Want people to think of you as wise, considerate, economical, a conservationist, pleasant, and overwhelmingly fun to drive with? All in one?
They will, if you stop one car length behind the car ahead at your traffic stops. Be able to see a bit of pavement between your hood line and their back wheels.
If you don’t do that, and favor stopping closer, your reputation might be ruined. People in front of you will resent you. People in your car will question your judgment…”If s(he) is willing to dangerously chance it by pulling abruptly a few inches from the car ahead, will it ever be his/her practice to plan properly, avoid unnecessarily frightening people, not waste money, avoid an insurance claim?”
The nightmare to the driver stopped in front of you is justified were you to loom too closely right behind them. They are looking in the mirror at your approach. You seem to be slowing, but not enough. Are you paying attention? How is your judgement? If you do hit them, what chain of events could happen? At night, your headlights magnify in their rear view mirror….larger and larger. You are causing them to consider abruptly escaping with perhaps only one option to do so.
Aside from that consideration, your concerns are the following as you approach the car ahead:
- if the car ahead rolls backward because it is a stick shift or stopped on an upgrade;
- if their engine cuts out, you need that space to go around them. If, in that instance, everyone is stopped too closely to each other, you will all be stuck;
- having a car length’s distance prevents carbon monoxide from entering your passenger area;
- should you get hit from behind, you don’t want to hit the car ahead;
- An escape path ahead! In this era of drivers on cell phones and other distractions, the possibility is always there – they will not be stopping. You cannot simply accept a rear-end collision. People’s gas tanks have exploded in violent response. You must be willing and ready to escape and, for that, you need a car length’s space in front of you;
- You also need to do “fire drills” in your mind when things are calm. “What would I do if…” ” Where would I escape?” Be willing to go up over the curb if needed. But don’t take the hit.
