Using the brake pedal at traffic lights?

Obukit

Sharon87 wrote: »

Learning to drive in London... I keep my foot on the clutch and brake at most traffic lights

IMO you would do best to correct this now, otherwise it will be harder to shift when you come to take your test, when this isn't allowed.

thefishdude

well were i work we are taking on a driving course before we let loose in the vechiles and we are tought to sit at traffic lights with out foot on the foot brake. and use the parking brake for parking. the reason is that the extra light on the back when you have brakes on make it more stand out basically and thy have a set of stats showing how auto drivers suffer less rear enders at lights basically cause they sit with there foot on the brake more often than not.

Lum

@Sharon87: Actually I find darkness isn't the worst time for being bothered by brake lights. It's that annoying time around dusk when everyone has their lights on but it's not actually dark yet, just dull, so the contrast between people's lights and the background is a lot less than at night time.

A set of obnoxiously bright LED brake lights (or full beams in the face) really screws up my visibility in that situation.

@thefishdude: There is a way to get the best of both worlds if rear enders are a concern for you. Put the handbrake on, then lightly press the brake just enough to light up the lights. You're unlikely to get any warping if you do this. As soon as the car behind you stops you can take your foot of the brake and avoid dazzling the poor sod.

thefishdude

im not concerened about rear ender ( even though i should considering the idiot in a white van last year that dint see a queue of stopped cars) but thats the way we are taught andmakes sense to me. personally i cant see how you can be dazzled by brake lights anyway. warping is also not an issue as in company vechile whiles at work and as i said we taught to sit with foot on brake and not use hand brake.

Lum

It depends a lot on the vehicle. Some of the newer LED based brakelights are terrible for it, especially if you have eyes that are sensitive to the high frequency strobing that a lot of LED ones use (Mercedes, I'm looking at you)

Pont

bungle4by4 wrote: »

im guilty of footbrake at lights, in a auto car lazyness tends to set it

blinded by brake lights i cant see as a problem. but fog lights left on or put on the first sign of rain.... now thats a rant i can get behind.

Reading through this post I thought well I'm a real goody goody. I (almost) always engage the handbrake because:-
a) I always understood that by using brake and clutch I'm screwing up my clutch.
b) I like to rest my feet!
c) I live in Wales - hilly!

As I was flicking through the posts I thought brake lights are annoying but not as much as following people who leave their fog lights on. Try following one of these on a dark, but clear, night for 30 miles - ouch!

Also, what's with people not knowing how to indicate properly these days? For example, following a car who has indicated left but then has proceeded to zoom past at least 4 left turns before he, it usually is, decides to turn left on the 5th left turn!

Does my head in!

Road_Hog

custardy wrote: »

designed to

If you sit foaming at the wheel then thats your issue

So, first you call me paranoid. Then I prove you wrong and then you try a different tack, and suggest I'm an angry driver, which I'm not.

I merely pointed out that times have changed, councils (and government) deliberately frustrate drivers and for that reason, perhaps the old rules that we were taught are no outdated.

Just like I was taught cadence braking when I first passed. But no one would suggest using that now with nearly all cars having ABS, as it would be counter productive.

Times move on, it is you that is stuck in the past and in denial.

jase1

Cash-Strapped.T32 wrote: »

Personally I see the old left-right-left flash more often, particularly when one truck has let another cut back in after overtaking, or if they've slowed down to let one onto the motorway from a sliproad. (in which case it's right-left-right)

I used to do this until I got the Ford with its annoying 3-flash system, so now I just give one flash of the hazards.

Lum

Same here, and for the same reason.

Still, at least it's better than the Vectra that had the same setup but with a non latching incidator and an uncanny knack for finally deciding to cancel the indicator just after my brain has sent the signal to my finger to cancel it manually but before the finger actually hits the stalk, thus causing 3 flashes in the opposite direction.

NBLondon

Strider590 wrote: »

Nope, different manufacturers do it differently.

Most common seems to be:

P
R
N
D
2
1

That makes sense - you have to go through Neutral between D and R.

TrickyWicky wrote:

Plus to go from N to D you need your foot on the brake thus lighting up the brake lights. Also as mentioned on page 3, I'd need to go through reverse to get to D - my autobox is P, R, N, D, 3, L. Sure I could go into N instead but then I'd need my foot on the break to go back into drive and that slows it all down again.

That's a brief flash as you start off - as opposed to a 3 minute glare. Like somebody said upthread - this is more noticeable in a low-slung car.

thefishdude wrote:

the reason is that the extra light on the back when you have brakes on make it more stand out basically and thy have a set of stats showing how auto drivers suffer less rear enders at lights basically cause they sit with there foot on the brake more often than not.

Only if you are the last vehicle in the queue and someone has not noticed the queue. If there is another vehicle stationary behind you - you may be dazzling them unnecessarily.

Here's a situation for you folks. The Woolwich Ferry across the River Thames. If there is no ferry at the terminal it will be at least 8 minutes before you get to move up the queue. Surely even a driver of an automatic can work out that's a time to put the handbrake on and switch off... plenty don't