m in NYC or even remotely nearby, people are flying around me and are honking non-stop as they pass, and I drive fast.
I live in Massachusetts, and sure we aren't the nicest drivers in the world, but every time I'm in NYC or even remotely nearby, people are flying around me and are honking non-stop as they pass, and I drive fast.
That’s because you’re from Mass.
I drive in NYC a few times a year. I don’t live in either state…and Mass drivers are by far the worse. NYC is bad…but Boston is much much worse…And add to the fact that Boston is about 1/10th the size of NYC with 1/10th the number of drivers.
I live in Massachusetts, and sure we aren't the nicest drivers in the world, but every time I'm in NYC or even remotely nearby, people are flying around me and are honking non-stop as they pass, and I drive fast.
Are you sure it’s NOT because you’re driving in the LEFT lane (which is the NORM in MA).
""Are you sure it's NOT because you're driving in the LEFT lane (which is the NORM in MA).""
Educated drivers in MA understand that the left lane is for passing, though there are definitely plenty of people that don’t grasp this.
I think in an earlier post you were commenting on I93. Maybe that’s where all the asshole drivers are, and why I don’t see them as often. I’m usually on I95, I90, or I495.
@ Bing, I try staying 5 car lengths behind the car in front of me, but it gets filled in by one or two cars very quickly. I find that no more than 4 car lengths discourages all but the most outrageous drivers. But I frequently end up two or three back when the aggressive driver(s) pull between us.
Oh Mike, its called federal highway funding. They approve of the money spent for road updates or you don’t get the federal money back for roads. They required the HOV lane on I35. I know you’re going to say “don’t take the federal money then if you don’t like it”, but that’s just not the real world out here. Maybe in NH you can get away with it, but the federal funds are needed in the large state of Minnesota. Is it true though that NH legislators get paid $200 a year? Maybe a little out of touch up there?