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Driving Habits Question

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by Twriter, Feb 23, 2010.

  1. Twriter

    Twriter Get a Mac!

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    I'm teaching my teenage son to drive and we both have a question about driving habits that I'm hoping someone here can answer.

    I've been very firm with him that when he approaches a red light he is to stop before the thick white line. I've seen many other drivers stop over the line (sometimes getting their entire car past the line!) and I've always attributed it to poor driving skills. However, on a recent lesson we observed many drivers stopping past the line and we discussed the possibility that maybe it was intentional. Is there a rationale for pulling your car deliberately past the stop line and risking a ticket?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    I will go over the white line only if my view of the intersecting road is obstructed if I stop behind it.

    Additionally, when I learned how to drive many moons ago, I was always told that when stopping behind another car, always stop leaving enough room for you to see the back tires of the car ahead of you.
     
  3. smheese

    smheese New Member

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    i think people around here purposely go over the line to trip the sensor for the lights. some lights, for example, broadlands blvd crossing over claiborne need a couple of cars to go over the line or approach it at just the right time to know that it needs to turn green.
     
  4. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    I was taught to line up with the stop sign if there's no white line. Otherwise, stop at the thick white line. And in my 17 years of driving, that's what I have always done.
     
  5. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    Absolutely stop at the thick white line. That's why it's there. The other lines are for the crosswalk and no cars should be blocking it.

    And don't get right up behind someone when you stop - leave space like Mr. Linux said. I've been in two accidents where some moron ran into me from behind and neither time did I continue the chain by bumping the car in front of me; I left enough space to account for said morons. I hate when people pull up so there's like a foot between their car and mine. I'm sure they think it's perfectly fine but what if some other moron hits them? Then they slam into me! :shakehead:

    I'll go chill now.
     
  6. Thunderchild

    Thunderchild New Member

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    The white line is the stop line, your car should not go past the line. If your son fails to stop at this line during his driving test he will fail the test. (Atleast it was when I learned to drive, as two friends of mine failed the test and were told to pull over and put the car in Park. The instructor got out: walked around to the drivers seat and ask my friends to get out and get in the passenger seat and he drove them back to the DMV. They had to do the "walk of shame" back to their Dad's and they were not happy. It meant another day off of work to take them again).

    Good luck
     
  7. gunzour

    gunzour "Living on the Edge"

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    I think even people who do pull ahead of the line would acknowledge, if asked about it, that they are not supposed to. Probably their only reason they do it is out of habit. I think that in our culture where everyone is always in a hurry, people tend to do things that feel faster, even though they aren't. For example, stopping past the white line, or starting to move forward before the light turns green, or pushing the "door close" button on an elevator. :) None of those actually get you anywhere faster.

    Besides the risk of getting a ticket, here are two more reasons to stay behind the white line: 1) if someone does rear-end you, and if you are already too far out into the intersection, you could get pushed out into cross traffic, risking severe injury. 2) at some intersections, the white line is placed so that turning trucks and buses have enough clearance to navigate the turn. If your car is too far out into the intersection, you will be in the way of turning vehicles. That is more of an issue in downtown areas than out here in Ashburn, but still a consideration.
     
  8. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

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    Lead-offs are for baseball, not driving.
     
  9. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    The sensors detect at the white line so there is no purpose for going beyond it other than rabbit stops or because your view is obstructed.
     
  10. tyger31

    tyger31 Member

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    Tell you teenager not to follow what everyone else does...a lot of drivers don't follow the rules and have poor driving skills......another bad habit is not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or red light. I got into that habit as a teenager and failed my road test twice because of it....learned my lesson.
     
  11. Steve Campot

    Steve Campot Broadlands Real Estate Broker

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    I always try to stop behind the white line. The only time I think I may have stopped over/front of it is when the light tuned yellow and I really had to get on the brakes to stop before the light.
     
  12. pamD

    pamD New Member

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    My husband (from NY) gives me a hard time because I (from Colo) (almost) always stop at the white line at a stop sign. But that's because it's sometimes hard to see from behind the line at a sign. But I don't think there is any reason at a light, other than failure to know how to stop.

    I agree with the point that stopping in front of the line doesn't help trip the light; in fact, if you are too far forward, you won't trip it at all.
     
  13. jamesmkelly

    jamesmkelly Member

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    The white line is there for a reason and is used to control where vehicles stop to allow for clearance for other vehicles - i.e. people making a left turn in front of your car. If you pull over the white line, generally you are impeding traffic ofthe folks trying to make a left.

    Additionally, the law requires you to stop at the line

    ยง 46.2-821. Vehicles before entering certain highways shall stop or yield right-of-way.

    The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection on a highway controlled by a stop sign shall, immediately before entering such intersection, stop at a clearly marked stop line, or, in the absence of a stop line, stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or, in the absence of a marked crosswalk, stop at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway. Before proceeding, he shall yield the right-of-way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.
     
  14. Mr Rogers

    Mr Rogers Active Member

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    As a frequent pedestrian/runner, I beg you to stop before the thick white line. I need the crosswalk.
     
  15. Thunderchild

    Thunderchild New Member

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    OH PLEASE! You live in the Broadlands and should know that "You have to go around my car in the intersection as I am more important than you"! And NO, I don't have to stop at a stop sign, it is just a recommendation!

    Just kidding, I don't walk/run much (well at all) but I get a little pissed when I see parents pushing strollers and they have to go around the cars and into the interestion.


    Have a nice day!
     
  16. tyger31

    tyger31 Member

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    Amen to that - I'm a walker as well, and it's darn irritating!
     
  17. Twriter

    Twriter Get a Mac!

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    Thanks to all who replied. Aside from the point that you sometimes need to pull beyond the white line to see better (I'm assuming this to make a right on red), there doesn't seem to be any rational argument for this practice.

    Chalk this one up to poor skills and/or poor attitude.

    --- John B.
     
  18. woopity

    woopity cdubs ya know!

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    teach your son to park in parking spaces---not fire lanes like the rest of the dummies around here who are too important to park 15 feet away from the dry cleaners :angryfire:
     
  19. tyger31

    tyger31 Member

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    Handicapped spaces too!!!! That really irks me.
     

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