First accident in 40 years of driving tonight

[technomadia]

Rick..

Thank you so much for sharing this and passing on your wisdom to those of us greener in driving these big machines.

Thank you for your responsive and non-distracted driving!  It's clear you turned what could have been a terrible accident into a minor incident (in the grand scheme of things).  I hope you're able to take some time to let the shaking pass, and jump back in with the confidence that your instincts, experience and reactions saved the lives of several folks last night.

- Cherie

[belfert]

Sometimes evasive actions are necessary to prevent crashes.  About seven years ago a car was sitting on the shoulder of a 2 lane highway.  They suddenly made a U turn from the shoulder right in front of me.  Luckily, there was a road to the left so I saw the other way was clear and took a hard left turn at 55 MPH to avoid hitting the other vehicle.

I was driving a little VW Golf.  Had I been driving my F-350 at the time I probably would have hit the other vehicle.  I certainly would have hit them had I had a bus at the time.

[rcbeam]

When I was 16 my family and I moved from Chattanooga to Lexington Ky.  A year later, I drove back to Chattanooga to visit some relatives.  This particular day, I was driving my grandfather to a local restaurant.  We were on a 4 lane, 2 in each direction.  I was in the left lane... speed limit was 45 I think.  As I come around the bend I see up ahead the restaurant where we were supposed to go.  Without thinking, I look to my right and see I have a spot in front of a tractor trailer in the right lane... so I at age 17, very stupidly whip it in the right lane, put on my brakes, to turn into the parking lot for the restaurant.  As I am coming from the left lane to the right lane and then whipping into the parking lot, I hear tires screech and a long loud blow of air horns... THEN I realize I just pulled in front of a large tractor trailer probably going 40 and I slowed down to turn into a parking lot right in front of him. 

My grandfather was clueless what just almost happened but I knew.  I felt so bad for the trucker and I knew he had to be mad.  To this day I have never forgot my stupid stunt and making it through that without harm has helped me be much more conscious of what I do behind the wheel ever since.   Not that I haven't still done dumb things in my car, but I've certainly never whipped in front of another trucker.  I am sure this woman driver while never forget what just almost happened to here either.

[happycamperbrat]

"Every accident is avoidable" Bull hunka!!

About 20 years ago I was on a 2 lane road (Hwy 166 headed west). This is a twisty mountain road with steep drop offs that go down forever. It was about 3:00 in the morning and I had my babies with me in their car seats. All of a sudden I go around a bend and there is some A$$hole that is driving straight for me. Too my right is a 300 ft straight drop off. I was afraid to go to the left because #1 I would have to swerve to miss this dude and we were going 55mph, #2 there could be another car coming in that lane that I couldnt see and #3 the jerk could wake up and see he was a second from hitting me head on then swerve back to his lane. There was no time to any braking that would be any help and it wouldnt have mattered cuz he was going to hit me head on anyway. What did I do? I prayed! Sure enough, at the very last second he woke up and swerved into his own lane. There was NOTHING I could do.... with some accidents it just doesnt matter.

[jackhartjr]

Rick, I also drive a truck, well over 150,000 a year and a lot of that in Miami.
I can't say I would have done any differently!  Good job.  You slowed and looked for a way out.  You don't EXPECT a vehicle to make a u-turn right there in front of you!
And to JC, not trying to be argumentative, you will ALWAYS avoid hitting something.  To say that if you had passengers you would T-bone the ambulance...let me tell you it don't work that way.  You will ALWAYS try to avoid the thing in front of you!  It is instinct!
Abd Rick, you said one of the most important things I preach, and that is to 'cover the brake' when in doubt about anything!  As I approach traffic lights I ALWAYS cover the brake, in fact I think that it will change instead of PRAYING it don't!  It's been a lot of years since I went through a yellow and it turned red. 
Good job Rick!
Jack

[kyle4501]

. . . .  You will ALWAYS try to avoid the thing in front of you!  It is instinct!
. . . .

If you are pissed at the object in front of you, your instinct may be to try to clobber it!

Of course, that may just be me . . .

When that minivan pulled out in front of me, the only thing that prevented me from clobbering it was the thought that I needed my suburban for the vacation we were taking the next week.    So I ignored the phone call for a moment while I performed a high speed slalom around the minivan. Not a scratch  (didn't even drop the call either!) But I did scuff the trailer tires halfway to the rim. 

[demodriver]

I always try to hit whats in front of me   (read my username if you dont get it lol)


I have put my share of miles on tri axle dump trucks.  It seams that there is always one person who thinks you can stop a 30 ton truck on a dime.


Glad that your wreck wasnt any worse then it was.  Good reactions!

Eric

[babell2]

You know For stuff like this we all need a dash cam like the police have. I looked on ebay and will be getting one soon sense they only run 65.00 to 95.00 and record 15 minute loops and have night vision on some. Because some times it seems like it would just be nice to tap some of these people that slam on the brakes after diving in front of you. I know I shouldn't think like that but tires get pretty expensive Thanks Dave

I've been working on a home security camera system for side view, rear view, and Front view with recorder just in case for the bus I hope I never have to "Show what happened" but I would like to have the option.
Glad you dodged that bullet good driving.

Brice

[gus]

I drove aqn 18 wheeler in north and NW Ark for years.

I had so many people pull out in front of me at hwy speeds that I finally decided trucks are so big people don't see them, it is almost like they see a building instead!

I also decided that when someone did this and I couldn't go around I was going to hit them dead on to avoid, if possible, rolling the Al cab  tractor which was sure suicide.

[belfert]

I drove aqn 18 wheeler in north and NW Ark for years.

I had so many people pull out in front of me at hwy speeds that I finally decided trucks are so big people don't see them, it is almost like they see a building instead!

I have had people pull in front of me when I am driving my bus when they really should have waited.  I think people don't want to be behind a "slow" bus or truck.  Another part of it is probably drivers who can't wait another 5 seconds for a vehicle to go by them.  Too many drivers are in way too big of a hurry these days.  Getting yourself killed isn't a very good trade off for getting to your destination 30 seconds earlier.

[artvonne]

  Rick! Close call man, glad your okay.

  I believe we operate more by instinct when we need to react instantly. And experience is what sets that instict. We all want to say what we would do in this or that circumstance, but the honest truth is that we will do exactly what our brain decides it will do given a set of equations. I always tell myself ill stay in my lane, but the truth is I always find myself steering toward the way out. Probably why I also instinctively avoid middle lanes.

  But of all the brainless situations we could ever hope to come upon, an amulance crosswise on a dark wet highway with no lights. I nominate the ambulance driver for a Darwin award.

  Ive always loved driving at night, but the older I get, and the more I see, the more stressful its become. You just dont have the time you have available in daylight when you come up on something. Especially when its stupid.

[Rick59-4104]

 Thanks for all the kind words on this, but I still think the 2 people in the U-turning ambulance were very lucky.

After the 28 year old educated twit safety guy at my company reviewed the accident he did determine I could go back to driving. Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against 28 year olds, I wish I was one. I also have nothing against folks with degrees, I wish I had one. I just have a problem with twits and this guy is one. I really do not think he could drive a truck (or bus) round trip to Wal Mart without drawing blood.

Be safe

Rick