What SHOULD I have done ? - Page 2

DSMURPHY · 06-17-2016, 09:57 AM

Thankfully no one was hurt. I think you did what most of us would have done in that situation.

lswartz · 06-17-2016, 09:59 AM

You made a good decision in a very short period of time & nobody was hurt, don't 2d guess yourself.

**Herk7769** · 06-17-2016, 12:47 PM

I am is the "slow down slowly" and move slightly over camp.

Slowing down will reduce the severity of the impending accident you will almost certainly be involved in for you.

Maintaining your speed makes his math easier (one less thing for him to worry about; BUT he is already a moron for passing without a clear lane to pass in and you can't count on him doing any closure math at all).

Accelerating only helps if he is decelerating hard and has a place to go. Most likely the other cars behind you, unaware of what is going on, are right on your bumper waiting for their turn.

Worse, what happens when the oncoming car/truck comes into your lane? You are being hit head-on with the effect of your combined closure speed squared. He will be slowing and you should be as well.

Moving over is only a safe choice if you have a safe level place to slide over TO. A sloped or soft shoulder can complicate YOUR situation if you lose control of your rig. You may not even be aware what kind of shoulder you have until you move over there.

Without a doubt you did the right thing, IMO.

Filterman · 06-17-2016, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

I think you did the right thing. There is no way for you to know what he will do. If it had turned out badly at least you will know you tried to help. Had you done nothing and it went bad you would blame yourself for taking no action.

X2 it's all you can do.......probably would recommend slowing down quickly but " slamming on your brakes" always has the added risk of being rear ended. Have had it happen many times over the years and you did the right thing. We do a lot of high traffic two lane road driving in our area so people pull out to pass you many times in a day. I'm a 60 MpH Max guy when towing so at the speed limit but slower than a lot of the traffic. I also keep a close eye on traffic piling up behind me and look for a safe spot to stop and let them by.

Croaker · 06-17-2016, 01:13 PM

I have seen police officers pull over trailers for impeding traffic.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I think five cars is the limit in California ??
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Here is some info on the subject....

Traffic Tickets for Driving Too Slowly | Nolo.com
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I Simpson · 06-17-2016, 01:17 PM

Wrvond is right

Oaklevel · 06-17-2016, 01:33 PM

Glad it all worked out..........

Not towing but on a two lane road around 10AM next county over, curvy road... I was behind a Ford Ranger going the posted 55mph a Ford Contour was behind me........... No way to know if he was trying to pass or drifting over falling asleep. He drifted over (or tried to pass) several times behind me but maintaned the same speed.................

Then it happened......... at a curve he went all the way into the other lane just as a tractor trailer rounded the curve............... I saw the result in the rear view mirror................ sadly he paid the ultimate price.......... in a hurry???.... do not know....... did find out he had just got off work about 30 miles away......

rockfordroo · 06-17-2016, 01:36 PM

No matter what anyone else does, the slower YOU'RE going when bad things start to happen, the better off YOU'RE going to be.

So I think you did the right thing.

Very similar to what happens at on-ramps, when ding-bats forget that the on-ramp is where they're supposed to be getting up to speed to merge, NOT just a way to merge and THEN to get up to speed. I don't know how many of those idiots I've had to step on the brake for as they run out of on-ramp, but are only going 45mph.

mdstudey · 06-17-2016, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

This is tough but you should maintain your speed. When the car passing you saw the oncoming car he tried to slow down but could not get back of you because you were slowing down. It is instinct though and survival move.

It is the same for merging traffic onto the interstate. I will move over if I can but if I can't I maintain my speed. It is the responsibility of the driver entering the interstate to MERGE into traffic. They need to speed up or slow down based on the situation.

I also agree, don't beat yourself up over it.

X2. Plus you said that there was 5 to 6 cars behind you. When you slammed on the breaks, you could of very well had one of them in the back of the trailer. When ever I have a pile of cars behind, I would slow down on the straight stretches and move over a little to the right. That will allow the log jam behind you to pass in a safe area. I know everyone tries to keep to a schedule, but I would rather arrive safe. I am just glad everything turned out for the best for you.

dalford · 06-17-2016, 02:59 PM

I don't know and I may be wrong but I think slowing down enhances your chances of being caught up in the accident if one did happen. Think about if you were one of the other 2 vehicles in this situation. If you were the passer and realized you were not going to make the pass you would be on your brakes to fall back in line and if you can't because of other traffic, oh well, but the RV you were trying to pass is far ahead of you now and will be watching the mayhem in their rear view mirror. Now if you were driving the on coming vehicle you would see a car in your lane trying to pass a big RV and you would instinctly start to slow and instinctively move to the right, not to the left into the path of an RV. Your slowing will allow the RV who maintained speed to close and pass you more quickly and be clear of the possible accident you are about to be in. IMHO slowing down only increases your chances of being part of the possible wreck. You want the wreck to happen behind you, not beside or in front of you.

bend302 · 06-17-2016, 03:17 PM

I have been in that situation and slowing...not braking hard...has let the passer get ahead with less danger. I have held my speed when the passing vehicle was really accelerating quickly.
But , I think you did ok

Bill

twiggw · 06-17-2016, 04:10 PM

You did the right thing.

Edmund · 06-17-2016, 04:35 PM

Any choice with no wreck or injury is probably the correct one!

CaptnJohn · 06-17-2016, 05:53 PM

Any time on a 2 lane I run the PSL. If being passed I wait until he is even with my TV and slow slightly. Hate the thought of slamming on the brakes. If things get hot I'll have both hands on the wheel as it is likely most without the power to get by will not be able to push my TV off the road.

arpipeliner · 06-17-2016, 06:49 PM

You said you were running the limit and above so what gives you impression that you have to help law violators. You are towing burning more fuel so you are paying more for the road(in taxes) as they are. If I maintain the speed limit they can line up like a funeral procession. But if I see someone trying to pass and not have the race car they think they had I will back off the throttle to let them around. Keep towing and you see this next they run 70 to pass you and then run 45 and 50 before a hill or where you cannot pass them. A lot are in a hurry to go nowhere. No one is hurt so count it good. If you are not seeing an idiot driving the chance might be you are the idiot or worse riding with them.

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Sharon455 · 06-17-2016, 07:35 PM

Sounds like you did the right thing. The only thing I can add is to make sure you know the laws where you are driving. Arizona recently passed a law saying that if you are holding up traffic, (5 or more vehicles?) regardless of whether you are at, below, or above the speed limit, you should pull over when safe and allow the traffic to pass you. Easier said than done, my dad once pulled over while towing a trailer and it took almost 1/2 an hour to get back on the road, but he still did the right thing.

rockfordroo · 06-17-2016, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

I don't know and I may be wrong but I think slowing down enhances your chances of being caught up in the accident if one did happen. Think about if you were one of the other 2 vehicles in this situation. If you were the passer and realized you were not going to make the pass you would be on your brakes to fall back in line and if you can't because of other traffic, oh well, but the RV you were trying to pass is far ahead of you now and will be watching the mayhem in their rear view mirror. Now if you were driving the on coming vehicle you would see a car in your lane trying to pass a big RV and you would instinctly start to slow and instinctively move to the right, not to the left into the path of an RV. Your slowing will allow the RV who maintained speed to close and pass you more quickly and be clear of the possible accident you are about to be in. IMHO slowing down only increases your chances of being part of the possible wreck. You want the wreck to happen behind you, not beside or in front of you.

My experience with people who pass you when you're already going faster than the speed limit is NOT that they step on the brakes, but that they step on the gas, whether they have anything left or not. That's the mindset that had them passing you in the first place.

dalford · 06-17-2016, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

My experience with people who pass you when you're already going faster than the speed limit is NOT that they step on the brakes, but that they step on the gas, whether they have anything left or not. That's the mindset that had them passing you in the first place.

The OP asked what he should have done and then he said this in his post:

"so I hit the brakes pretty hard ... he should have been able to get around me and back on our side , but NO , when he saw the car coming the other way he hit his brakes and sent the other car scrambling to get out of the way"

Just what I would predict the passing driver to do if there was no way he was going to make the pass.

I know instinct want to make you slow down but I'm going to try and maintain my speed. I just think slowing down puts me in more jeopardy when trying to second guess someone who is trying to make an ill advised pass.

rockfordroo · 06-17-2016, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

The OP asked what he should have done and then he said this in his post:

"so I hit the brakes pretty hard ... he should have been able to get around me and back on our side , but NO , when he saw the car coming the other way he hit his brakes and sent the other car scrambling to get out of the way"

Just what I would predict the passing driver to do if there was no way he was going to make the pass.

I know instinct want to make you slow down but I'm going to try and maintain my speed. I just think slowing down puts me in more jeopardy when trying to second guess someone who is trying to make an ill advised pass.

Yeah, this guy did. And what if the next guy speeds up? You just don't know what they will do. You've got a 50-50 chance.

I don't believe there's a real answer here.

Seasonal · 06-18-2016, 12:06 AM

Thank you for traveling 55 in a 50. I slow down too, slightly when being passed. I pull a little to the right too so the person gets a good view ahead.

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