Driving 101, never accelerate into an intersection

[DNR]

I was driving home from Pontiac, a city. using freeways and highways, traffic was not too bad Sunday evening. About a total 2 hour round trip.

On the freeway I had picked up a 'wingman' - another driver that tags along, following at speed, but still a safe distance. We had to weave through traffic, time the traffic lights and pick the fastest lanes. We 'met' on the freeway at 90mph, normally I drop people who try to follow me - but this was a smart acting driver - I let the driver do some of the work picking through traffic. Malibu, v6 and interestingly enough - female driver (not all are bad!)

The highway I was on was four lanes eastbound, a divider, and four lanes westbound. Speed is posted 50mph, traffic lights. This is the last stretch, freeway turned into highway, more traffic, more urban. We were still making good way, 60mph, about 15 miles to go.

Then this idiot showed up.

It was easy to spot him - it was not his blacked out, rimmed, Monte Carlo (2003 version), but the way he pulled out into traffic. He pulled out from a mall lot, and crossed three lanes and tried to cut into the fourth (which me and the wingman were in). We blocked him as we were maintaining traffic flow. I can see his driver's window is open, a white kid, with tats on the left arm, white t-shirt. Shit hanging from the rearview mirror, windows tinted too dark (you get pulled over for that).

the kid punches the gas, I have to admit - the car had work done on it as most 2003 Monte carlos are shit in speed. The car quickly jumped from 60mhp to about 80 mph. He was going to try to cut through traffic on his own.

He was about 200 feet from a busy intersection, that was the first mistake.
The second mistake was he committed himself to a corner - he cut back across the lanes to the outermost lane. All the lanes were backed up, as the cars had likely started from the light change just a minute before. The far right, outter lane was the least backed up, it was open by a few car lengths - not something I would have gone for myself.

That lane was open, for about 2 seconds, as a white car pulled out into that lane. The white car driver was correct - that lane was available - until the monte carlo cut lanes into it! No turn signal, so no warning at all for the white car driver. The white driver probably saw the monte at the last second as the monte was cutting across the lanes. The white car could never catch the speed (and why would he - its traffic!)

Now the kid driving the black monte had forced himself into a corner with no escape lane, he was doing about 80 when he had to lock up his brakes about 20 feet from the white car. He tried to zig zag, but the white car did too! The white car tried to move off to a nearby driveway, but that was the last hope for the monte carlo! The black monte rear ended the white car and then skidded sideways into a high cement curb ( thats two rims that will be trashed) in a cloud of smoke. White car pulls into nearby driveway, black car sits in smoke, half on the curb, half on the lawn of some business. it took out a sign.

Me and the other driver continued, we were lanes away, had nothing to do with it. We shared gestures via hand signals, laughing and waving. We kept up the traffic hack until we split up at the next freeway, and me, home. I can really appreciate a good wingman.

*yea I wished I got a photo! It was funny as all hell! But we were passing this scene at 60mph..

short version:
1. Never accellerate into an intersection - too much can change and quickly.
2. Never pick a 'hole' in traffic that forces you into a position where you cannot stop or change lanes in time.

DNR

[Gogeta70]

Funny i should see this thread after i got into a car accident today. Lucky for me, i was driving an old chevy s-10 blazer, those things are like giant steel tanks.

It happened on the highway, i was going 65 (the speed limit was 65 mph) and i was about 50 feet from the truck in front of me. My friend was following me home (he's pretty directionally challenged, lol) from his house, so he was right behind me. The truck in front of me slammed their brakes unexpectedly (traffic was flowing pretty smooth, it wasn't very dense) so i had to slam mine too. Well, my tires are pretty worn down, not bald - but close, so i started skidding and knew i was going to rear-end the guy. Instead, i turned my wheel to the left (i was in the left lane) so that i would ride on the shoulder where the concrete barriers were (they look like this: http://media.dev-cms.com/wtop/13/1367/136731.JPG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ). This is where it went bad. As i was still getting onto the shoulder, my car was still pointed toward the concrete barriers instead of straight ahead, my friend behind me (whose tires are completely bald) ran into me and slammed me into the concrete barriers and turned me sideways on the shoulder/left lane.

Nobody was hurt, but i now have a bent headlight and broken blinker on the left, a bent bumper, and a steering wheel that 'clicks' on every full turn to the left (not when turning the wheel right, only when turning it left).

What a shitty fucking day man.


By the way, good story dude ^_^

[DNR]

glad your ok. I had a few scrapes with my Jimmy (an S-10 too).

i drove in a flooded roadway for about a mile, with water washing over the headlights. (at night time, thats pretty creepy!). That truck never stopped. I think I rear ended a white shadow (sedan), that was repainted in some shitty house paint that blew up white paint chips when I hit it. I was wearing my security uniform and the other driver had a somali name on the driver's license, no paperwork - so I pretended I was 'taking down his information' - he got nothing from me. lol. (the truck was outfitted with a dash strobe light and such for security work) Vortec V 6 all the way!

DNR