Why is wrong to coast?

Fred C

If the light is red, take your foot off the gas and coast. Hitting the brakes hard is wasteful, as is maintaining full speed coming up to a red.
However, if you are coasting in neutral, you are giving up some control of the car, and are definitely in the wrong.
If you coast in neutral to a red light, you will fail a driver exam. If you maintain 25 up to the light, and slam on the brakes, you will also fail a driver exam.
I suggest there is a misunderstanding between yourself and the instructor, because something doesn't sound quite right.

Hruth

Coasting between lights constricts traffic flow, and creates gridlock. You say yourself the minimum speed is 25, and you were doing 18-20. So you are breaking the law.

It is also very annoying for the drivers behind you when they get stuck at far more traffic lights than they should because the person in front is crawling along - doing this in areas with lots of lights can make someone get 4 or 5 more reds than normal, adding 12-15 minutes to their trip, and wasting fuel.

I am very sure he never told you to brake hard, just correctly. You should accelerate like normal away from the lights, and brake like normal if you need to. A licensed instructor would NEVER tell a student to race betwen lights, because if the student complained about it, the instructor would lose their job.

piccolor44

I say you're wrong. Its not like there is a big difference between 20 mph and 25mph. You should have enough time to stop at a red light if you're alert.

You're right. Obviously if you know you are going to have to stop within a block there is no need to hold the speed limit right up to the light and slam on the brakes.

Mac

Quit whining, you are wrong... Grow up!!

UCANTCME

You are correct to start to slow down rather than slam on the brakes as he instructed you to do.

V10 M6

You are correct. However, it seems like your instructor doesn't want to concede that. Listen to him and AFTER you obtain your liscense, go back to what you were doing.

Joe Mama

The instructor is always right while you are in the car with him. After that do what you are doing. Saves fuel.

I <3 my Suby.

Because other drivers are not mind readers so when you just do what you want for the sake of it, other people can get frustrated or just confused. Do what he tells you to. If you are taking drivers ed, why are you questioning the instructor. This is why so many idiots are on the road. You kids think you just coast through the process o of getting your license and then do what you want later. And people wonder why insurance rates just keep going up even if you never make a claim.

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