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> I've been caught by surprise before when a conservative driver slammed on their brakes when the light turned yellow even though there was ample time for both
by cgriswald 8y ago
> I've been caught by surprise before when a conservative driver slammed on their brakes when the light turned yellow even though there was ample time for both of us to coast through the light.
I witnessed an accident where a tiny little compact slammed on his brakes the second a light turned yellow. Unfortunately, he was being followed by a large SUV. The SUV hit him and pushed him into the intersection.[0] The very next day, at the very same intersection, I saw the now dented compact do the very same thing under the very same circumstances. He had learned nothing.
[0]To make matters worse, he left his perfectly drivable car in the middle of the intersection instead of pulling ahead. He got out of his car, made a phone call, and just stood there in the intersection having a conversation (with police or insurance I would assume), endangering himself and others.
- guiomie 8y agoWell, technically he doesnt have anything to learn, because he is right. The person behind him should always keep enough distance to stop according to the speed he is driving. The person who rear-ended him is in wrong and is responsible for the damages.
- loco5niner 8y agoSlamming on your breaks when you don't need to and forcing everyone behind you to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting you is a bad idea. Smooth and predictable is safe.
- jrockway 8y agoYeah, but you have to be following the car in front of you at a distance that takes into account your reaction time and the actual braking distance. This time, the guy slammed on his brakes because of a yellow light which is maybe not a good reason... but it could have easily been someone running the red light, some kid running out into the street after a ball, the car's wheel flying off, etc.
- loco5niner 8y agoAlready addressed this. see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17870971 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17870971
- dewey 8y agoSure, but you are still relying on the fact that other people never make mistakes so if you are not keeping the appropriate distance you are counting on other people to drive predictable all the time which will never be the reality (medical emergency, dropping your coffee in your lap,...)
- loco5niner 8y ago> if you are not keeping the appropriate distance you are counting on other people to drive predictable all the time I'm not advocating NOT keeping appropriate distance. You should. I AM advocating NOT slamming your brakes needlessly. Even when keeping appropriate distance, when the driver in front of you slams on their brakes, you will need to also.
- cgriswald 8y agoGiven that in California a yellow light has no meaning other than as an indicator of a pending red light, a competent lawyer could argue that he has partial liability in this case. The driver's handbook suggests stopping if it is safe to do so, otherwise proceeding with caution; but this is neither legally binding nor was it safe for him to stop by slamming on his brakes either time. But the legality of it is orthogonal to whether his behavior was right. It wasn't. It was unexpected, reckless, and very unsafe.
- guiomie 8y agoMy country of origin treats a yellow light legally as if it's a red light.