Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people have taken the defensive driving course where you have to be able to get out of stopped traffic to avoid carjackers etc. That requires a little more room.

This is EXACTLY what’s going on. I do it myself now. I leave enough room where I can go up over the curb or into the oncoming lane to get away if someone comes up on me on foot. This is why I leave more space now, and I suspect other people are doing it too.

I personally know two people who were both carjacked in the same week, 3 weeks ago. One in DTSS, the other in SWDC. In the DC carjacking, the kids who stole her car were laughing at her as they fired shots at her as they were driving away. They are animals. Absolute animals.

No you don’t, because this didn’t happen. You probably read it on Facebook or something. Carjackings yes, but firing at someone while driving away no.

This absolutely happened.

It happened at 2nd and T street SW, near the exit of the parking area of the James Creek Marina. She was carjacked as she was about to pull onto 2nd street, right across from the back side of Audi field.

Driving a small car I have to leave room in front of me to be able to see. Second, so many monstrosities out there on the road, if I get rear ended by one, I sure will be a pancake between those two. Plus carjakings, you need room to maneuver. What do you drive OP?

Sorry, that’s me. I just don’t like being that close to car in front on me. I try to be respectful when I know an intersection, but if someone gives me a light horn I will move up as far as possible

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the recommendation? That you can see all of the vehicle in front of you? All the way to where the tires touch the road?

That's what I learned way back when in driver's ed.

My new driver was taught this…you need to see both “rubber and road”. I suppose how far back you end up being depends on a variety of factors.

I’m teaching my 16 year old DD to do this. It’s for safety reasons.

Someone backed-up and tried to hit me once. It could falsely be interpreted that I hit them, me being at fault. I'm a little more cautious now but probably not as much as what Op is saying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people have taken the defensive driving course where you have to be able to get out of stopped traffic to avoid carjackers etc. That requires a little more room.

This. You really don't know what kind of stuff is going to happen in a congested suburban / urban area at this point OP.

LOL. You’re just too busy looking at your phone to pay attention to what’s happening around you.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people have taken the defensive driving course where you have to be able to get out of stopped traffic to avoid carjackers etc. That requires a little more room.

This. You really don't know what kind of stuff is going to happen in a congested suburban / urban area at this point OP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have started noticing lately that cars are leaving like a full car length between themselves and the car in front of them at red lights, which is massively annoying when I need to get into the turn lane. What is this horrible phenomenon? Just a northern virginia thing?

What exactly is the issue? You have to wait a light cycle for the car line to move up to the left hand turn lane?

The issue is that I could turn right easily (or actually make the left turn light) without waiting for an entire new light cycle if cars weren't leaving enormous amounts of room between them and the car in front. Obviously not a huge problem, but it has happened to me so many times recently that I find myself getting increasingly annoyed.

I have been observing though, and I definitely think the issue is cell phones. Drivers make their initial stop and then immediately start looking at their phones (and miss the ability to scoot up as things adjust).

Anonymous wrote:Likely prevalent in NVA since the Langley shooting (they did catch the guy). But yes, it is overdone and annoying, OP.

What shiitign?

Anonymous wrote:I have started noticing lately that cars are leaving like a full car length between themselves and the car in front of them at red lights, which is massively annoying when I need to get into the turn lane. What is this horrible phenomenon? Just a northern virginia thing?

What exactly is the issue? You have to wait a light cycle for the car line to move up to the left hand turn lane?

Yep, see it all the time in the Baltimore suburbs. Has nothing to do with NOVA. Or carjacking as that rarely happens in my burbs.

It infuriates me because it causes backups that quite often interfere with the traffic and actually results in a more dangerous situation and more people drive even more aggressively to make up for days and to try to make the light before it turns red. I find it extremely selfish.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've noticed it too and I think it has to do with the total lack of spatial awareness a lot of people have. It's why people are so bad at parking, as well.

This. People have no idea where the front of their car is.

Also, as cars on average get bigger, it's harder to have that awareness.

Anonymous wrote:I've noticed it too and I think it has to do with the total lack of spatial awareness a lot of people have. It's why people are so bad at parking, as well.

This. People have no idea where the front of their car is.

It has nothing to do with safety. People are just oblivious or on their phones.