Handling saved me from a crash
 

I was merging on the highway yesterday coming from the right into a lane moving about 60 with stopped traffic to the left and was about 90% into my new lane when a truck (no indicators used) abruptly pulled out from the left. It looked like those silly car commercials where all the logs just fall on the road and the Lexus or whatever has to swerve around it.
I had to swerve back into the right lane in about ~50 feet at ~60 miles an hour but the car handled it like a champ. Once I had merged in front of the no blinker truck 2 different people gave me thumbs up out of their window as they passed.
I honestly don't think any other car I have driven could have moved as fast to the side as I did and honestly I was probably only a few feet (if that) from hitting him even in my BRZ.

Final Destination - BRZ edition

Ive had this happen to me countless times. That and people that merge into your lane that cant judge speed at all and you are going 20mph or more quicker then they are when they decided to take your lane is the next most common thing I deal with here. In the brz its never a question of can I stop in time its always a question is can the person behind me stop. So when ever I can avoid heavy breaking and go more for the maneuver around them route.

Except that in many of our cases the log would have cleared us by inches.
http://i.imgur.com/6zPhnWd.gif

Hurrah for low center of gravity! Plenty of cars would have gotten you out of it, but not with as much confidence. Definitely not as well if you then had to avoid another obstacle.

That is one of the faults of people. They go buy a Suburban or other large vehicle because they think it is safer, when in reality the best survival tool in a situation like that is to avoid it all together. I would rather out-brake or swerve to avoid an accident, instead of barreling head on into something at 60 mph in my 6 ton SUV. Obviously I don't expect a family of 4 to drive a Twin. An Accord or a Focus will suffice.

When I first got the car one of the first things I did going down the road was chuck it back in forth in my lane. I was shocked at how even at 55 the car handled nearly as well as when you are dodging a car in a parking lot. It just stays planted, basically zero body roll, and the front end feels soo light and is soo happy to change direction.

The first time I took it out on some back roads I had to completely adjust my mindset. I found myself getting on the brakes far too early, and turning in too early because the car is more capable than me. I still don't think I am entirely used to it. When I think I am at 7/10ths, the reality is I am at 4-5/10ths.

http://i.imgur.com/jNxDszW.jpg

Forgot one!

http://i.imgur.com/mIK2Xtt.gif

Testimony :respekt:
Good work

Glad you're okay!

Good thing, sad to see crashed Hyperblues, Series.Blues, and RS1's lol


My car in February lol

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/pictu...ictureid=10170

Situational awareness helps more than anything.

THIS!


Best car in the world will not save your ass if you don't tell it what to do in time.

Totally agree. I had this exact situation happen to me a couple of days ago. Made sure to check the rearview was clear before burying the brake pedal.

When there's a car behind me, I'll use up all the space in front to give the driver behind more room to stop.

BTW it always scares me seeing drivers change out of a stopped lane into one where it is flowing. Some drivers can't seem to grasp the speed differential and will pull out from a dead stop into the path of a much faster moving car, often without signaling. It's no wonder there are so many automotive accidents and deaths per year.

Yup, keep your eyes up and your hands ready

Other don't grasp what that pedal on the right is for. I mean, they pull out in front of a moving car, far enough not to cause an accident, but they still make the moving car brake unnecessarily, because they accelerate very gently or not at all when they should floor it.

So very this.

Goto 4:00 of this video.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3EvsrMaj6U"]Jeremy Clarkson's view on off-road cars, 4x4s and the school run - Clarkson's Car Years - BBC worldwide - YouTube[/ame]

Yeah I've met plenty of people who think pushing the gas pedal too hard will hurt the engine. :bonk:

Or Auto drivers who like to use both feet for brake and gas!
Recipe for disaster

I dodged a big bloated turkey falling off front car's hood(?) I know the feeling. Makes you feel rewarding and complete.

no not the handling, your defensive driving skills saved your life although handling did play a small role. I was in a similar situation to yours about three years ago on New years eve i was driving on a three lane highway in the left lane. i was in a Maxima when i see this guy merge(BMW 750) on to the highway from the right all the way to the left lane completely sideways. i would of t-boned him at 65mph if i didn't make a split decision reaction to turn to the right.I don't how my brain processed this thought so fast. Thank god there were no cars to the right of me or I would of side swiped or pit maneuver another vehicle. The car that merged to the left crash into the divider head on in front of me. The car behind me did not maneuver in time and t-boned the BMW.

Did you just criticize my favourite driving technique, which I described and the passionately defended in this thread http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100252 ?

Yes, it is a bad habit to drive auto with one foot on the gas and one on the brake, unless you are doing burnouts at the drags

So many accidents happen when this is done, e.g. I thought I was pressing the brake when I was actually pressing the gas as I drove through the convenience store:lol: Normally senior drivers however

Yep, if I was in our forester for this, I would have eaten a giant rock to the windshield and front bumper.

I had to wait to see which direction the rock was going to bounce

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doDY06olMzA"]i405 Rock from Dump Truck - YouTube[/ame]

OP, nice driving. Situational awareness indeed, as unfortunately we're forced to drive for all the A to B'ers who did the bare minimum to get a licence (if they even have one).

My shit the pants moment happened two weeks ago - had the advanced green to turn east, but there was a bus to my right that prevented me from seeing if the eastbounders had stopped at the red. I creeped out, trying not to piss off the tailgater behind me who couldn't figure why the hell I was suddenly Grampa in a BRZ, when an old Taurus wagon blew the red and passed a few inches from my bumper.

It shook me to think that in my earlier driving days I would have just green means go'ed it. Oddly, what immediately flashed through my mind was the hassle of trying to replace the car and redo all the mods - never even considered personal injuries.

Experience is a wonderful teacher.

You do realize he scored on you, right?

I am confused by this statement.

Also, I am almost sure the bimmer ate the rock first and it slid off the poor guys hood or windshield.

Well I have never had such an accident but I know of a few and in no case was braking with left foot involved.


I'd argue that pedal mixup is actually less likely with using left foot to operate the brake and right foot to operate the gas, because your instincts are trained to brake with left foot. In normal driving both are operated with the right foot, only in slightly different location.


I'd argue that it's easier for the brain to confuse whether it is operating the right foot a few inches to the left or a few inches to the right, vs. confusing whether it's using the left foot or the right foot.


But I am repeating myself, it's all in that other thread, let's not derail this one.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaYFLb8WMGM&"]Jeep Grand Cherokee moose test -- the full story - YouTube[/ame]

But then... The 86 didn't do a very good job!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aIcvFJM4DU"]Toyota GT 86 fails moose test - YouTube[/ame]

Joking - you were in goal and let the puck by.

I lauded that awesome video of your skillful maneuver with a thanks. I'm so blind I'd have been wearing that rock as a third eye.

Nah, don't want to get in to an argument however;
Driver training for auto is taught that right foot does all, brake and gas.
Left foot does nothing.
Keep em separate and no confusion

This 100%..

Ever since I started to dive hard into auto-x, I think I'm more aware of my surroundings than before. One of the first things that was verbally beat into me was looking ahead, far ahead but scan the road too. Been able to get out of hairy situations because of that.

For sure this, I am constantly thinking about what could go wrong ahead of doing it and was actively watching out for idiots that would do exactly what the guy in the truck did. I actually saw him just as he cranked his wheels and started over the lane line up ahead but like I said he was very close to hitting me even with that. I think he might have been trying to move over 2 lanes at once (smh) as he did move over one more and blast off on my right once I got in front of him.
If I hadn't have been paying attention to what could go wrong or had been a little slower in my reaction or if the car hadn't have swerved so well I think I would have hit him almost R.I.P. my hyper.blue

If you didn't want to, there would be no 'however"

Start here:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-most-...959573142.html
http://jalopnik.com/why-you-should-b...foot-434604934
http://leftfootbraking.org/left_foot_braking_method.cfm, scroll down to "Myths or criticisms of the Left Foot Braking Method"

And read the thread I linked above, and if you still don't agree, contnue there

OK no stress, just been taught this from day 1 in driver 101:thumbsup:

So was I, though in my case it was pretty obvious as I learned to drive in an MT car...


But I was taught stupid things in driver ed as well, like that I should see the back of my car in my side mirrors.

OK fair call, from reading your links it may be good for racing but who does that every day on the street? I'm talking general driving and what to teach your wife and kids.

I'm surprised the side curtain airbags didn't pop on that Jeep.

I've seen videos of cars popping their side curtains in a slalom with all four wheels planted.

Tell me about it!
Just the other day a lady in a Jeep pulled out right in front of me on a 60MPH road (there was no-one BEHIND me, so she could have just opted for that spot....)

So I let off the throttle and rolled up on her waiting for her to accelerate.
WHAT does she do? Gingerly accelerate to 40 MPH and STAYS THERE (60 MPH road).

So she looks back in her mirror and sees me close to her bumper and WHAT does she do NOW???
She Brake Checks me as if I am the ****wad!

I seriously wanted to run her off the road and pull her out of her car and explain how SHE was being the hazard to navigation NOT ME.

I resisted.

There was an entire thread on here about a guy that was intentionally learning to drive with both feet.
He just did not want to accept the fact that, that is a really bad idea.

He just did not believe that once he gets tired or lazy, he will rest his foot on the pedal and have brake lights on all the time.


Ah....yes you are the bonehead.

Last month while driving down the local highway somebody's front lip was left on the center lane and I was on the right lane. The dude in front of me on the center lane just ran right over the piece and made it fly across to my lane.

I had a split second doing 120km/h to do a similar quick steering correction to miss the flying debris and it was really a piece of cake with the BRZ. I was quite impressed with the stability and put a smile on my face.