Just because I know threshold braking...

[wolfwings]

...does not mean the gal behind me does. That was the last thought I had, almost literally. "Oh shit... I had to max-brake there and barely made it... BRACE! *WHAM*crinzt*"

Eclipse is now about 3 inches more compact, and has a face like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

Northbound on the 405, number 1 lane, sudden slowdown. And I mean to the point I realized, "I don't have time to blink my brakelights to warn the person behind me. I have to actually slam on the brakes and try not to spin out," sudden.

I stopped with around a foot to spare. And as my car was settling back on it's rear wheels again... it got lifted up and forward so the passenger-side headlight got shoved back about a foot into the car by the driver-side rear bumper of the car in front of me.

The gal behind me had a face covered in blood, as was her shirt, and full airbag deployment in the front of the car with the front of her car shortered by about... 2 feet, by comparison to the 3-4 inches my rear bumper got crunched. Now it's all up to the insurance companies, which'll be akward since both she and I are AAA members and have AAA insurance.

But this proves that I can tell if I can stop in time. And that that has no bearing on if the person behind me can.

Comments

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Wolf, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for you, but your consistent string of life-threatening accidents over the last several years means that you're doing something wrong.

I have seen you do a number of superhuman things, probably more than I'll ever do in my life. But every once in a great while, I've pulled a superhuman move when it really, really mattered. BUT I NEVER COUNT ON IT.

I drive as if the world is out to get me, because I've seen enough horrific car wrecks to last me a lifetime. I leave plenty of defensive space, observe the behavior of other drivers, and never "push it" -- thus, I have some reserve left when the idiot cuts in front of me or wants to road-rage or swerves into my lane -- let alone when I am first-on-scene and have to set up traffic control for an accident.

If you drive at 100%, you have nothing left when everything turns to shit.

Leave the other idiots around you some wiggle room. We both know that you are a superb technical driver with excellent reflexes. You'd do fine on a racetrack once you learned the tricks. But your judgment -- your relative ability to gauge risk versus benefit -- is nowhere near as good.

The only cause of this accident that was under your control was your failure to leave enough defensive space. That's enough. There were many other causes (idiot in front of you, idiot behind you, whatever made idiot in front of you pile on the brakes, whoever didn't love the idiot behind you enough to get her into a defensive driving course, etc.) But anything you can do to minimize the risk of injury or death for you, your passengers, and anyone who might come into contact with your tons of screaming metal; YOU MUST DO.

Further, you do not have personal immunity from the mysteries of death. You are very lucky but to quote a gaming buddy, "The dice have no memory." You keep taking risks at the level that you do now, you will eventually roll crap and someone will have to chisel "He had the right of way" on your tombstone. Or I will have to attend at your vehicular manslaughter trial.

Meow. Be well.

[otana.livejournal.com]

*big sigh*

Thank you for saying that more eloquently than I ever could.

Wolf, this isn't ganging up on you. But please start listening to your friends ...