While it is rude to honk immediately when the light turns green, it is also true that taking too long to accelerate when the light changes severely reduces traffic flow and causes congestion. And this is commonly caused by distracted drivers. You are supposed to release your brake and begin moving at roughly the same time as the car in front of you, i.e. when the car in front of you turns off their brake lights or when the traffic signal turns green if you're in the front.

Edit: "Too long" realistically means anything more than half a second. If everyone's reaction time was one second it would reduce the number of cars per green light probably by half. That doesn't mean it's polite to honk after half a second but if your reaction time is that bad you should not be driving.

When I can clearly see you on your phone, yes.

i will never understand why us traffic lights go immediately from red to green. you have a whole-ass third light to use for signaling that the light is about to change, so people don't have to floor it due to an unexpected change.

Yes, green means go!11! Even there's an old lady that just didn't finish crossing yet, she just had to do it in the few seconds allowed.

My favorite one is people honking at other drivers for not blocking an intersection because "it's green!". I don't know the term in English but in French it's a mix of intersection and blocage. Like, if the light is green but there is no space to advance because of gridlock, some apparently like to make it worse by advancing their car in an intersection and sit there while it turns red, and thus blocking the intersection. BuT It WaS GreEn!

Do you see this little pedal under your right foot? Just fucking use it and nobody will be honking.

What bothers me are the people who do go when the light turns green, but take their damn sweet time to do it...

Eeeease oofffff the braaaake…. Mooove fooot toooo gaaaaassssss… Creeeeep into intersection at 0.05mph….

…just as long as they get through before the light turns red again, fuck everyone behind them, I guess.

Fuck those people.

In Spain you would have to wait for 5-10 seconds without moving for anyone to honk. At least where I live. People just don't usually get angry about it. I don't expect anyone to stare at the red light like it's a race track. Maybe someone is adjusting the radio, maybe they are putting on sunglasses. I mean, I don't care, I can arrive 5 seconds later. 99% of drivers here think the same.

I once worked with a British guy here. He drove me somewhere couple of times and he would always complain at how long Spanish drivers take to start when light changes. He crashed and totaled his car soon after. Slipped on a slightly wet asphalt and went out of the road. For me it's typical that the worse drivers are the impatient ones. Just relax, it's not a race.

I live in an area where I think the worst drivers in the US live. I absolutely hate people who honk as soon as the light turns green. You don't know what I can see, you don't know if it is safe to go. Because sometimes it isn't. I've had to learn to still look both ways after the light turns green because almost once a week (and I only drive 2-4 days most weeks) I see someone completely blow the red going 60 in a 45.

I also blame phones for traffic, because it goes the other way too. Why did you miss that green, because 3 people in front of you were on their phones. I usually give a slow 5 count before giving a beep.

Put on the handbrake, get out of the car, and calmly ask them what the problem is.

You’re in pole position, you have a responsibility to those behind you. Be considerate and pay attention.

I saw someone do that in Korea. The guy in front immediately stops the car and sits there for like 2 minutes as the guy behind honks and eventually does like a 7 point turn to go around.

I think ppl did it so much it became a challenge at some point.

youtube.com/shorts/ehECSg43LrE
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Lot of people in this thread thinking the split second the light turns green we need to gun it. Get fucked, I'm not on my phone and you're just an impatient asshole. No one owes you a jack rabbit start. Calm the fuck down and breath.

I assume the person in front is waiting for the red light runners to clear the intersection before starting.

Physicists have discovered that the shortest division of time possible is the time between the light turning green and the car behind you honking.

A "New York minute" is defined as the time between when the light turns green and when a New York driver will honk their horn at you.

A lot of places in east asia have red light timers. If theres nobody coming, people will start when theres like 3 seconds left.

Today one idiot honked me because I actually stopped at a red semaphore.

That's me. My friend was in front of me.