Head On Collision, Almost

[Carrie Tella]

[SIZE=1][SIZE=2]Sirs/Madams.

Good evening. I'll retell two similar incidents. I hope for you to evaluate what happened and suggest a more appropriate maneuver/response for the next time. They both happened on a two lane road.

A few days ago, I was in third gear and following a vehicle from a distance of about four car lengths. An Everest(?) behind me overtook me. He wanted to overtake the car in front of me too, but there was an incoming Lancer. Ignoring it, he tried to overtake. The Lancer, to avoid collision, decelerated and veered to the right such that the car was partly out of lane.

One or two days before that, I was in the position of the Lancer. A PUJ on the opposite lane overtook from a long parade of vehicles, fully occupied my lane and made me a participant on a collision course. Instead of doing what the Lancer did, I stepped hard on the brakes without fully stopping and blew my horns hard and long. I wasn't able to look at the right mirror, so I managed just a little nudge to the right. The PUJ squeezed between me and the opposite traffic.

I didn't understand it at the moment but the driver may have asked for a duel. Somebody was shouting. I knew because I had my windows down.
:drive1: :duel:
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[yapoy86]

that is right brake to slow down (braking hard if necessary) and do not pull to the right unless you are sure that your right side is clear (or at least your instincts tell you its clear) because you may never know some pedestrian or motorcycle on that side you may hit or side swiped and may result in fatal accidents.. nudging your car slightly will do (this will allow safe distance for you) but again be cautious

those PUJ drivers are so reckless!!! these jeepneys should be phased out especially the dilapidated.. they are not road worthy..

[j_avonni]

In such situation, I flash first, then brake to slow down, assess the surroundings, and prepare to avoid collision or brace for the collision, if it is unavoidable. I wouldn't accept his dare for a duel.

I had a friend who experienced this situation. He was traveling along the highway somewhere in Pangasinan. When he saw the oncoming danger, he slowed down, eventually stopped, and finally tried to avoid the collision by going to the shoulder. However, the jeepney was already out of control and followed him to the shoulder. BANG! There were deaths and serious injuries in the jeepney but my friend was luckily unscathed.


:coffee: [SIZE="1"]3637[/SIZE]

[shadow]

do what is necessary to avoid a collision, if you need to veer to the shoulder then so be it...

don't waste your time or life to engage this morons in a duel, or whatever you might call it

[danesjr]

do what is necessary to avoid a collision, if you need to veer to the shoulder then so be it...

don't waste your time or life to engage this morons in a duel, or whatever you might call it

+1, such a waste of time.


if my right side is clear i'll give way. pero kung talagang gitgitan, i'll slow down and stop. wala din naman mangyayari kung di ko siya pagbibigyan. banggain ko man siya nakunsumi pa ko pagawa ng sasakyan ko.

[pitbullz]

bottom feeders will always be bottom feeders...kaya nga jeepney driver lang yun jolog na yan e.

[Hanren]

He even had the gal to get mad and ask for a fight? Tsk. Good thing you maintained your cool.

[mbeige]

That is why anticipation is so critical to learning how to drive defensively. If you cannot anticipate the action of others, you'll be dead meat sooner than you think.

I would say good call on braking. Another reason to get those PUJ's off the road.

[v6dreamer]

I didn't understand it at the moment but the driver may have asked for a duel. Somebody was shouting. I knew because I had my windows down.

Ignore that sucka! But, does not means nakalimutan ko na siya. Next time, they will deal with me w/ my bulldozer.

[Flagg]

IMO, you did the right thing.

However, I agree with mbeige that anticipation is much more important than the correct reaction.

When you drive you must always be focused on the road, especially at speed. Knowing full well that the majority of PUV drivers are uncouth illiterates, you could easily tell when one or more of these will try to do something dangerous.

What I would have done is get off the gas, blow my horn and flash my lights at the very instance before the PUJ veers out of his lane. Certainly, this action may not mean anything to the PUJ driver, but in my experience, around 50% of the time, it works and they don't bother me.

Also, keep in mind that PUVs are usually in a terrible state of disrepair, therefore, do not count on their brakes working... as can be seen from j avonni's story. When coming upon PUVs as well as commercial lorries, always assume that these are both overloaded and have no brakes, just to be on the safe side.

HTH