Distance between vehicles at a red light

[JerryK]

I remember being taught hand signals and even used them a few times, and I'm not what I consider old. I wonder how many kids today would know what to do with a vehicle that had the light dimmer switch on the floor board.

Or why their brakes don't seem to work during a big rain, or why their wipers stop all the time when they give it some gas, or was that one pump or two to get it to start... ......

 

[bcp]

I remember being taught hand signals and even used them a few times, and I'm not what I consider old. I wonder how many kids today would know what to do with a vehicle that had the light dimmer switch on the floor board.

And the starter switch on the floor, electrical or mechanical.

Remember the phrase "Step on the starter."

Then there was the mechanical spark advance lever at the top of the steering column.

Bruce

 

[Jstpssng]

What the heck you driving that it requires 40' to see the back tires of the car in front of you? It's about car length for me.

That's about what he was allowing for room in front of us. Looking over the hood on my Silverado you can't see the ground within 20 feet of the truck, and there was a LOT of pavement between us and the car in front of us. I never really thought about it until I started this thread last night, I just stop while I can still see the bumper of the car in front. I never thought I'd see so many replies.

Getting back to hand signals though, we were taught to use them as kids when riding bikes. (We never did.) They also were still being taught when I took driver's ed around 1974... back then it was quite common to use them when hauling boat trailers, 'cause everybody knows that those lights never work.

 

[MossRoad]

Wonder how many are old enough to even remember the hand signals?:laughing: After the manufacturers started putting turn signals on the new cars we used to sell an after market kit to install turn signals on cars that came without them. I installed a couple of those myself.

My older sisters taught me some hand signals... YIKES!!!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

my 2Cents worth, before inflation.

The only points taken off during my drivers license test was because I didn't accelerate quick enough when the light turned green. I proceeded with caution and was docked for it.

Around here, if you stop at a light far enough back to see the white line, you don't trip the traffic sensor and you don't get the green light. Don't know how many times I've gotten trapped behind someone stopped too far behind the white line. Most lights are being changed from buried pavement sensors to motion sensors on the light poles.

And people still use hand signals here, I just don't know why they signal to go straight up in the air.

 

[s219]

Red means go where you are ??

See, you can tell I am an engineer -- I went deep into the theory, and then screwed up the color. If there was a left and a right, I would have messed that up too....

OK so please replace "when light turns red" with "when light turns green" in my dissertation above. Yeesh :duh:

 

[300UGUY]

I am a city boy, ( Detroit ), and I was told it wasn't polite to pull up too close to the next car. And it really is handy if the beater in front of you dies at the intersection. Or if the guys in front of you start getting out. They probably aren't inviting you to a BBQ....

 

[BKBrown]

I figured it was just that kind of mistake ! .
I still hate the red arrows for turns ! Red lights should be solid red ! Green arrows for turn lanes are fine.
Off the subject, but related to the color blind issue - I also hate chargers or anything that is supposed to be an indicator that has a red LED that turns green -- I can't tell the difference -- they should be red and blue.

See, you can tell I am an engineer -- I went deep into the theory, and then screwed up the color. If there was a left and a right, I would have messed that up too....

OK so please replace "when light turns red" with "when light turns green" in my dissertation above. Yeesh :duh:

 

[aczlan]

I figured it was just that kind of mistake ! .
I still hate the red arrows for turns ! Red lights should be solid red ! Green arrows for turn lanes are fine.

Shouldn't it be obvious by the placement of the light (rad at the top)? I know some lights are foolishly installed sideways, but most are vertical.

Off the subject, but related to the color blind issue - I also hate chargers or anything that is supposed to be an indicator that has a red LED that turns green -- I can't tell the difference -- they should be red and blue.

Two lights are getter than one...

Aaron Z

 

[riptides]

My older sisters taught me some hand signals... YIKES!!!

I still use the universal one quite frequently around these parts!