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4 seconds on a busy highway is kind of ridiculous. People are just going to change into your lane all the time and you'd just have to drop yourself back some more. Not the way it works out. We have 3 main highways running west <--> east across the island here (population 7.5 million) and only 1 of them would you probably follow a 2-4 second spacing and never during rush hour.
Some people complain about "being cut off" or "tailgaiting". Around here, unless someone actually makes you hit your brakes hard, they're not cutting you off. Unless you can't see the person's headlights behind you, it's not tailgaiting either.
4 seconds on a busy highway is kind of ridiculous. People are just going to change into your lane all the time and you'd just have to drop yourself back some more. Not the way it works out. We have 3 main highways running west <--> east across the island here (population 7.5 million) and only 1 of them would you probably follow a 2-4 second spacing and never during rush hour.
Some people complain about "being cut off" or "tailgaiting". Around here, unless someone actually makes you hit your brakes hard, they're not cutting you off. Unless you can't see the person's headlights behind you, it's not tailgaiting either.
You may WISH you weren't tailgaiting, but you can still see someone's headlights behind you and they can be tailgaiting you, depending on the speed the vehicles are traveling.
And if you end up in the car ahead of you's trunk because you are following too closely and they have to suddenly stop or slow down, you'll learn that question very quickly.
That's not just "around here", that's anywhere. The Laws of Physics don't vary from state to state.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,712 posts, read 58,054,000 times
Reputation: 46182
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady
... The Laws of Physics don't vary from state to state.
but... the 'courtesy' rules of tailgating are QUITE different in TX
That 'shoulder driving' expectation @ 70 mph in the dark is still new to me
I used to change my flat tires on the shoulder....Not in Texas!!! (splat)
Strange thing... the TX drivers do not get over on the shoulder when I follow them in my VW Diesel, Only when in my Cummins 4x4 dually with cow catcher bumper. It doesn't often get up to 80 mph... it is a 1st Gen so has the "Death Wobble"
4 seconds for me... BUT... After 40+ accident free miles, I have had 4 cars totaled in multi vehicle rear-end collisions since cell phone use began. It is raining (285 days / yr) - you are stopped in a line of traffic (turn lane or light). You hear this distant Squal of SUV tires locked up in the rain slicked road. You hear the progressive bang bang bang of cars being impacted like pool table balls... whiplash... you are the next in line, crunch you hit the guy in front (unless you ALSO use a 2-3 vehicle following rule at stoplight... (I have never bent the front ... that is where my precious 50mpg grease burner lives). AND NEVER EVER turn your wheels into traffic while waiting to turn... an errant driver might give you a BUMP into oncoming traffic... Splat..
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 12-19-2013 at 11:43 PM..
Yes, but I live the country. Down on the busy highways, if you leave a gap big enough for a car, a car WILL change lanes to occupy that space. Then you have to slow down to regain your 2 sec gap. When you slow down the driver behind you will get annoyed and pull out to pass you and then pull right back in front of you (right into the 2 sec gap). So then you have to slow down again... well you can tell where this is going.
So what?
How else are people supposed to safely change lanes?
4 seconds on a busy highway is kind of ridiculous. People are just going to change into your lane all the time and you'd just have to drop yourself back some more. Not the way it works out. We have 3 main highways running west <--> east across the island here (population 7.5 million) and only 1 of them would you probably follow a 2-4 second spacing and never during rush hour.
Some people complain about "being cut off" or "tailgaiting". Around here, unless someone actually makes you hit your brakes hard, they're not cutting you off. Unless you can't see the person's headlights behind you, it's not tailgaiting either.
More people driving with their penis than their brains, apparently.
Who cares if they get in your lane? At no time will you actually be moving backwards.
Sheesh.
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Not in Texas!!! (splat)
... that is where my precious 50mpg grease burner lives). AND NEVER EVER turn your wheels into traffic while waiting to turn... an errant driver might give you a BUMP into oncoming traffic... Splat..
