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

[The Heretic]

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:

View attachment 634793

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.

If you are on Hwy 26 going down the zoo hill, it is a parking lot (as it often is) and a dump truck or cement mixer has lost its brakes, a little pickup truck won't make any difference. You will be parked there with nowhere to go. No curbs, not much of a shoulder (about 5 feet if that). If you are in the middle lane, there will be cars on either side of you. That is where I got caught - I was fortunate it was only a mini-van that hit me.

My dad wasn't so lucky; he got hit by a dump truck that lost its brakes - it pushed him into the intersection where he got hit again by traffic.

 

[clearconscience]

I drive a beater. If stuck in traffic and it goes down, I walk away, get clear of congestion and commandeer a snowflakes ride.

 

[11Charlie]

I drive a beater. If stuck in traffic and it goes down, I walk away, get clear of congestion and commandeer a snowflakes ride.

Just be careful I have heard they like to throw hot Starbucks!!

 

[SA Shooter]

If you are on Hwy 26 going down the zoo hill, it is a parking lot (as it often is) and a dump truck or cement mixer has lost its brakes, a little pickup truck won't make any difference. You will be parked there with nowhere to go. No curbs, not much of a shoulder (about 5 feet if that). If you are in the middle lane, there will be cars on either side of you. That is where I got caught - I was fortunate it was only a mini-van that hit me.

My dad wasn't so lucky; he got hit by a dump truck that lost its brakes - it pushed him into the intersection where he got hit again by traffic.

I avoid that area like the plague. When I worked in downtown PDX I drove in very early and avoided that crap. On the way out, more often than not I took HWY 30 to Corn Pass. I did that to avoid that very thing, being trapped with no where to go when needed.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

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.

Taco's go just about anywhere. You should have seen where I had mine during elk season.. For maneuverability, I choose my Taco, but for better gas mileage a better ride, more power and more room/comfort, I choose my older Tundra.... They are both built rugged, not like today's Toyotas, that have more plastic parts than ever.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

View attachment 633865

Well, that didn't work out very well. Did it?

 

[nammac]

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.

Defensive driving, the fellow that taught me to drive, taught me to be a defensive driver, leaving escape space to get away from someone who just wasn't paying attention. Always have a buffer, always have an escape route. Been practicing that for some 40 years, has served me well.

Riding a motorcycle taught me to look far enough ahead to avoid trouble and pay attention to what's behind you as well, cause that's coming your way too. Again, just good ole fashioned defensive driving. Always good advice.

 

[nammac]

I refuse to let my children drive a Smart car.

Compacted Smart Car

Smart Car = Coffin for Two

 

[The Heretic]

I avoid that area like the plague. When I worked in downtown PDX I drove in very early and avoided that crap. On the way out, more often than not I took HWY 30 to Corn Pass. I did that to avoid that very thing, being trapped with no where to go when needed.

Those back roads are getting crowded too.

One guy at work makes a practice of coming in that way from Banks. He made it into town ok, but the last few miles he hit a manhole where the cover had popped out. Caused a bunch of damage to his car and tore up his shoulder, requiring surgery.

Stuff happens.

 

[revjen45]

1) "Over the years I've had lots of people give me grief about skydiving."
Back in the Dream Time I worked with a guy who went skydiving on acid.
Now, THAT'S an extreme sport!
2) "Riding a motorcycle taught me to look far enough ahead to avoid trouble and pay attention to what's behind you as well, cause that's coming your way too. Again, just good ole fashioned defensive driving. Always good advice."
In my first year out of high school my everyday ride was a Yamaha 250cc. For 7 years later on my everyday ride was a '41 Indian Chief.
There's nothing like riding a bike to teach one about defensive driving skills.
It's too bad people can't be required to start on a motorsickle before they get a license to drive a car.
If nothing else the most egregious of the idiots would Darwin out before they could assail society in a more dangerous vehicle.
3) My favorite vehicle for defensive driving is our '03 F250 V-10. I love having my eyes > 6' above the ground for visibility, and if I DO need to jump a curb, it will do it. Beloved Truck's name is Scharnhorst.

 

[oremike]

If you can't Dodge it, Ram it. I drive a 2014 Ram 1500 4x4 with the Hemi motor in it. Last year I put on Les Swab Open Country triple moutian/snowflake tires and had them siped. I made it over Santiam Pass right before they closed it last Feb with out chaining up.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The 1980 song "Cars" was based on a road-rage incident. The singer Gary Newman was able to escape in West London in his Ford Cortina, but perhaps only because the pavement in that spot was quite wide.

The author FerFal has written about one's daily-driver vehicle and being able to jump a curb to get out of an escalating situation.


(article may be paid content)

How Road Rage Inspired the New Wave Hit 'Cars'


FerFal and The Modern Survivalist

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www.themodernsurvivalist.com

Hit cars are motorbikes ridden two up.. the passenger with a subgun.




lol

 

[ilikegunspdx]

In the city imo the best thing u can do is leave some extra room between u and other cars and be aware of what's going on around u.

In Pdx at least often times ambulances can't get through due to complete idiot drivers that have no clue. U can help make up for that if u have a little room u can make a lane for emergency vehicles (unless u have an idiot behind u who says "oh look ill just pull forward into that new gap now").

The biggest hazard here is drivers high on drugs. It's unbelievable what they do. On a weekly basis I see near accidents or accidents many of which are caused by what appear to be high drivers. Weaving between traffic running red lights without so much as slowing down etc etc.

Last winter a guy in a little truck rolled it in a 25mph zone, got out of the drivers window, and proceeded to try to steal a car who had stopped to help. I was one of three who helped the cops apprehend him.

The second biggest hazard here are pedestrians who are either crazy, high, or feel entitled to walk out in front of traffic because "they have the right and cars have to stop for them".

The crazy or high people will often confront cars and lay down in the road in front of them, try to stop ur car etc and in some cases are real violent. One was killed by the cops here a few weeks ago who was confronting cars with two knives.

The entitled poeple literally will not look or even break their stride when coming to an intersection. They feel cars have to stop so they just keep right on walking to force the cars to stop. Pdx snowflakes hate hate hate cars.

 

[oremike]

.....and don't get me started on the higher and holyer than thou urban bicyclests

 

[41mag]

JK is my daily driver. We avoid PDX jaws of hell, which has eliminated 95% of the common problems named above.

 

[DB is Here]

Stay out of the big cities, that said if I get caught down there me thinks my 6-speed Cummins in 4-low would make an excellent battering ram...get it "battering Ram"...

 

[ilikegunspdx]

JK is my daily driver. We avoid PDX jaws of hell, which has eliminated 95% of the common problems named above.

Excellent policy. The year before that, at that same 25mph interesection where the guy rolled his truck, someone drove his car through the brick wall of a daycare facility and ended up in the basement. The day care is located at the top of a big steep hill and there is a second grass hill of about 6 feet at the base of the daycare. He must have been going like 70mph to get up both those hills and go through a brick wall. Of course the guy ran off. When they are high they will do anything.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I need to finish my CJ2A, that sucker can go anywhere i would ever need, and that makes it 98% better then the rest of the rigs out there for getting far away! As for safety, it wouldnt do any better then other rigs, but thats not the point! Being small, light, and nimble has far too many advantages to not have it!

 

[P7M13]

View attachment 633865

Grape Juice.

Is.. is that another vehicle crumpled up above the truck remnants??

Looks like the remains of a COE, "cab over engine".

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.

Land Rover or Land Cruiser? The former is something rich yuppies drive to look sporty and wind up spending as much on service as they did the vehicle, the latter is a vehicle that runs and runs, driven by people who actually get into the wilderness (with its fair share of yuppies too). Did I say I was prejudiced?

Just be careful I have heard they like to throw hot Starbucks!!

pry it from their dead, warm hands....

I avoid that area like the plague. When I worked in downtown PDX I drove in very early and avoided that crap. On the way out, more often than not I took HWY 30 to Corn Pass. I did that to avoid that very thing, being trapped with no where to go when needed.

Plenty of idjits on Cornelius Pass and Germantown Road now. I've seen people come over the double yellow plenty of times.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Grape Juice.
Looks like the remains of a COE, "cab over engine".
Land Rover or Land Cruiser? The former is something rich yuppies drive to look sporty and wind up spending as much on service as they did the vehicle, the latter is a vehicle that runs and runs, driven by people who actually get into the wilderness (with its fair share of yuppies too). Did I say I was prejudiced?
pry it from their dead, warm hands....
Plenty of idjits on Cornelius Pass and Germantown Road now. I've seen people come over the double yellow plenty of times.

definately a rover. a pile of a rover.