Nearly died yesterday

[Jstpssng]

Last month a motorist decided to end his life and pulled over into the other lane, hitting an oncoming car. He survived, the other driver died.

About 30 years ago I was walking up the road facing traffic when I heard a horn blowing behind me. I turned... and stepped into the path of a car which was passing several others. Like the cyclist who posted above me I stepped out of the way of course. I then threw my axe at him but missed. What is unbelievable though is the number of people who tell me that I was at fault.

Two summers ago I was approaching a tractor trailer when the car behind him decided to pass. I slammed on the brakes and ripped the wheel over, luckily there was a wide shoulder. He was almost even with my bumper when he pulled in. A few weeks later I was 20 miles up the same road when the guy behind me decided to go by. He'd had plenty of chances to pass in the 10 miles he'd been back there but waited until a blind hill and didn't see the oncoming car. I had noplace as the shoulder dropped off into some trees so I just stopped. In hindsight that was the wrong thing to do as it committed him to the pas.

 

[Cat_Driver]

My wife and I were driving back from Oregon yesterday on I-5 in Northern California's central valley. That part of I-5 is two lanes each direction. I went to pass a semi truck and looked up the road to see a wrong way pickup truck headed my way in the fast lane at full speed. I slammed on the brakes and just managed to tuck behind the semi's trailer before getting hit head on. If I'd been a second slower we'd have been hit. If it hadn't been on a dead flat and straight section where I could see far down the road we'd have been hit. A head on or even a glancing hit at 120 mph+ combined speed would be deadly. I was really shook up for a while after that. It still bothers me.

My wife followed the highway patrol feed to see what happened. It sounds like the driver went for at least 10 miles before eventually pulling onto the center divide and turning around. No accident reports but a lot of scared people. I hope everyone here had a less exciting day yesterday.

The same thing happened to me, only it was at night and I thought I was seeing things. The lights kept getting closer to me as I was in the middle lane. The wrong-way driver passed me inches from my vehicle as he was in the fast lane. I never did calm down the entire way home. Yes, it happens that fast. I had zero time to react.

 

[CliffordK]

A few weeks later I was 20 miles up the same road when the guy behind me decided to go by. He'd had plenty of chances to pass in the 10 miles he'd been back there but waited until a blind hill and didn't see the oncoming car. I had noplace as the shoulder dropped off into some trees so I just stopped. In hindsight that was the wrong thing to do as it committed him to the pas.

The one being passed has to judge what the one passing will do. Does slowing down facilitate him finishing the pass, or should one speed up to help him cut back in behind. MIRRORS!!!

Hmmm...

That was one of the annoying questions I missed on the written driver's exam years ago. If someone is following you and appears to want to pass, should you A: slow down, B: speed up, C: continue the same speed? Ultimately there is no answer, it is all situational (and they didn't give adequate context).

As far as closing distance, it would happen quickly. In part because it is unexpected.

If it happens after dark, then one simply sees headlights in the distance, and assumes they'll be where they are supposed to be, like millions one passed before the one errant driver. Then when one realizes the headlights are in the wrong place, one must react quickly.

 

[ning]

Or state trooper crossing the median while travelling 120 mph while talking to his wife on the cell phone and hits a car head on killing two sisters.

that reminds me of a close one I had

I was on this highway a couple years back when the oncoming traffic (far left in this pic) only had the one lane - the highway has since been widened and the turn lane added, and my side had the two lanes - I was in the middle lane, and a state trooper came around the corner in my lane - nobody in his lane, don't even ask what was up - and he was moving very fast, probably 80 (50 zone). I dove to the right and survived, shaking my head. He was probably doing something with the computer is my guess.

Any more, I avoid the left lane as much as possible when there's undivided traffic, and I've conditioned myself to ride the right edge of the right lane - helps a lot around here with narrow rural roads that don't have shoulders, most people are on the line if not over it when coming around corners

 

[ljjhouser]

Makes you wonder if the other driver was aware of what happened ---or even cared.. Someone was taking of you. Good job.

 

[Rhino35]

That's scary. I'm glad to hear that you are OK.

I heard a guy on the radio talking about head on accidents on the Interstate, and it's more common then most people realize. Drunks drive up the wrong Onramp and don't realize it. Or they black out for a second and cross the medium and end up in the other lanes. They get in "their" right lane and anybody driving in the correct direction in the left lane ends up dying from a head on collision.

The guy on the radio said that you should always stay in the Right lane when driving at night. Almost no head on accidents happen in that lane.

That might be because impaired or tired drivers choose to drive in "their" slow lane, which is the oncoming traffic's fast lane.

Just last week here in Cincinnati a 17 year old high school student went wrong way and crashed head on into a truck. What she was doing at 0530 in the morning was not revealed. Truck driver minor injuries, dead teenager.

 

[5030]

It's Michigan, people are assholes

I agree with that 110%. Why we don't drive at night anymore. People here are always in a big hurry to get nowhere and are usually exceeding the posted limit by 15-20 mph. I guess they figure the faster they go, the less expensive gas they burn. If I was a State cop, I'd have to have extra ticket books to write all the speeding tickets, I'd write. Don't matter, little car, big car, big pickup truck, don't matter, they all go like there is no tomorrow and for many, that tomorrow may never come. I run 2 over the limit on the freeway and get the paint sucked off my vehicle regularly. What I find somewhat arcane is they blow by me and I pass them at the next rest area.

I could do that too as my car is capable of 150 plus but I don't have a death wish and I like getting 39-40 mpg as well.

Last time we went to Lansing, my BIL blew by me at warp factor one, stopped at the pickle park to take a leak and I beat him there anyway. Don't get the rationale at all.

 

[5030]

The on ramps to the highway are antiquated.

One thing that don't impact me at all. My buggy is well capable of 120 plus on any on ramp anyway. Not that I'd do it. All I need is to merge into the traffic flow and that brings up another issue and that is people who come down an on ramp, get to the end and stop and wait for an opening. Last time I checked, the on ramp sign says yield to traffic, not surrender. Ohio is worse than Michigan on that but Michigan is a close second.

More than once I've been accelerating on the on ramp just to come up on some idiot stopped at the end of the ramp, waiting and I have to pull an evasive maneuver to get around them. Glad my buggy can handle that stuff, it's built for it but most cars today aren't.

I believe Michigan drivers get their drivers licenses in a Cracker Jack box.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

All this reminds me of: