Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Are you saying that following drivers can't see that the gap between them and the car ahead is shrinking?
The brakes are for use when needed.
The brake lights indicate that I may be stopping really hard, so following traffic should be ready.
Coasting to a stop in gear is not at all like using the brakes, and I would think that any halfway alert following driver could figure out that I am gradually slowing, and that they will probably need to use the brakes in their automatic car.
I think what you were saying above is that following drivers don't know that they may need to use their brakes unless I use mine.
A driver may see the gap getting smaller but if they are following at the correct distance,they dont know if you are slowing,stopping or what.If you are driving any descent amount of speed,you only have so many seconds to react to any situation and if the person in front of you isnt braking,you dont have any real idea what they are doing.They may just be slowing,they may be planning a turn or they may be almost completely stopped and the driver behind you has no idea which this is and what you are doing.
The person behind you cant see whet is in front of you and they do rely to some extent on the driver ahead of them to get an idea of what is going on in front of them.
Brakes are not just for a hard stop,they are to be used for slowing and the most important part,they are used to allow the brake lights to come on to warn those behind them that they are slowing for some reason.
Again,an alert person that is following at a correct distance will still have only so many seconds to react to what you are doing and when they dont see any indication of braking,that makes the situation that much more dangerous,especially if you are going at a moderate speed.
Yes,to some extent a following car doesnt know to brake unless they see you brake,again,you do have to rely to some degree on the car in front of you when driving,you cant see what is going on in front of them and you have to watch them as much as possible and when they dont give any indication of braking,that is dangerous.
Like LT4Vette said,tap your brakes,give those behind you some type of an idea of what you are doing.Why get someone killed because you cant take the time to at least tap your brakes?