Why do people do this?

[motco]

Cruising along in a line of traffic, approaching a junction with a minor road when the driver in front decides to be magnanimous and slam on his brakes at 45mph to let a car in from the right who was happy to take his turn as he should. The Honda ahead could have had a domino effect multiple shunt up his rear end.
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View: https://www.youtube.com/embed/cp8rBVGoKus
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[DavidM]

Assume that other drivers are unpredictable including ourselves

 

[motco]

Exactly! Actually assume they are idiots and avoid like the plague. It wasn't an emergency stop for me but had I been a tailgater it might have been. It doesn't show the full nature of the illogicality of the move. The irony is that they think they are such good and considerate drivers!

 

[Toby]

Always a bit annoying, more so when theres nothing else behind me but clear road. If they paid more attention they'd see the road clear behind the two of us and just drive on.


Its as if they just want to be seen to be nice, like the person they let out will remember them

 

[137699]

Likely a nervous driver - sees a car coming into the middle, panics thinking they might pull out on them, so just decides to pre-empt the situ by stopping and letting them go.

If you had been a tailgaiter then you could have no complaint as you're supposed to leave sufficient stopping room for every eventuality - which in your car you did.

Agree that nervous drivers like this lead to unpredictable manoeuvres and cause accidents. Down to you & I to be vigilant to give yourself the best chance not to be caught up in one...

 

[Duncodin]

If I'm coming out of a side street into nose-to-tail traffic then it's nice when somebody stops to let me out.

But if the traffic is flowing nicely then I'm happy to look for a gap and plan my exit. Somebody flashing his lights at me often doesn't help because I don't trust him till he slows right down by which time he could'v been long gone and I'd be out behind him.

 

[Woodsta888]

Had someone a while back, stop in the middle of the roundabout to give way to traffic waiting to enter on the left!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

We don't get to see it from the perspective of the person who stopped, but it may have looked like the side street guy was gonna pull out in front of him. When that happens to me, I hedge my bets...slow down enough that I can stop if he does charge into the intersection, but not stop unless I absolutely have to.

Many people don't realize the effect they have on traffic when they come flying up to an intersection. In general, it's best to drive in a manner that is consistent with your intentions. If you plan to stop at a stop sign as you should, don't fly up and brake hard at the last minute as it appears to others that you don't intend to stop.

 

[t-tony]

This is exactly what happened to us last Thursday evening. See the video in the post "Close Shave". A fair selection of brain deads in Gainsborough this afternoon not wanting to wait to pass stationary vehicles on their side of the road, making me slow down when my carriageway was clear, almost resulting in my car being rear ended.

Tony.

 

[FRANKIE]

We don't get to see it from the perspective of the person who stopped, but it may have looked like the side street guy was gonna pull out in front of him. When that happens to me, I hedge my bets...slow down enough that I can stop if he does charge into the intersection, but not stop unless I absolutely have to.

Many people don't realize the effect they have on traffic when they come flying up to an intersection. In general, it's best to drive in a manner that is consistent with your intentions. If you plan to stop at a stop sign as you should, don't fly up and brake hard at the last minute as it appears to others that you don't intend to stop.

You really hit the nail on the head here. You're so right when you talk about people stopping at the last possible second. Anyone that's about to cross their line of travel when they see them approaching the stop the way they do has to assume they're not stopping. This is bad enough when you're in a car, but when you're on a cycle, it's like seeing the end of the world in front of you. Wouldn't it be just fine if there were a system built into an intersection with a stop sigh where it could be detected how fast a person was approaching and not coming to a proper stop, that something would pop out of the street to give them a flat tire as a penalty...........................Frankie

 

[FRANKIE]

Cruising along in a line of traffic, approaching a junction with a minor road when the driver in front decides to be magnanimous and slam on his brakes at 45mph to let a car in from the right who was happy to take his turn as he should. The Honda ahead could have had a domino effect multiple shunt up his rear end.
"

View: https://www.youtube.com/embed/cp8rBVGoKus
"

You're right. I see this all the time, especially as I drive a school bus most of the day. You get a 'do gooder" in front of you who thinks he's being especially courteous to other drivers to stop and let them in or pass. What they don't realize is that they are not following the rule of law by which most of us use and deviate from the normal procedures which are totally unexpected by a normal driver and actually increase the chance of an accident which by following the normal rules, most of us are trying to avoid.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

You really hit the nail on the head here. You're so right when you talk about people stopping at the last possible second. Anyone that's about to cross their line of travel when they see them approaching the stop the way they do has to assume they're not stopping. This is bad enough when you're in a car, but when you're on a cycle, it's like seeing the end of the world in front of you. Wouldn't it be just fine if there were a system built into an intersection with a stop sigh where it could be detected how fast a person was approaching and not coming to a proper stop, that something would pop out of the street to give them a flat tire as a penalty...........................Frankie

Yep. My Z is sort of a family heirloom. My dad bought it new in '01. I got it when he passed away in '17 and it had less than 5k miles on it then. For me, it's a part of the family, so when I drive it, I drive a lot like I would on a cycle....every intersection gets extra scrutiny...never assume anyone will actually stop at a red light or a stop sign, etc. There are so many oblivious people out there plus a few who just don't care. It puts the onus on my to take care of my baby.

I've had quite a few close calls (not all in the Z) such that I don't trust anyone. I analyze everyone's actions out there. My kid laugh because I'll be driving down the street and a car will come up to a stop sign on a cross street and I'll point at them and say "stay" like I'm talking to a dog. Even the, one had is on the horn ready to go and my foot is ready to hit the brakes. That has saved me on more than one occasion.