ADUK Archive

I would be interested to hear what others do when stopping at traffic lights.

My procedure is;-

Stop on the footbrake with the clutch depressed in whatever gear was appropriate for the approach and in the correct lane for departure
Engage the handbrake
Select neutral
Foot off the clutch
Foot off the foot brake
Headlights off.

One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking. My IAM examiner penalised me for not applying the handbrake at the lights (as I had always done for anything over a few seconds wait until directed otherwise).
Foot brake goes off to avoid dazzle to those behind.
Headlights go off to avoid dazzle to those in front (I wish others would do the same for me!).
Then prepare for moving as the lights switch to amber.

Others?
How far will this go and drift I wonder .

Having been surprised by emergency vehicles, one an ambulance and the other an unmarked police vehicle with only discrete "blues", crossing in front of me through red lights and neither with "twos", I always emerge from junction traffic lights cautiously.

Our own town lights have, in my opinion, insufficient delay between one set of reds and greens meaning even a legal crossing on amber is dangerous.

I'm pretty much the same, with the exception of the last point - why should your headlights be dazzling oncoming vehicles?

handbrake definitely isn't just for parking

Graham Wright wrote:Headlights off.

Depending on the car I sometimes do this when waiting at roadworks on a single carriageway. My alternative approach is to angle the car slightly towards the nearside to aim the headlights away from oncoming vehicles.

I wouldn't bother turning off the headlights at fixed traffic lights unless there was a specific reason to do so.

gannet wrote:I'm pretty much the same, with the exception of the last point - why should your headlights be dazzling oncoming vehicles?

handbrake definitely isn't just for parking

Dazzle those in front i.e. through their mirrors - especially wing mirrors.

Graham Wright wrote:

gannet wrote:I'm pretty much the same, with the exception of the last point - why should your headlights be dazzling oncoming vehicles?

handbrake definitely isn't just for parking

Dazzle those in front i.e. through their mirrors - especially wing mirrors.

ah - thanks for the clarification... however I can't recall ever being dazzled in this way while the car behind is on dipped lights. If they are on full beam then yes, but simply dip the mirror if in a car without auto dimming mirrors.

gannet wrote:

Graham Wright wrote:

gannet wrote:I'm pretty much the same, with the exception of the last point - why should your headlights be dazzling oncoming vehicles?

handbrake definitely isn't just for parking

Dazzle those in front i.e. through their mirrors - especially wing mirrors.

ah - thanks for the clarification... however I can't recall ever being dazzled in this way while the car behind is on dipped lights. If they are on full beam then yes, but simply dip the mirror if in a car without auto dimming mirrors.

You live in a different world!

Auto dipping mirrors! I drive a van with no interior mirror and to dip the wing mirrors would require a walk outside! The van is small and low, and 4 X 4s and the like have high lights.

As I suffer. as a matter of courtesy, I douse for the vehicle in front.

...One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking.

Surely that's poor basic driving standards let alone advanced standards... Did he say anything more to qualify his stance or did you question it?

Never felt the need to turn my headlights off in these circumstances or wanted anyone else too for my benefit...

Graham Wright wrote:

gannet wrote:ah - thanks for the clarification... however I can't recall ever being dazzled in this way while the car behind is on dipped lights. If they are on full beam then yes, but simply dip the mirror if in a car without auto dimming mirrors.

You live in a different world!

Auto dipping mirrors! I drive a van with no interior mirror and to dip the wing mirrors would require a walk outside! The van is small and low, and 4 X 4s and the like have high lights.

As I suffer. as a matter of courtesy, I douse for the vehicle in front.

If the vehicle in front has an autodimming mirror, it will take time to react. When you turn your lights off, the mirror will un-dim - then when you turn them on again you'll distract the driver as it will take time for the mirror to react and dim to the brighter lights. Given you'll be turning them on about the time the driver moves off, isn't there also the risk they think you're flashing them out of impatience?

Also, AIUI if your vehicle has Xenon (gas discharge) headlamps, frequent cycling of them isn't good for their long term life.

Graham Wright wrote:
One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking. My IAM examiner penalised me for not applying the handbrake at the lights (as I had always done for anything over a few seconds wait until directed otherwise).

Was the "instructor" to whom you refer an IAM group observer; if not what "instructor" was he. Thanks.

hir wrote:

Graham Wright wrote:
One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking. My IAM examiner penalised me for not applying the handbrake at the lights (as I had always done for anything over a few seconds wait until directed otherwise).

Was the "instructor" to whom you refer an IAM group observer; if not what "instructor" was he. Thanks.

I wonder if said "instructor" was used to driving something like a Merc auto with a foot operated parking brake?

jont wrote:

hir wrote:

Graham Wright wrote:
One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking. My IAM examiner penalised me for not applying the handbrake at the lights (as I had always done for anything over a few seconds wait until directed otherwise).

Was the "instructor" to whom you refer an IAM group observer; if not what "instructor" was he. Thanks.

I wonder if said "instructor" was used to driving something like a Merc auto with a foot operated parking brake?

I have been abused here before for saying that I go with the tech of the car I am driving. In my car if I apply the parking brake and take my foot off the footbrake the engine stop start system restarts the engine (also in my wifes , also in my son's). I keep my foot on the footbrake. (On my IAM Masters test I mentioned this to my examiner in my brief about the car, and then mentioned it in commentary when it arose during the drive. He did not mention it at all so presumably accepted my approach.)

Graham Wright wrote:I would be interested to hear what others do when stopping at traffic lights.

My procedure is;-

You do not mention ensuring that the brake lights stay on until the situation is stable behind with two or three vehicles also stopped. Another thing to consider is how far behind the vehicle in front you stop, whether you leave a gap for filtering on one side or the other, and whether you think about a possible escape route if someone fails to stop behind.

hir wrote:

Graham Wright wrote:
One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking. My IAM examiner penalised me for not applying the handbrake at the lights (as I had always done for anything over a few seconds wait until directed otherwise).

Was the "instructor" to whom you refer an IAM group observer; if not what "instructor" was he. Thanks.

He was and "was" is the correct tense.

jont wrote:

hir wrote:

Graham Wright wrote:
One of my instructors declared the handbrake was for parking. My IAM examiner penalised me for not applying the handbrake at the lights (as I had always done for anything over a few seconds wait until directed otherwise).

Was the "instructor" to whom you refer an IAM group observer; if not what "instructor" was he. Thanks.

I wonder if said "instructor" was used to driving something like a Merc auto with a foot operated parking brake?

No, a Land Rover.

waremark wrote:

Graham Wright wrote:I would be interested to hear what others do when stopping at traffic lights.

My procedure is;-

You do not mention ensuring that the brake lights stay on until the situation is stable behind with two or three vehicles also stopped. Another thing to consider is how far behind the vehicle in front you stop, whether you leave a gap for filtering on one side or the other, and whether you think about a possible escape route if someone fails to stop behind.

I do both of those and the sense of the second I actually learnt on my initial assessment (i.e. before my IAM instruction).