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The way I was taught to drive the emphasis was on minimizing the use of the brake. In other words, easing on the gas was the recommended method in terms of slowing a car.
So when I see a red light ahead of me, I take my foot off the gas pedal or touch it very lightly. I do this in the right lane or middle lane so others can overtake me if they so wish. Now many do, move from my lane to overtake me and that is fine.
The irony is that they end up perhaps one or two cars ahead of me and then have to brake firmly to stop at the red light. I have never quite understood the thinking behind speeding up just to end up having to apply the brakes firmly and stop - waste of gas and wear on the brakes.
FYI, I am not a slow drive generally and usually am at the speed limit or slightly above it when there is unimpeded traffic flow but if I see cars slowing ahead of me, I just ease on the gas as a way of slowing the car.
Bad parenting/driving instruction. I've seen this bad driving behavior. On some roads all I can do is slow down to give even greater distance since passing isn't possible. While tire and brake shops may enjoy their business, the roads would be safer with them off the road.
Not always; I taught my son to drive in a Cube that eventually became his. It has CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission). When you take your foot off the gas with CVT, it immediately tries to adjust so that the ratio will support your current speed at idle (and yes, it can actually make the ratio that extreme). It will slowly decelerate as the engine isn't powerful enough to keep high speed at idle, but it decelerates slower than free wheel coasting. Around town you end up braking a lot in that car. On level ground if you take your foot off the gas going 35, you will still be in the 20s a block later.
Good topic...this is one of my biggest pet peeve. I seen this with older drivers as well as younger drivers. I wonder where these people learn to drive. If I see a red light ahead, I coast my car oppose to gas & brake.
My mom taught me that the passenger neck should be be bopping too much in any direction from braking or turns......
Thank you. So my observation is correct. Americans are Rush and Slow drivers.
I was very surprised, in 1990, when I 1st came to the US, to experience that driving style - slam on gas, rush to street light, slam on brakes. Repeat as many times as needed. I was actually sick in few blocks of riding with those drivers.
I still see it. I take slow planned braking, do a lot of engine braking, just to see - red light ahead - car zipping past me accelerating, slamming on brakes before the light.
Maybe it is some sort of commonly accepted drivers schooling?
Its called "rap music" and "I have a bad attitude." Formally, it is called "offensive driving." A thread about WHERE these drivers come from would go nuclear, but me, my main beef is with NY plates more than other areas. In towns, on highways.. I am not sure WTF they were told their driving is OK. This includes 80+ MPH TAILGATING. That really got to me. Wow. But thats for the nuclear, separate thread.
Its in more places now than ever, and its sick.
I've honestly wanted to make a "Do you drive better than everyone else?" thread (here as well as somewhere else) because there are a few ways to interpret that, and it will be a great thread. I should do so tomorrow.
I used to play a game driving down the interstate.. How far could I go without touching the brakes.. Actually quite challenging in moderate traffic.. I made it all the way one day, in the rain, from Columbia, SC to Gray Court, SC.. About 80 miles.. Without touching the brakes once.
Then I hit the exit, hit the brake pedal and there was nothing. Pedal didn't go to the floor or anything, just no stopping.
I imagine the brakes had just gotten so wet through all the rain that it took about 30 feet or more before they actually gripped.
I don't play the game that long anymore. At least, not letting my exit be the first time I try the brakes.
Yeah same with those who think the passing lane means passing everyone at whatever speed they want for as long as they want.
Yep, some people stay in the passing lane all day and never move over, while passing 1 mph faster than the people in the right lane. All kinds of incompetent drivers on the road.
How much time do you think it takes to move your foot to the side and down, as opposed to just down, in "STOP AND GO TRAFFIC". You're talking about stop and go, reflex speeds and milliseconds really don't matter.
I can do it. I know its safer not to, and I drive a manual transmission. I can 3 pedal around my turns, but I have enough common-sense not to.
No, like everyone else, I just angle it over and down. There is no stomping, there is no lifting it up.
I'm saying that YOU don't know anyone who has ever said that to you.
1. I don't believe you have met ppl who drive with one foot on the pedal and the other out the window, on the dash, or underneath them. Then TOLD YOU they have had to stomp on the brake and missed. It is out of context.
2. I think If someone actually had told you this story, YOU wouldn't say "crash right into whatever". From your posts you seem to be counterintuitive and so does this. If someone told you they got into a WRECK they would have told you what they hit, and YOU would have said it.
Of course I could be wrong, but your use of grammar, abbreviations, and your responses, I don't think you are anywhere near 40 something.
Sooo because i didnt tell you what they crashed into and i dont feel at times like having perfect sentence structure im a liar. Oh no, not just a liar but a teenage liar. Youre a hoot.
Not everyone in their 40s feels like acting like an old person. Regardless, you drive your way and ill drive mine. Ill get pissed at speeders and texters and you can get upset at.....what foot people use? Okie dokie then.
On a related note, drivers who wait until the very last minute to slow down and then violently slam their brakes. A highway near where I live has had construction activity for months now with a 40 mph speed limit (down from 70), and two lanes are forced to merge into one. I always let off the gas a quarter mile or so before the construction, slowing down smoothly. Inevitably, a tailgater will ride my ass, then whip out in the closed lane and try to cut back in in front of me before the physical barriers.
I see a lot of drivers who drive like that, usually younger or not very experienced. Some people just never learn how to drive. It also seems to be more common in certain states (California for example where the only reaction to anything seems to be slam on the brakes) .
It is the inexperienced drivers. I drove like that when I first started out. Then I learned, just take your foot off of the gas at the right time and the only time you need your brakes is at a light.
My pet peev is people who pass you in the left lane and then pull in to the right lane and brake because they are now paranoid.
I often see on the road that someone hit the gas and speeds up then applies the brakes quickly to slow it down. Then gas up again and brake tapping. It gets very annoying to be behind someone that keeps pulling for a bit then slowing down. Doesn't the person know just take the foot off the gas pedal and apply gas in between instead of constantly gas and brake.
Even more annoying is someone on the highway that does this. Goes from 60-65, person brakes for 2 secs then from 60 hits gas and then at 70 brakes again to bring car down to 65 then repeat. Never knows how to maintain speed by just properly applying gas.
When I'm in the lead on the highway I rarely use the brakes unless I need to.
The underlying problems are driving too fast and/or following too closely. Mot people have no clue what an actual safe following distance is and need to be on the brakes all the time is a result of getting too close to the car in front of them.
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A thread about WHERE these drivers come from would go nuclear, but me, my main beef is with NY plates more than other areas. In towns, on highways.. I am not sure WTF they were told their driving is OK. This includes 80+ MPH TAILGATING. That really got to me. Wow. But thats for the nuclear, separate thread.
