Your daily-driver vehicle, and being able to get out of an escalating situation

[CamoDeafie]

Little 2wd 5spd Sportage here. GT Radial Champiro Ice Pro studdable winter tires with the triple snow peak symbols on them in stock size, 8 inches ground clearance, body on boxed frame construction, 3200 lbs curb weight, pretty good. Most depends on driver skills and experience would like beefier bumpers but eh...just being small and nimble is great enough for me

 

[Geardo]

My DD is a 4x4 taco. Not gonna push anyone out of the way with 4 cylinders, but I can sure get over just about anything in a hurry. Also wouldn't think twice about bumping, pushing or smashing through or over anything in my way. Its an old truck, I wouldn't shed a tear if I totalled it, and I could buy a replacmenent with cash.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

just north of albany there is a huge median. almost like a big field in between north and southbound. i remember it clear as day we were doin 70ish right there northbound when i saw the land rover in front of me rear end a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. tryin to slow down, with no where to go i made the split second choice of diving off into the grass median doin about 55 to avoid hittin the land cruiser. it is grass but down hill a bit. i kicked it into 4wd and smashed the gas to get back up onto the interstate. what a rush!

i felt like dale sr. cuttin thru the in-field.

 

[DB is Here]

I've got a de-badged 09 silver Tacoma, It'll go almost anywhere...just not fast.

Dang, I'm boring...

 

[Dungannon]

2010 Tundra 4x4. I treat it like a work truck, and it looks it.

First car was a '53 Chevy two-door. Got rear-ended by a VW at a stop light in Vancouver. Didn't realize the guy hit me until he walked up to my window; just thought my foot slipped on the clutch a bit. Anyway, had to use my jack to bend his fenders and bumper so he could drive away. Days later I noticed a small scratch on the rear bumper but it could have been there all along. I don't feel invulnerable but I like lots of car wrapped around me.

 

[Provincial]

I refuse to let my children drive a Smart car.

Compacted Smart Car

 

[SUPER X]

I often think about how I could 'escape' from traffic while sitting in traffic, but sometimes it just isn't possible. View attachment 633864

That pic doesn't show all the damage; it was almost $15K, front and rear. Last year I had stopped in Hwy 26 traffic and the idiot behind me wasn't paying attention and hit me going about 30 MPH - he didn't even try to brake. I had nowhere to go and I saw he was going to hit me - if there was somewhere to go I could have. This happened earlier this year. The car is totally repaired like new now.

I often think about giving myself some space to pull out of my lane if I have to turn around - do not stop so close to the car in front of you that you can't turn off into another lane or over the divider or onto the sidewalk/shoulder.

Also, keep an eye open for side roads and exits and such that you can use to get off the road if necessary.

I always try to leave room , but with the population growth and people with no for thought they fill the gaps thinking they are intelligent. I used to always take the back roads to avoid problems but there are very few left.

 

[zenbreath]

I think people take it for granted and get complacent about it because it's routine. Over the years I've had lots of people give me grief about skydiving. I usually I ask them how many times a week they drive on a public roadway then point out that they are many times more likely to be killed there than I am by skydiving. Typical response is disbelief/denial.
My dad drilled it into my head when I was learning to drive that it was one of the most dangerous activities. He backed it up by having a family fried that was a photographer for a couple news outlets share his grisly car accident photo collection with me. Point made, understood and never forgotten. I always make it a point to maintain a very high level of situational awareness when behind the wheel.

I've heard the statistic that more skydivers are killed in traffic accidents traveling to or from a jump, than are ever killed in skydiving accidents.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Whatever you drive...
There may come a time when you need to live it behind...Its always good and fun to own stuff...Just best if the stuff you own...doesn't "own" you.
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Regarding skydiving...
If at first you don't succeed , then sky diving , isn't for you...
Just kidding...I had to be Airborne qualified while in the Army for my actual job within my MOS....
Andy

 

[JustSomeGuy]

I've heard the statistic that more skydivers are killed in traffic accidents traveling to or from a jump, than are ever killed in skydiving accidents.

Strictly from an anecdotal perspective, I wouldn't find that hard to believe at all.

 

[The Heretic]

just north of albany there is a huge median. almost like a big field in between north and southbound. i remember it clear as day we were doin 70ish right there northbound when i saw the land rover in front of me rear end a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. tryin to slow down, with no where to go i made the split second choice of diving off into the grass median doin about 55 to avoid hittin the land cruiser. it is grass but down hill a bit. i kicked it into 4wd and smashed the gas to get back up onto the interstate. what a rush!

i felt like dale sr. cuttin thru the in-field.

I have seen more than one person try that after the rains have started. That median may look solid with the grass and all, but after a couple months of Oregon rain underneath is it bottomless mud.

 

[The Heretic]

I always try to leave room , but with the population growth and people with no for thought they fill the gaps thinking they are intelligent. I used to always take the back roads to avoid problems but there are very few left.

In my case it wouldn't have helped. The driver who hit me simply wasn't paying attention. I saw that he wasn't even slowing down several seconds before he hit me. I couldn't go left or right, and going forward would not help as he would have still kept coming. Not sure if he was texting or what, be he didn't even try to slow down.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

I mounted two Gau-8's on top of my wife's Prius.
One facing forward, one to the rear.
People give her all the room she wants.
Top speed is only 10mph now, but still..................

 

[Camelfilter]

just north of albany there is a huge median. almost like a big field in between north and southbound. i remember it clear as day we were doin 70ish right there northbound when i saw the land rover in front of me rear end a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. tryin to slow down, with no where to go i made the split second choice of diving off into the grass median doin about 55 to avoid hittin the land cruiser. it is grass but down hill a bit. i kicked it into 4wd and smashed the gas to get back up onto the interstate. what a rush!

i felt like dale sr. cuttin thru the in-field.

Nice & you were lucky too!

Saw a newish Mustang pull a similar avoidance maneuver at 65/70 ish MPH along I95 back East. It did a couple 360's, then crossed over into the oncoming lanes. Avoided a head on collision, thank the stars, bounced off of the far side guard rail, back into oncoming traffic head on again, then back onto the median in a pile of steaming junk. Occupant appeared un-injured, with plenty of folks stopped to help, so we drove on...

Mind in that instance rain/wet was a factor, as well as excessive speed for the conditions.

 

[Josh89]

My daily driver is an old baby SUV Jeep. Full Time High-Low 4WD. No hubs to mess with. Big bumpers. About 3350 curb weight. I can plow snow with the front bumper if given a running start. Three, (3) day winter bag in back. If I can make it to my ride I stand a good chance of getting out of Dodge. Always having fun checking out new escape routes

I can walk out but it would be very demanding.

More about Cave Junction. Several years ago during the 26" blizzard me and some 4x4 pals were having fun doing donuts and drifts in a vacant field. Along comes a rare SO Ford Exploder 4x4.. Gues what? No tickets for trespassing. No warnings. He joined us in the 4wd snow fun. It is that kind of town. Tombstone at times but usually interesting.

That was a fun time out here. This town is unpredictable.

 

[Hawaiian]

4Runner with winter rated off road tires, Goodyear Duratrac's. Wife and son both have Rav4's w/ AWD.

If it is snowing, snow rated tires are invaluable. During the last big snowstorm, many 4x4's could not make it up the large hill on Hwy 26 coming out of down town. It was a parking lot. The hill was hard packed snow from earlier traffic.
I weaved my way though it and drove on the shoulder and easily cleared it.
What made me smile was seeing a group of teenage girls jump out of their Honda Accord, pull chains out of the trunk, chain up and drive around everyone else also. I cheered them.

 

[11Charlie]

I ain't worried about nuttin cept runnin outa fuel in my F-350 Powerstroke!!! Did you know that Cummins is what you get after you been Powerstroked....

Defensive driving is not that hard to do if people were to pay attention. It irks me to no end when I see these morons who don't!!!
I always leave ample space between the car in front as well as continually looking for an evasive area if needed.

Cummins feels better!!!

 

[SA Shooter]

I am always aware of those around me, coming up behind, what's out front and who is next to me. I won't have any issues making an escape because of that awareness and leaving myself room to move.

I won't have any problem going over curbs, parking lot stops or a Prius in my DD:



Not sure about you "NoStroke" guys but you might want to consider a truck that won't fold up like a sheet of aluminum foil.

 

[The Heretic]

4Runner with winter rated off road tires, Goodyear Duratrac's. Wife and son both have Rav4's w/ AWD.

If it is snowing, snow rated tires are invaluable. During the last big snowstorm, many 4x4's could not make it up the large hill on Hwy 26 coming out of down town. It was a parking lot. The hill was hard packed snow from earlier traffic.
I weaved my way though it and drove on the shoulder and easily cleared it.
What made me smile was seeing a group of teenage girls jump out of their Honda Accord, pull chains out of the trunk, chain up and drive around everyone else also. I cheered them.

Tires make a LOT of difference, so does AWD/4WD and also locking diffs.

My daily driver is AWD with Nokian WR G4 tires - which are a good compromise all season tire, one step down from their best snow tires.

My other vehicles are 4x4s that do ok in the snow, but could use better tires (I got studs for the one ton) and locking diffs.