z wrote:
>
> good rule of thumb when stopped, always leave enough space in front of
> your car that you can see at least the rear bumper of the car in front
> of you, so that a rear impact won't totally squish your car. you might
> even be able to duck sideways out of the way. practice in your
> driveway at such things helps. stuff you need to know when you drive a
> civic in a world of suvs.

An even thing to do is to stay back so that you are able to see the
bottom of the tires of the vehicle in front of yours. This allows you
enough room to cut your wheels and to drive around that vehicle should
the need arise, whether due to another vehicle approaching yours from
the rear faster than it can stop or if the vehicle in front stalls and
doesn't move when the light changes. This works for any size of vehicle
by the way from a Smart Car or a tractor trailer truck.