On 7/9/09 5:44 AM, in article h34hmf$tr6$20@news.datemas.de, "Brian Smith"
<Halifax@NovaScotia.Canada> wrote:

> 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.

That all sounds great, totally reasonable & in fact, driver's ed in 1965
taught the bumper rule. If you try it around here (Dallas), one of several
things will happen every time: another car will try to pull into the gap
between you and the car in front if that gap appears big enough; the cars
behind you will start honking because you are blocking access to the turn
lane by being stopped so far back; the driver behind you will stop, get out
of the car and come up and start yelling (like they do in D.C.). I have
found the half-car-length rule to be more practical & just as safe.