Why do we still teach drivers to brake hard for a yellow light when coasting through is safer at 30 mph?
I got my license in Ohio 3 years ago and my instructor drilled into me that stomping the brake on yellow was the safe move. Last Tuesday I watched a guy do exactly that on a 35 mph road near Columbus and the car behind him almost rear ended him. I looked up the actual crash data later and most rear enders happen at lights, not from people rolling through on yellow. Coasting through when you can't safely stop just seems safer. Am I missing something? Has anyone else noticed this?
Wonder how many of those rear enders at lights are actually caused by the light turning yellow versus someone already distracted and just not paying attention. Your crash data point makes sense on paper but it doesnt really tell you who was at fault in each case. If the guy behind you is tailgating, does it even matter what the light does?