Discussion
One wierd driving habit I have observed are Creepers.
At every traffic light I come to I usually see people doing this.
They approach a light, that has usually just turned red (so no hope of it going green for quite some time, especially at a 4 way junction), then creep on the clutch up to the line, then creep and creep and creep, then when the light goes green they stop, and then pull away usually slower than the rest of the traffic was going to in the first place!
I understand if the lights have gone red for a while and you are approaching to maintain velocity to slow it down so you can pull away moving, and I understand some lorries might do it due to the weight etc, but why creep and creep and creep, then stop to pull away again?!
Sorry for the pointless posting but am I missing something here, surely its more strain on the clutch / other componants to creep than just to stop, wait, then pull away again? Or am I missing a secret and well guarded driving habit
At every traffic light I come to I usually see people doing this.
They approach a light, that has usually just turned red (so no hope of it going green for quite some time, especially at a 4 way junction), then creep on the clutch up to the line, then creep and creep and creep, then when the light goes green they stop, and then pull away usually slower than the rest of the traffic was going to in the first place!
I understand if the lights have gone red for a while and you are approaching to maintain velocity to slow it down so you can pull away moving, and I understand some lorries might do it due to the weight etc, but why creep and creep and creep, then stop to pull away again?!
Sorry for the pointless posting but am I missing something here, surely its more strain on the clutch / other componants to creep than just to stop, wait, then pull away again? Or am I missing a secret and well guarded driving habit
Nope, you're absolutely right and they'll need a new clutch sooner than you. They don't think about the mechanical sympathy element of it...and my father is guilty of it as well.
I think it's all about misguided laziness - "I can't be arsed to use the handbrake, so I'll use even more concentration and effort instead to do something I think will be easier."
That said, as I've mostly seen it done by older people, it may have been either taught or learned by people for whom at some point in their driving career a handbrake was an unreliable tool...
I think it's all about misguided laziness - "I can't be arsed to use the handbrake, so I'll use even more concentration and effort instead to do something I think will be easier."
That said, as I've mostly seen it done by older people, it may have been either taught or learned by people for whom at some point in their driving career a handbrake was an unreliable tool...
I have seen them, and I don't understand why they do it either. Like you say, they bumble away from the lights at a pedestrain pace when the lights actualy change.
My favoutite is a local set of lights that, to the uninitiated, have a somewhat odd sequence. Everyday I see people anticipating the green by watching the other lights at the junction and start to move forward, before they realise the green ain't happening so they end up sticking right out of the junction. Can usualy see them sinking down in their seat
My favoutite is a local set of lights that, to the uninitiated, have a somewhat odd sequence. Everyday I see people anticipating the green by watching the other lights at the junction and start to move forward, before they realise the green ain't happening so they end up sticking right out of the junction. Can usualy see them sinking down in their seat
Hopefully I can shed some light here. I went on an advanced driving course last week (through IAM) and the instructor advised us to drive as much as possible without fully stopping as it minimises the chances of a rear end collision. This included creeping forward slowly at a red light, until it changes. The aim was to do a drive without fully stopping at all, only really achievable by observing well ahead and anticipating possible hazards in good time............Pulling away at snail's pace was not recommended.
Edited by whitney44 on Monday 16th July 10:12
Like most things I think it all depends upon the circumstances as to what action you take.
ie Approaching lights on stale green, you are anticipating that they may change to red, (aren't you? ) so are planning / prepared to stop but looking to go. Lights change you make a judgement depending on other traffic if it is sensible to try and keep vehicle rolling with due regard to mechanical sympathy, other traffic etc If the answer is no then come to a halt, apply handbrake, engage neutral, and rest; maintaining observation all round eg looking for bikers filtering , emv approaching in distance etc etc.
On the other hand approaching stale red much more likely to be able to keep vehicle mass rolling and so the balance point is shifted against the decision to stop etc.
Agree with OP some people take it to excess and end up with egg/face interface scenario.
ie Approaching lights on stale green, you are anticipating that they may change to red, (aren't you?
) so are planning / prepared to stop but looking to go. Lights change you make a judgement depending on other traffic if it is sensible to try and keep vehicle rolling with due regard to mechanical sympathy, other traffic etc If the answer is no then come to a halt, apply handbrake, engage neutral, and rest; maintaining observation all round eg looking for bikers filtering , emv approaching in distance etc etc.On the other hand approaching stale red much more likely to be able to keep vehicle mass rolling and so the balance point is shifted against the decision to stop etc.
Agree with OP some people take it to excess and end up with egg/face interface scenario.
whitney44 said:
Hopefully I can shed some light here. I went on an advanced driving course last week (through IAM) and the instructor advised us to drive as much as possible without fully stopping as it minimises the chances of a rear end collision. This included creeping forward slowly at a red light, until it changes.
I took the OP to mean people who drive up to the line and then creep forward over it until they're basically ahead of the lights when they change - I've seen a few do that to the point where they don't actually know it's changed unless it's a pair of lights with ones further ahead.whitney44 said:
This included creeping forward slowly at a red light, until it changes. The aim was to do a drive without fully stopping at all, only really achievable by observing well ahead and anticipating possible hazards in good time............Pulling away at snail's pace was not recommended.
How does that tally with mechanical sympathy, and also with 'keeping up with the flow of traffic'?!?I can understand the principle, but reality is seldom that easy, certainly not in a busy town/city.
Blue160 said:
Once say someone doing the "creeping" thing at some lights in central London. They crept so far that they set off the red light camera 
Stupidest way to get 3 points and a fine ever
Stupidest way to get 3 points and a fine ever
ClassicSome of the ones I see (saw one today) would have easily set off a red light camera had there had been one on this particular set of lights.
A very similar case that makes my piss boil is: lights on red, driver in front creeps up to the line at 0.5mph from about 30 metres away. The lights in question regulate the traffic through a narrow section of road that stick on red until a car comes along, so meanwhile I'm in the car behind screaming, "IT WON'T GO GREEN UNTIL YOU'RE AT THE F****** LINE ARSEHOLE, GET A F******* MOVE ON!!". It's going to give me an aneurysm sooner or later.
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