People stopping like this at traffic lights

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

Has anyone else noticed a bizarre increase of drivers stopping at least a full cars length away from the white line at a red light? It’s so odd, why is it happening? I’m sure it never used to be a thing but recently I’ve noticed it more and more

Yes!!!! It’s so annoying. Is there something in the new driving test that says you have to do this?

I recognise the junction even without the road numbers! You can't see the lights properly in a lot of cars if you are right on the lines... the angles are wierd.

Where I live there is generally a box for cyclists

I don't drive into it even there isn't a bike, one could come up after

if there not even

My dd’s driving instructor advised that she should see tyres and tarmac when she stops so if this is being taught to others…

I was taught that years ago

But tyres on tarmac wouldn't be a 4-5 car length gap

This! They (and you) should be leaving the advanced stop box free for cyclists, who can come up from behind and then have a head (safer) start when the lights change.
Please read the Highway Code!

On the junction the OP referenced, there is a separate cycle path that can't be seen on the picture.

I do this in case a police, ambulance or fire service is coming from behind, gives me some additional space to manoeuvre and let them through without going past the stop line, also leaving space for cyclists and filtering motorcyclist.

Why are PP mentioning boxes for cyclists when there isn’t one at the junction OP is talking about? There is a satellite photo. Maybe refresh your own Highway Code knowledge. Not every traffic light junction has a box at the front for cyclists. The Highway Code states that SOME junctions have these.

I have a friend who does this. He claims, despite my protests it is bollocks, that traffic light sensors change more quickly if they detect more than one car/many cars queuing. By being in the space a second car would be it “tricks the lights” into thinking there is a traffic queue and they change more quickly.
Yes, I know it is bollocks. He is convinced it is true and knows others that do it for the same reasons. He is Polish though, perhaps they have lights that do that in Poland? He didn’t say, but it just occurred to me. Must ask him.

Maybe one of those mumsnetters or DDs whose beauty literally stops traffic had walked past.

I agree about the cycle box… but OP is not talking about that. I live in an area where there are cycle boxes and people still leave over a cars’s length behind the line. I, like OP, are wondering why they do this… they don’t need to. I also agree with the whole “true and tarmac” thing but again OP is talking about being the first car at the red light so there’s nobody in front of you.

Apologies … “I live in an area where there are few cycle boxes”🙄

Drove through Reading on Friday, and at least one car went through each set of lights on red (mine is SUV and driven up to the line when I stop). Thought they had red light cameras there.

I get irrationally furious by cars that leave about 3 cars worth of space between them and the one in front. It's ridiculous and always seems to happen in jams, meaning that everyone behind them is pushed back even further.
When I've asked why I've had the 'so you don't hit the car in front if you're crashed into' reason. Really? That much space?

you leave space for motorbikes that aren’t there? But not for pushbikes that aren’t there?

If you have left a space you can’t decide only motorbikes are going to use it. Do you jump out and shoo away pushbikes and tell them the space you left was for motorbikes only? 🫤

You can’t be referring to motorbikes and pushbikes that are there because obviously if they are there you would leave space for either/both. Otherwise you’d be mowing them down and likely be typing from jail.

Modern cars often don’t have an old school handbrake. They have an electronic button and pressing the button puts the car into park and you have to restart the car.

It’s usually older people in very small cars that I see do it. Weirdly usually silver or metallic pale blue cars. Often I’ve noticed their cars have dents in the back which make me think they regularly slam on their brakes unexpectedly and irrationally

There's nothing wrong with the tyres on tarmac advice. That does not create the issue described by op. It just means you're not touching the bumper of the car in front. I am massively sick of people who have no idea what a stopping distance is and who pull up ridiculously close to me.

This other issue of stopping too far back is infuriating. I make a regular right turn into a main road which has a pedestrian crossing just right of the junction. Its a really busy road and hard getting out. If the button is pressed for the crossing, that can be good for getting out but not if I get one of those numpties sitting an entire car length back because there is then no room to to pull out.

People are annoying aren't they?

The big gaps between queuing cars… adaptive cruise control. You tell your car the space you want while driving- I choose the bigger gap, for motorway driving- and it then recreates that pulling up behind vehicles that are stationary. So I switched it off in town traffic.

Probably have a DCT and can't creep in traffic, car handbook literally tells you to drive like that. No creeping, instead you leave a large gap, then drive ahead into that gap.

Of course she wouldn't drive in the cycle box. You can see on the photo there is no box - people are effectively making their own - that is her gripe!

This applies only to automatics - don't you apply the footbrake instead?