Car in front rolling back

nightster1 · 12-01-2013 7:04pm #1

Has anyone noticed an increase in the following:-

You're stopped at red traffic lights behind a car on a hill or a small incline. Lights go green and the car in front rolls back a couple of feet:eek: probably leaving the hand brake off before getting in gear and going forward again. I've a tow-bar ding on my front num plate from the last fool:mad:

bobin fudge · 12-01-2013 7:11pm

I did this about 4 years ago for the first and only time. Have no idea what I was thinking at the time, light was red and was stopped for a while, car behind me had to give me a gentle beep before I slowly rolled into them. Learnt my lesson not to be day dreaming

might not be clear in original post but didnt actually bump into the car behind me and was on a virtually flat road -the quays

Mycroft H · 12-01-2013 7:14pm

And that's why you leave a bit of space from the car in front of you.....

djimi · 12-01-2013 7:54pm

BX 19 wrote: »

And that's why you leave a bit of space from the car in front of you.....

Exactly. The number of drivers out there who cant do a hill start is frightening, despite it being part of the driving test.

Mycroft H · 12-01-2013 7:55pm

You could stall a car from startup 4 times in the driving test and still pass....

Anyway, Leave enough space so you can see the rear tyres and a bit of tarmac from the car in front of you.

Atlantic Dawn · 12-01-2013 7:55pm

My golden rule, always leave 1 metre for muppets

.

nightster1 · 12-01-2013 8:11pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

My golden rule, always leave 1 metre for muppets .

I'd normally leave a good metre at least in front. Recently I had the car in front of me reverse because the car in front of him rolled back into his comfort zone. Car behind me up my arse, so I was helpless and just waited for the crunch:(

OldmanMondeo · 12-01-2013 8:12pm

I find just smacking into the back of the first stops them rolling back, strike first and all that stuff...

Mint Sauce · 12-01-2013 10:25pm

This is a perfect reason for getting a dash cam.

Victor · 12-01-2013 10:44pm

As a pedestrian, I see this a lot when crossing (I will only cross at or well away from a crossing, not near) the road in stopped traffic - even on flat ground.

Keep plenty of space! Rmember that 99% of the time, you are the only one who can use that space.

T-Maxx · 12-01-2013 10:53pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

My golden rule, always leave 1 metre for muppets .

I sincerely hope you mean that you leave an extra metre for in case the driver in front is a bit of a muppet?!

Only muppets leave only a meter between them and the car in front.

goz83 · 13-01-2013 12:28am

I find the worst place for this is an exit from the Ballymount Industrial Estate. There is a steep hill up onto the road and cars are always too close to eachother. I've been up that hill a couple doxen times and i'm surprised i've seen no accidents.

Supergurrier · 13-01-2013 12:32am

Feck handbrakes i abuse my clutch while waiting at hill junctions, im cool me

coylemj · 13-01-2013 12:52am

Safe clearance.....

On a downhill - 1 cm.

On an uphill - 1 metre.

Not · 13-01-2013 12:52am

And then when they do roll into you, they just drive off :mad: No getting out of the car to see if there's any damage or to apologise - just bump - and gone ! Happened to me twice now. Both time's I gave ample warning blowing the horn at them as they rolling back but both ignored it. Luckily both times no damage done, and only because of that, neither reported for failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

daenerysstormborn3 · 13-01-2013 12:28pm

I use the N25 to travel to work and have to take an uphill slip road exit. The amount of people who roll back or sit at the bottom of the slight incline because they obviously can't do a hillstart is shocking. I actually work with someone like this. She has her full licence and can't do hillstarts or use roundabouts correctly. She actually said to me one day, "how do you know all this stuff?"

Mar4ix · 13-01-2013 12:37pm

coylemj wrote: »

Safe clearance.....

On a downhill - 1 m.

On an uphill - 5 metre.

FYP

Mar4ix · 13-01-2013 12:40pm

I do any hill start even without handbrake, without damaging clutch or gearbox. ... people cant do this, because they dont know how things work ... me thinks.

road_high · 13-01-2013 12:41pm

Bit of a judgement call...if it's a Yaris with L plates or an old lady driving then I stay well back!!

RandomAccess · 13-01-2013 12:51pm

Agree with the OP that its people not using their handbrake, they need to redo hill start part of their driving test.

Might also be related to modern cars with hill hold features not being used properly. Still a basic driver error, car should not move back at all.

Hogzy · 13-01-2013 5:05pm

I was always taught to make sure you can see the rear tyres of the car in front of you when stopped at lights. If you cant see them then you are too close. Even more space is needed when on a hill.

Its obviously foreseeable that a car will roll back while doing a hill start. Therefore if you are too close and the car rolls back you might not get 100% of the compensation owed to you if it goes to court. Just my opinion.

dar83 · 13-01-2013 5:30pm

Supergurrier wrote: »

Feck handbrakes i abuse my clutch while waiting at hill junctions, im cool me

How's that DMF doing?! :P

coylemj · 13-01-2013 6:38pm

I add 1m clearance if the other guy has a towbar.

Car in front rolling back

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