Cars left in gear at traffic lights and clutch down

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

42

Dunno then?:

toby1234abc:
‘…Brake lights are on all over the UK,while waiting…’.

‘…Bloody annoying on nights…’

It often earns them my main beam here.

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mi13ke:
I agree with ROG.
Thats how I was taught, theory being if you have car in gear, and hold it on the clutch, if you are hit from behind, foot comes off clutch helping you on your way into cross traffic.
My BMW instructs you to be out of gear, handbrake on, so the stop / start system activates.
Very disconcerting when in this mode for any length of time, and the engine fires back up on its own!

Bloody stupidly annoying system.I had an Audi that did this.I went into the cars menus and turned stop/start off.Hated it, no benefit at all to a driver imo.The whole system is designed to get cars past the euro whatever number we are at now tests.Probably appear in trucks at sometime in the future when blasting cows pish into the exhaust system is no longer good enough.

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ROG:

lee mc67:

ROG:
On the advanced it is frowned upon to have brake lights on with another behind if for more than 2 or 3 seconds

First in queue at lights out of gear, handbrake on, feet on floor and arms folded - lights go red/amber so engage first/look in n/s mirror then release handbrake/look in o/s mirror - GO (if safe) and a lights have been on green for half a second … sorted :smiley:

Rog, are you IAM by any chance?

YUP
Senior observer with the Leicester group

Thought so, you’ll understand this Q better than anyone then.

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MADBAZ:

Snudger:
I presume some people have never had proper lessons if they wait at lights with the clutch in as they couldn’t have been told to drive that way, but it’s (I hope) their car they’re wearing out. “They won’t get there any quicker”. Thoughtless, lazy and uncaring about people possibly being dazzled behind though.

Are you saying that with the clutch in (disengaged) that the car wears out quicker?
If so then that is quite correct as the input shaft on the gearbox is not spinning therefore the clutch plate takes a little longer to catch up with the flywheel when released (engaged). But that extra wear is negligible, and possibly offset by the fact the gearbox aint spinning. Oh and I do get away from the lights a little quicker than those who sit in neutral, not that I’m bothered, cos they’ll catch me at the next set of red lights/roundabout/pedestrian crossing/junction/queue etc etc.

Oh and I was definitely taught that way and passed twice using this method, and the 2 assessments I’ve had since haven’t picked up on it, although I did get some extra brown nose points for excellent use of the handbrake. Maybe Pete Smythe should be given the heads up when I abuse his vehicle next year.

I was a little concerned that my stating “clutch in” might be ambiguous. What I should’ve stated was “clutch down” as in the OP i.e. clutch pedal pressed in. IIRC in this little scenario, the clutch bearing is rubbing against the plates to disengage the clutch i.e. causing wear, though I haven’t had to look at this physically since the 80s thankfully, so I presume they still work the same way (I was put right about “automatic” lorry gearboxes recently). Being caught at the next set of lights is exactly the sort of thing I meant when I stated “you won’t get there any quicker” and I am surprised to hear you were taught to sit in gear at lights unless the lights were about to change. My last car, which I believe to have been on its original clutch, lasted me 16 years without any clutch problems (I tend to NOT sit at lights with the clutch “in” (pedal down in my understanding) - the wear could add up over the years. As for keeping the clutch at biting point, well there can be no dispute over wearing out the plates. The chumps that do that to their own car deserve their potentially increased maintenance costs, just like rushing to a red light only to have to brake hard instead of cruising up to them and (with luck or judgement) sailing through on green - which (the rushing) just about everyone else seems to do IME.

46

Dunno then?:

toby1234abc:
Brake lights are on all over the UK,while waiting.

Bloody annoying on nights, lol.

Hiya… this is great in dark nights wet weather when your on the motorbike…you have 1000 rainspots
on the visor… now a days theres about 60 led lights on the back of a lexus plus indicator signaling.
that adds up to 1000 spots x 60 lights and the glare puts blackpool illuminations second place.
my fault for riding bikes but car designers just playing silly games and not been considerate.
John

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Won’t be long before we have to contend with fog lights on days after it was foggy, or people who dont turn them off when your behind them :unamused:

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Wheel Nut:
You are all wrong! :stuck_out_tongue:

Overtake every vehicle 100 yds before crossing or lights, skid to a halt, turn music up louder and turn bass up, sit with foot on brake and accelerator, the new heel and toe method, check texts, pass a spliff round, make a phone call, when lights turn to red / amber, stall engine. wave at passing motorists with middle finger while attempting to restart engine.

HeHeHe, I see too many of these every day…hahaha

49

Dunno then?:

toby1234abc:
Brake lights are on all over the UK,while waiting.

Bloody annoying on nights, lol.

As with many things in modern life, to fat and lazy to do it properly!

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Wheel Nut:
You are all wrong! :stuck_out_tongue:

Overtake every vehicle 100 yds before crossing or lights, skid to a halt, turn music up louder and turn bass up, sit with foot on brake and accelerator, the new heel and toe method, check texts, pass a spliff round, make a phone call, when lights turn to red / amber, stall engine. wave at passing motorists with middle finger while attempting to restart engine.

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

51

Dunno then?:

toby1234abc:
Brake lights are on all over the UK,while waiting.

Bloody annoying on nights, lol.

i hate it when people do that. i leave it in gear but hold it using clutch and accelerator or use the handbrake but still in gear with the clutch in. i only knock it out of gear if its a long wait but i never sit with my foot on the brake pedal no matter what im driving

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3300John:

Dunno then?:

toby1234abc:
Brake lights are on all over the UK,while waiting.

Bloody annoying on nights, lol.

Hiya… this is great in dark nights wet weather when your on the motorbike…you have 1000 rainspots
on the visor… now a days theres about 60 led lights on the back of a lexus plus indicator signaling.
that adds up to 1000 spots x 60 lights and the glare puts blackpool illuminations second place.
my fault for riding bikes but car designers just playing silly games and not been considerate.
John

Just go faster and all the rain runs off the visor :smiley: Easy

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gardun:
@ lee mc67

I agree! Also with Driver1UK!

I believe that RoSpA and IAM are much the same - Roadcraft. In fact I know from examiners and observers/trainers/police class1 that they are with the exception of RoSpA’s grading system. The same thinking would apply to your scenario, but it is not always possible to keep moving. Sometimes you know the sequence of the lights and are aware that you may be some time waiting. In this case just approach the stop line and stop as above!

General advice - if you have time to wonder whether or not to apply the handbrake then the answer is probably yes!!

This is where the difference between advanced and basic driving skills differ. There are small differences in the way IAM and RoSpa are teeched :smiley: I have experienced both so i know so there :open_mouth:

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Can you give any examples Lee?