Quote:
Originally Posted by jim-frank
I leave my Sentra in 5th with the clutch in most of the time I'm coasting. The steering and brakes are very unweildy with the engine off.
I don't attempt to avoid being rear-ended at a stoplight by even thinking about running the red to get out of the way. If you miss seeing someone crossing your path, and you collide, then *you* are at fault. If you get rear ended, the person who hits you from behind is at fault.
Not much consolation if you're totalled or injured, but the risk of running the light is greater than the risk of being rear ended, IMO.
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Agreed. The guy behind you probably still won't be able to stop in time, and then you're T-boned AND rear-ended. My car is from 1990, before side-impact beams were standard. I'd rather have the rear-seat/trunk crumple zone behind me than a three-inch crumple zone on my left.
As far as the coasting laws, we were taught in Driver's Ed that these rules were in place because carbureted vehicles could die without notice while in neutral, making the next corner/stop a LOT more difficult than the last three. Plus, engine braking was vital when you were heading downhill with drums on all 4 wheels. Fuel-injected vehicles with front discs generally don't have these problems.