I have noticed a disturbing tendency for cars to leave plenty of space between themselves and the car in front of them when waiting at a red light, as if out of politeness. This is not polite; it is thoughtless. This is absolute disregard for any other cars that might want to get through an intersection without being stuck when the light changes.
Nor can it be called a safety focus, because people don’t need space to protect them from a collision when they’re at a halt. As I recall from driver’s ed, it was recommended to have one car length of space per 10 miles an hour of speed. When your speed is 0 mph, I don’t think you need a full—or even half-car length—for safety. It seems like the gaps actually invite pedestrians to cross between cars. Not to mention that not using space may inspire someone to rear-end you.
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