OCBen

Here's another situation I encountered today that, had it not been for fortuitous circumstances, I could have been hit by another driver trying to avoid being hit himself.

A distracted (or mindless) driver was in the diverging right lane that leads onto the on-ramp to the 5 north when he (or she) realized that it was the 5 south they wanted to be on and suddenly swerved back onto the lanes I was traveling on, causing the driver in the rightmost lane to impulsively swerve himself to avoid being hit by the errant driver, not realizing he could have hit another car with his sudden maneuver as he encroached onto the adjacent lane, the lane I was in just 10 yards behind him.

This made me realize another possible accident avoidance scenario. Be alert for drivers who can suddenly swerve back onto the lane they were exiting when they wake up and realize it was not the one they wanted, causing a potential chain reaction that can involve your car. From now on I'm gonna make sure I have an out for such potential situations. Driving a Mini I need to be extra alert, as other drivers seem to have a difficult time spotting small cars on the road.

RSKY BIZ

Hey Ben-

The way I figure -- get this thread up to 90 posts, then, if someone spends two minutes reading EACH post they could qualify for Defensive Driving via Rennlist!

Oh, one other thing -- a proficiency test...
How about we get to test drive model of our choice at our local dealership?

I'm liking it!
~Driving Defensively (most of the time!)
Doc

daddyscar

+2. I started doing this when I noticed another car hit their hazard lights just before traffic suddenly got heavier on the freeway. This happens very often on the downhill stretch after the Golden Gate Bridge towards Mill Valley. Also helps when you see debris down the road. It simply makes people behind you more alert. Key is to remember exactly where your hazard button is. I drive three very different cars so I'm usually hitting some other button by accident.

Maxy

At gore points, you can pretty much count on someone making a last second change.

OCBen

Thanks. I didn't know that's what they're called.

Yep, that's a great driving tip. I almost learned it the hard way.

OCBen

Thanks Kim.

Glad you like it. Hope it pays off for you and others following the tips and advice from everyone's collective experience thus far.

Oh, and a Happy Belated Birthday greeting to you!

OCBen

Here's another situation to be aware of, that I noticed while driving in some of the flooded streets here in Southern California.

If you're in the left lane on surface streets and you happen to notice that the street is flooded on the right shoulder up ahead, and you're behind a car in the right hand lane, be on the lookout for sudden lane changes by the driver ahead who might be distracted and tries to avoid the flooded shoulder by jerking the wheel to the left and potentially colliding with your car.

Mr. Brown

Here's some more good info:
http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp

Mr. B

Marv

Two words: Situational awareness.

Fin Fever

yep, I do that one, I learned it on the autobahn when I lived in Germany, it is common practice to do that there.

Here's my 2c contribution: when passing, start out with lots of room between you and the vehicle ahead. when you think a passing opportunity is coming, accelerate but stay in the right lane. If you have to you can still brake, and await another opportunity. If you do end up passing, you will have alot of speed which minimizes your time spent in the oncoming lane. (I see too many people pull out into oncoming traffic and then accelerate.)