You always wonder when the crud hits the fan if you have the instinct, or reaction time if you find yourself headed towards a major accident.

On the way home from a friend's house the other afternoon I was cruising with traffic at about 70 mph when I could see up ahead about three cars, that one in the left lane (my lane) just stopped dead in the middle of the lane. The car behind them locked up the brakes and it happened so quick i don't even know if they hit or not, because the SUV right in front of me also locked up, and spun the wheel, so they were actually sliding sideways. I was NOT going to stop in time if I hit my brakes. Luckily the right lane was clear so I swung over fast - only to see two cars in the right lane also out of control (about 30 feet from the cars in the left lane). I basically blew by the first accident, whipped back into the left lane and blew by the second accident before I even realized it...

All the skid marks were not on the road...

All I know is - if I'd been driving my old Mustang I'd probably be a statistic right now - dang - that Crossfire did exactly what it had to do...

It's a good thing I had new tires on it, too...

 

Good to hear. Glad you avoided the accidents and are OK.

 

I had a similar incident about 25 years ago and got through the mess left behind as multiple vehicles slammed into each other. Having a great handling car obviously helps an awful lot, but the driver simply must be paying attention to what's happening further down the road than the rear bumper directly in front of them. The driver also needs to be aware of what else is around, or not around as the case may be. And then the driver has to actually know how to react to the situation and even, gasp, know how to handle the car! From the sounds of it, at the time of your recent close call, you were the only person out of the several involved who is actually competent behind the wheel of a car. Good for you!!!

 

sounds like the handling really came in handy ... wish it would have been applicable in my near miss recently but not much to do when you exit the highway on a single lane divided exit and some wacko is driving the wrong way up the ramp hahaha ... luckily i stopped quickly as his reflexes were on vacation and he realized he is about to enter the highway going against the traffic.

 

Excellent recount and reaction!

One thing I'll say for going to the NASA HPDE 1 and 2 events and LISTENING to all the instructors... Look ahead, stay aware of what's going on around you (so many people don't while driving now days) and plan ahead for what you see occurring.

While you may not have had much time to 'plan ahead' for what was occurring, you were aware enough to see you had a clear way out on the right and then when that became a hazard you found your next way out to the left again. KUDOS!

Being aware of what's going on not just in front of you, but up to 5 or 6 cars in front of you is a big key in avoiding becoming a statistic.

Best way to avoid being left only looking at a bumper while driving... don't stay behind SUVs, Pickups, or Semi-Trucks... get in a clearer lane as soon as you can... preferably with cars you can see around or through windows anyway).

Cheers!

 

Nice work!; if you had SRT brakes or some killer aftermarket brakes you may have stopped in time - but the car behind you wouldn't and it would probably be a Hummer 3 with the driver yakin' on the cell phone. Glad your Crossfires OK (and you to).

I watched a guy last weekend in a Toyota 4X4 spin by himself in the rain and end up with his rear axle hung up on the center divider - just dangling - only one tire on the ground. I was far enough back in my pickup that I was not affected. But as soon as it began to rain (first rain in So Cal in almost a year - I just love Global Warming) I thought - roads are oily somebody's gonna...Stopped and got him and his two boys off the freeway and waited tell he had family arrive.

 

Another great way to avoid being left looking at someone's bumper? Don't text on a phone! I witnessed a nasty accident where a girl shot by me and everyone else (in a hurry to???) and it was so clear she was TEXTING, and sadly, because she was not paying attention, she slammed in to a stopped car at a red light... Yes, I stopped and gave my statement to the cops... dumb twit...

I just wish they would make it illegal in this state to be a phone while driving - we already have the old people to contend with (barely able to see over the steering wheel or going too darned slow), now we have to deal with the young punks that text, zig zag in & out of traffic while they listen to their super loud music...

 

In my world the cops would be able to subpoena your phone records...If they can prove you were talking or texting on the phone when you caused a wreck...it would carry the same penalties as impaired driving (OWI)!

I see these miserable sh**worms all the time in Michigan...too damn busy on the phone to operate a motor vehicle!

The NHTSA has already proven that using a phone while driving is every bit as dangerous as drunk driving! Not speculation...but a proven fact!

 

Handheld phone use is illegal in CT but they usually only add it to charges - they don't stop people for it. The funny thing is a couple years ago the state legislator who pushed the bill was followed by a reporter from the statewide newspaper and was observed talking on his cell phone for miles...

His excuse was he needed a special type of earpiece and his was broken.

Another good observation was that even if I had stopped, the guy behind me probably wouldn't have...

Pilots talk about "Proximity sense".. You need to know what is happening all around you - mine is pretty good, I guess. I also agree that you need to see as far ahead as possible. That dang Durango in front of me blocked most of the view - almost until it was too late. It was right at a point where three highways meet and I was in the lane for the highway I needed to go on. It was pretty hairy!

Oh well, still in one piece...

Time to do my laundry - I have a load of underwear that needs washing...

 

Thanks for the story, it may help us all stay extra alert!
Glad you came through it without a scratch.

SF

 

According to Road & Track "Road Test Summary" Oct '05 edition:
60 mph to 0 braking performance:
'04 Crossfire coupe... 114 ft.
'05 SRT6 conv......... 117 ft.

80 mph to 0 braking performance:
'04 Crossfire coupe... 199 ft.
'05 SRT6 conv......... 199 ft.

But as B.B. pointed out the best brakes in the world isn't going to help unless the guy behind ya has better ones.

Excellent accident avoidance Gibsonjunkie, I'm really glad you were able to take advantage of your cars capabilities to get you out of a sticky situation.
But I'm betting it was more your great reactions that saved your hide.