[Hawk]

Want to get TCL opinion on this one.

I notice people doing this from time to time, when they're in the passing lane (aka fast lane to some of you) and traffic slows quickly in front of them - they swerve on to the shoulder as they brake.

Anyone else seen this?

I think it demonstrates a lack of driving skill. Unless it's an absolute imminent collision you should be able to brake in your lane without the need to swerve on to the shoulder. And if you have to brake that hard regularly you're either tailgating or not paying close enough attention to what's going on ahead of you.

Critics would say, well, I'm just being on the safe side, or, I don't want to get rear-eneded.

What says TCL?

 

[302W]

I've done it a handful of times, but it was in the face of an imminent collision as you said. On the highway or whatever it will be stop and go traffic, suddenly it will approach 30-40 mph I blink and everyone is coming a complete stop. Seems to happen a lot here in VA for some reason, very unpleasant feeling.

 

[RaminGTI20]

No, It can be used to avoid a rear ending also!

To be honest I think that deserves some points. Some people are too dumb to know what to do in the event of something sudden. I drive offensive and defensively and either way sometimes you have to do this. Just like the person above me posted, its key sometimes to avoid accidents when suddenly the traffic stops on the highway or wherever. The times ive done it, wasnt because I was going to rear-end the person, its because I can tell the driver behind me is distracted or looks stupid enough to rear end me. Its saved my ass (no pun intended) many times as I anticipated the sudden brake of traffic while the car behind me doesn't.

 

[helement2003]

I've seen it done here in Nevada and California. Only seems to happen when traffic comes to a very sudden stop on the highway. I'm glad people do it though, as I'd rather not have them hit me!

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I've seen it happen where the guy swerves to the shoulder and the driver BEHIND HIM hits the car ahead that he would have hit.

So yeah, it can be useful. I've done it a couple times, once in the rain when I just couldn't get things hauled in fast enough after an accident happened up ahead. I think any defensive/evasive manoeuver that doesn't cause an accident is good driving. Who is it harming if it gives the driver that much extra space to avoid a collision?

 

[SICKVDUB1]

Sometimes is not the fact that you are not paying attention. I´ve done this several times due to somebody behind me being to close, and even though i know i will be able to brake, i know the guy behind me won´t do so.

One of the times i remember doing it, was a few years ago when i had my Si, my brother had just asked me what would i do if out of nowhere traffic slows down while it was raining and the car started sliding. I proceeded to tell him, that i would downshift, move to the emergency lane and just like if he was a prophet, traffic came to a full stop and i tapped the brakes, the car started sliding, so i downshifted and safely moved to the emergency lane, by the time i came to a full stop the car that was behind me came to a stop right next to my front passenger door. If it wasn´t for that he would have rear ended me.

Many other times i had to brake and swerve to the shoulder because they guy behind me was tailgating me.

 

[Shomegrown]

I see it all the time in Michigan and it always makes me LOL. I've probably seen it 50 times and NONE of them were a situaiton where a collision was going to occur.

I don't know where these people pick this behavior up.

 

[MoPho]

Critics would say, well, I'm just being on the safe side, or, I don't want to get rear-eneded.

What says TCL?

It would seem that you're the critic, since it is you that is being judgmental about something that is not really a big deal.

I think it demonstrates a lack of driving skill. Unless it's an absolute imminent collision you should be able to brake in your lane without the need to swerve on to the shoulder.

It does not demonstrate a lack of driving skill, it demonstrates an err on the side of caution.

I did this the other day as a matter of fact and it wasn't because I was too close or couldn't stop ( I was driving a lamborghini), it was because I was trying not to get rear ended while making it obvious to those behind that the stop was sudden


Pretty arrogant of some of you to insinuate that there is something wrong with this "behavior" or that you are such a good driver that you don't need to do it, perhaps the fact that you don't do it means you are not as attentive to what's going on behind you as you should be



.

 

[Hawk]

I did this the other day as a matter of fact and it wasn't because I was too close or couldn't stop (I was driving a lamborghini). Pretty arrogant of some of you to insinuate that there is something wrong with this "behavior".

Relax there tough guy.

 

[TooFitToQuit]

I always get a good chuckle when I see some moron dart out of the lane because they weren't paying attention.

 

[vdubbed81]

To be honest I think that deserves some points. Some people are too dumb to know what to do in the event of something sudden. I drive offensive and defensively and either way sometimes you have to do this. Just like the person above me posted, its key sometimes to avoid accidents when suddenly the traffic stops on the highway or wherever. The times ive done it, wasnt because I was going to rear-end the person, its because I can tell the driver behind me is distracted or looks stupid enough to rear end me. Its saved my ass (no pun intended) many times as I anticipated the sudden brake of traffic while the car behind me doesn't.

this.:thumbup:

 

[MoPho]

Relax there tough guy.

back at ya judgmental guy

 

[Shomegrown]

I always get a good chuckle when I see some moron dart out of the lane because they weren't paying attention.

This is how I interpret it too.

To Mopho, it doesn't make me arrogant to disagree with doing this. Relax bro. I don't think it makes any sense. I've got expensive tires on all of my cars, I'm not going to intentionally drive through the glass, debris, and crap that's all over the shoulders. Plus, it clearly lengthens your stopping distance, so you increase your chances of a collision if you can't swerve a full car width in time.

And lastly, you shouldn't have to swerve if you held a safe following distance to begin with.

 

[Tiero]

To be honest I think that deserves some points. Some people are too dumb to know what to do in the event of something sudden. I drive offensive and defensively and either way sometimes you have to do this. Just like the person above me posted, its key sometimes to avoid accidents when suddenly the traffic stops on the highway or wherever. The times ive done it, wasnt because I was going to rear-end the person, its because I can tell the driver behind me is distracted or looks stupid enough to rear end me. Its saved my ass (no pun intended) many times as I anticipated the sudden brake of traffic while the car behind me doesn't.

If you anticipate that traffic is going to make a sudden stop slow down slowly to make the transition for the cars behind you less abrupt. That's what i usually do. I've never done the onto the shoulder thing before.

One time i was driving to check out an e30 i was going to buy in CT. For some reason traffic was crazy it was stop and go but we would accelerate to 60 and then immediately slow down to 0. It was the craziest thing i ever saw. So i was following along in the right most lane and at one point while i'm sitting there stopped i hear tires screech. I look behind me and see an old volvo with it's wheels locked coming at me. Thankfully the driver somehow managed to steer the car into the shoulder and slide another 2 car lengths past me.

 

[addictedtogum]

Plus, it clearly lengthens your stopping distance, so you increase your chances of a collision if you can't swerve a full car width in time.

i disagree. most if not all modern cars have abs. you slam on the brakes, abs engages, and turn away. that doesn't increase stopping distance at all.

 

[Lepsis3942]

This is how I interpret it too.

To Mopho, it doesn't make me arrogant to disagree with doing this. Relax bro. I don't think it makes any sense. I've got expensive tires on all of my cars, I'm not going to intentionally drive through the glass, debris, and crap that's all over the shoulders. Plus, it clearly lengthens your stopping distance, so you increase your chances of a collision if you can't swerve a full car width in time.

And lastly, you shouldn't have to swerve if you held a safe following distance to begin with.

I simply don't trust the people behind me enough to stop as suddenly as I just did. If I slam on my brakes the FIRST thing you'll see me doing is looking in my rearview.

The last time I didn't I was rear ended and my car was totaled, luckily it was only at about 40 mph. I am NOT going to give an inattentive driver behind me the chance to smash into me, if I brake with enough force quickly enough I am turning out of the way a bit

 

[TooFitToQuit]

i disagree. most if not all modern cars have abs. you slam on the brakes, abs engages, and turn away. that doesn't increase stopping distance at all.

Straight is the shortest way anywhere. If you deviate from straight, you're increasing the distance. :beer:

 

[MoPho]

This is how I interpret it too.

To Mopho, it doesn't make me arrogant to disagree with doing this. Relax bro. I don't think it makes any sense. I've got expensive tires on all of my cars, I'm not going to intentionally drive through the glass, debris, and crap that's all over the shoulders. Plus, it clearly lengthens your stopping distance, so you increase your chances of a collision if you can't swerve a full car width in time.

And lastly, you shouldn't have to swerve if you held a safe following distance to begin with.

Umm, you didn't read my post did you? :banghead:

I did this the other day as a matter of fact and it wasn't because I was too close or couldn't stop ( I was driving a lamborghini), it was because I was trying not to get rear ended while making it obvious to those behind that the stop was sudden

And don't tell me to relax, criticizing people for erring on the side of caution is idiotic!
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[Hawk]

I see it all the time in Michigan and it always makes me LOL. I've probably seen it 50 times and NONE of them were a situaiton where a collision was going to occur.

I always get a good chuckle when I see some moron dart out of the lane because they weren't paying attention.

+1

 

[Hawk]

And don't tell me to relax!