There is a secondary highway I travel on a daily basis while driving to and from work.

Speed limit is 55 MPH.  Traffic is pretty light (it's out in the country).  Maybe ten cars per mile during the "busy" times, if that.

There is an intersection on this road with a traffic light which tends to be rather long on the "red" interval.

It's a straight stretch of road so you can see this light from a great distance out, and can see the light condition (green, yellow, or red) from quite aways out as you approach it.

When I see that it is yellow or red, I will slow down a few hundred yards out, to around 30 miles per hour, so that I can "time it out" - i.e., approach it slowly so that it will have turned green again by the time I reach the intersection.

Usually I can "time it out" so that I will hit it green by managing my approach speed this way.  This saves me both gas and transmission wear.  I notice a lot of big rig truckers do this also, and I assume they do it for the same reason I do.

When I slow down while approaching it red, sometimes people behind me will become impatient and dart around me in the passing lane, so they can race up to the red light in enough time to come to a full stop.  Often I will quickly wind up well in front of them again, as I accelerate from slow speed right past them on a fresh green signal, while they have to accelerate from a full stop.  Then I will glance over at them and think "Gee, that little bit of impatience really accomplished a lot, didn't it Bubba?"

Question: The fuck does it accomplish to race up to red lights only to have to slam your brakes on and make a full stop?  Are they really just that EAGER to experience the "enjoyment" of braking hard all the way to a complete stop for that red light, and then wasting their gas to regain cruising speed?  Just one of many things I simply do not get about human nature, but I'm sure the hive will fill me in with full details.

Poll inbound.

First to use "Fuckin' red lights, how do they work?"

I am proud.

I do the same thing. I'd rather not burn the fuel to get back up to speed.

Man, I see more people blowing red lights at high speed  that I look damn good before pulling out if I'm in the pole position.

I try and time the light if it's possible so that I'm not sitting as long.

I teach the way you do it in all my safe driving courses.