'Porsche handling, ABS and Driving school just SAVED MY LIFE!

[alexb76]

Oh boy, I am still shaking, just escaped a MAJOR ACCIDENT!

Was coming home from parents, ONE BLOCK from home, in close to freezing conditions, in a relatively dark main street, a FREAKING HUGE VAN (80s) with NO WORKING HEADLIGHT pulled in front of me from the oncoming lane to turn left (illegally).

I was going at around 60-65Kmh (40ish miles) and he pulled 20-30 feet in front of me. I HAVE NO IDEA how he couldn't see me, this was under a bridge column and it's possible I was in his blind spot.

I immediately slammed on brakes and got into ABS, just realizing that there's no way I can stop the car before I hit the van (he didn't stop), so while braking swevred to the left lane and missed him BY A WHISKER! It would have been a horrible T-bone accident otherwise.

This was the closest call I've had in 10 years (college), when I put my MK3 Golf without ABS into a light pole in very similar situation, but that time car didn't steer at all and went straight ahead!

Amazingly, I practiced a similar accident avoidance manouver 3 weeks ago in Quattrofest (brake hard and change lane by following a green light).

Oh boy, feel lucky and wanted to share. Porsche amazing handling, ABS and Driving school literally saved my life (or at least my car).

I know most 911 guys track their car, but if anyone haven't tried driving school, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ONE! Totally makes the difference between accident and coming home safe!

Cheers... gonna crack a beer now!

[phillipj]

Great story... I'm glad you're okay. I think we could all improve our driving skills. You make a good point about accident avoidance. I have a had a couple close calls as well.

Stay safe and I'm glad your skills came into play!

:cheers:

[355bhp]

Those monster brakes, ABS and superior handling saved MY bacon more than once! Welcome to the Forum!

[wwest]

Oh boy, I am still shaking, just escaped a MAJOR ACCIDENT!

Was coming home from parents, ONE BLOCK from home, in close to freezing conditions, in a relatively dark main street, a FREAKING HUGE VAN (80s) with NO WORKING HEADLIGHT pulled in front of me from the oncoming lane to turn left (illegally).

I was going at around 60-65Kmh (40ish miles) and he pulled 20-30 feet in front of me. I HAVE NO IDEA how he couldn't see me, this was under a bridge column and it's possible I was in his blind spot.

I immediately slammed on brakes and got into ABS, just realizing that there's no way I can stop the car before I hit the van (he didn't stop), so while braking swevred to the left lane and missed him BY A WHISKER! It would have been a horrible T-bone accident otherwise.

This was the closest call I've had in 10 years (college), when I put my MK3 Golf without ABS into a light pole in very similar situation, but that time car didn't steer at all and went straight ahead!

Amazingly, I practiced a similar accident avoidance manouver 3 weeks ago in Quattrofest (brake hard and change lane by following a green light).

Oh boy, feel lucky and wanted to share. Porsche amazing handling, ABS and Driving school literally saved my life (or at least my car).

I know most 911 guys track their car, but if anyone haven't tried driving school, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ONE! Totally makes the difference between accident and coming home safe!

Cheers... gonna crack a beer now!

In the past ten or so years I have twice rear-ended another car. First time was about 2000 in a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Limited, when the car ahead of me stopped abruptly as it was turning into a gas station. The driver suddenly realized she didn't really need to gas up and stopped still partially blocking my path. Full daylight, my speed was "dead slow", the concrete roadbed was dry, there was no opportunity for stearing around, and the Jeeps ABS kicked in. Damage to the other car consisted of a passenger side rear bumper scrape. Driver settled for a $200 check. Jeep wasn't damaged.

Just weeks ago I rear-ended a new Nissan (Versa?) about 8PM, dark, with my '01 F/awd RX300. The young lady driving the Nissan was not familier with the area and was taking directions from her boy friend seated behind her. Her mother was in the front passenger seat. We came to a "Y" STOP and merge point and her boy friend had told her to turn right. A n advisement for a slight right turn would have been more appropreate. aShe stopped, checked traffic, and proceeded forward expecting to see a quick opportunity for the right turn her boy friend had inadvertently/unwisely advised her to take. When there was no obvious place to turn right she stopped, apparently in confusion, about 10 feet beyond the STOP "line". In the meantime I was myself looking over my left shoulder (120-150 degrees) checking traffic for a my merge, none was there so I started accelerting forward. By the time I again looked forward the other car had stopped. Panic braking, the ABS kicked in.

Shattered the plastic surround on my front license plate and there was no visable damage to the Nissan. $2200 to repair the Nissan since the shop disassembled the rear of the car far enough to find a slightly bent "structural" bracket between the trunk floor and the rear bottom of the trunk lid opening.

I got a traffic citation for "inattentive driving" for which I was anything but.

In both cases I am of the quite firm belief that had ABS not activated, thereby elongating my stopping distance, there would have been NO CONTACT.

How soon will the automotive industry begin using an accelerometer (THE longitudinal accelerometer already present if you have stability control), along with stability control system signals, to prevent ABS activation if G-forces are appropreate to the level of braking AND the stability control doesn't activate..?? If there is no "threat" to directional control or directional stability then ABS will oftentime serve ONLY or MOSTLY (not always, agreed) to elonggate the stopping distance.

Edited December 2, 2009 by wwest