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This large gap annoyance has been increasing in frequency in the past 3 years. It's also very prevalent in stop and go traffic on the freeways here in SoCal. The reason is simple: people are texting, emailing & tweeting on their phones at lights & slow traffic and PURPOSEFULLY leave a larger gap so they don't rear-end the car in front of them. They know full well they're distracted with their tech gadgets, but think driving is boring & a huge chore. I've got one lawyer friend who freakin pecks out memos on his 1 hour slog through major traffic to his office. He knows it's reckless (and unlawful) but hey, it's billable hours! *smh*
lol sounds like he was already in the process of pulling you over guessing you were going closer to 10mph over
I don't believe he was in the process of pulling me over. For one thing he had to verify my speed first. Which would require him to match my speed first. Was he already intending to pull me over? Yeah, maybe.
My point would be if the cop wants to pull anyone over, he can. Lets say the cop, spots a car with out of state plates $$$$$$$$$. The car is moving with the flow of traffic, speed limit +5 mph in the #1 lane. The cop takes off after him with his head lights on and low profile light bar off. He approaches the out of state car rapidly from behind. The driver of the car, sees the headlight in his rear view mirror, closing in on him. He thinks its just a faster car that wants to pass him. Human nature takes over and he starts to accelerate just a bit. As soon as he hits the speed limit + 11 or 12 mph over, the cop is right behind him. The red and blue light go on. Its all just a scam. The cop provoke the driver to go faster, them he pulls them over for it.
I don't believe he was in the process of pulling me over. For one thing he had to verify my speed first. Which would require him to match my speed first. Was he already intending to pull me over? Yeah, maybe.
Hmm, where are you located? I was under the impression that "pacing" was considered unlawful in many states. For those states; in order to charge you, your speed needs to be read on a certified and calibrated speed detection device.
I'm okay with leaving a little room, but a whole car length? That's overboard unless the vehicle in front of you is something like a semi or trash truck.
This large gap annoyance has been increasing in frequency in the past 3 years. It's also very prevalent in stop and go traffic on the freeways here in SoCal. The reason is simple: people are texting, emailing & tweeting on their phones at lights & slow traffic and PURPOSEFULLY leave a larger gap so they don't rear-end the car in front of them. They know full well they're distracted with their tech gadgets, but think driving is boring & a huge chore. I've got one lawyer friend who freakin pecks out memos on his 1 hour slog through major traffic to his office. He knows it's reckless (and unlawful) but hey, it's billable hours! *smh*
When I used to commute on the interstate every day, there was a major bottleneck coming into my town where it reduced from four lanes to two. Most people would be glued to the car in front of them, constantly accelerating then having to immediately lay on the brakes. Meanwhile, I'd just be leisurely cruising along without touching the brakes hardly at all, either just barely touching my gas pedal or, if traffic was worse, simply letting my truck idle along on its own. I was able to do this because I stayed far back from the cars in front of me. So they'd stomp on the brakes and I'd come closer, but then they'd gas it again and pull away from me, so it evened out. Much less stressful to drive in heavy traffic that way, and if the people behind me would have done the same thing, it would have only been slow traffic, not stop-and-go. I didn't use the opportunity to try and text or anything like that, though.
Reading some of the reasons why people leave very large gaps in front of them makes me cringe.
1) You don't need a full car length to squeak by a car that's broken down, you need at most 1/4 car length.
2) You don't need to go off to the side to avoid panhandlers. How old are you? 3? Just ignore them if you don't want to give them money! If they're being aggressive, then call the cops, or wave your phone at them saying you are! That will scare them off.
3) Same with attempted carjackings, you don't need a full car length. Humans run on average 10 miles per hour. Maybe 15 if they sprint AND are sporty. That's what, 1st gear? Gimme a break! And vast majority of times carjackings don't occur at crowded intersections.
4) You aren't letting traffic behind you any favors by giving "space" so you can accelerate to a faster speed. You just aren't.
5) The logic of "regulating" traffic that's crawling along does no good. Others scoot in front of you. Same logic at stoplights. And besides, nobody likes a vigilante.
6) If you're first in line, and you are far back from the light, you are NOT "tricking" the light sensors into thinking there's more traffic and thus it will change faster. You just aren't. All you're doing is scaring the p*ss out of pedestrians who see you LURCH forward when the light is RED.
This large gap annoyance has been increasing in frequency in the past 3 years. It's also very prevalent in stop and go traffic on the freeways here in SoCal. The reason is simple: people are texting, emailing & tweeting on their phones at lights & slow traffic and PURPOSEFULLY leave a larger gap so they don't rear-end the car in front of them. They know full well they're distracted with their tech gadgets, but think driving is boring & a huge chore. I've got one lawyer friend who freakin pecks out memos on his 1 hour slog through major traffic to his office. He knows it's reckless (and unlawful) but hey, it's billable hours! *smh*
I drive the SoCal freeways during rush hour and I'm always stuck behind someone like this. It seems like everytime I try to get around them, the opening scene from Office Space occurs.
I stopped a 4 car pile up with my F-250 Super Duty just as how you decribe. I was the first at the light on the white line stopped. This car comes flying up behind three others (WHO WERE TOO CLOSE TO ME) about 45 MPH and rearends the 3rd guy knocking him into the 2nd, and him into 1st....who hit me.
By the time it got to mine much of the blast had been absorbed and the guy split and wadded his hood on my hitch and spare tire area under the truck. He went under it and it may have been a total it was so bad. He had every kind of fluid made leaking on the road by the gallon after impact. The four cars were all FUBAR and needed loaded on a flatbed to get taken off the scene. I drove away with a scuffed plastic impact strip, ruined trailer wire harness and plug, as well as a few scratched on the underside of my bumper. Other than that....that 3/4 ton heavy duty truck stopped 4 cars form going any further forward with it's nearly 8,000 weight and huge brakes.
Had another one that was similar. I was sitting in a line of cars waiting for a red light. This dork kid comes racing around the corner (turning right) in a fart car in the lane beside of me going the other way while stopped. The tires chirp as the car burns rubber around the corner. There was another line of cars sitting right beside me going the other way because one guy in a Chevy Silverado 1500 was waiting to turn into the bank. I had my drivers window down.
The next thing I know, the kid in the fart car slams full bore into the back of the Chevy pick up. The grill as well as headlight/tail light plastic EXPLODE into the air....pieces come into my cab and into my bed! LOL They wiz by my head and land on the front seat.
KA-BOOM!!!!
Oh son of a b****! LOL
Talk about making your butthole pucker! LOL
The air bag went off and the kid was stunned from the impact, moving his arms around like a drunk monkey with a face full of airbag, antifreeze and tire smoke! LOL
No one got hurt but that car was toast! It knocked the spare tire off the braket/chain in the Chevy it hit so hard.
Four very valid reasons why I leave a gap between myself and the car in front.
1) If the car in front dies
2) If the car in front explodes
3) If the idiot behind me rear-ends me
4) If I'm being carjacked I can lay some rubber and leave them in the dust.
As an above post said, if you run into the car in front, regardless of reason (including another car rear-ending you), then the fault is likely to be apportioned to you - and your insurance rates will hit the roof.
#1 has happened several times, and although #4 hasn't happened exactly, I have left some aggressive panhandlers behind.
All excellent reasons, and all happen in the real and unpredictable world we live in.
I've given more space all around since receiving military briefings long ago which described vehicle security measures, and how to stay out of potential jams, which could be bad guy or crash related.
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guessing you were going closer to 10mph over 
