Idiots in Cars - Pure Negligence

sebastiantombs

Known around here
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Messages
11,511
Reaction score
27,690
Location
New Jersey
What happened to down shifting and using the emergency brake? I had a brake failure in a Jeep one fine day and stopped safely using the emergency brake, it was an automatic but even so I used the trans and dropped it right into "low".

I will say there's nothing more thrilling than having to make a quick, unanticipated, stop in traffic and feeling that brake pedal go right down to the floor. Anyone have a clean pair of undies handy?
 
Last edited:

TonyR

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
16,436
Reaction score
38,154
Location
Alabama
+1^^.
I was 16 when my dad's '57 Ford with 312 Thunderbird Special V-8 and 4 barrel lost the throttle return spring after I floored it. I made it to about 70 in a 35 very quickly but turned off the key and jammed on the brakes. Not the same deal as that '64 Comet but I was only 16 and didn't panic. Just downshift, don't touch the clutch again and turn off the ignition.

I hated to see that...my 3rd car was a RED '65 Comet Caliente, a built 289 with all bolt-on and speedshop parts. It was pretty much identical to the 271 HP 289 in the Hi-Po '66 Mustangs except the crankshaft main bearings were not 4 bolt, so I kept it below 6,000 RPM on my Sun tach.
 

DanDenver

Getting comfortable
Joined
May 3, 2021
Messages
488
Reaction score
781
Location
Denver Colorado
He "hopes" his back will recover fully, but has not so far. His friend is "near" full mobility but has not yet gotten there. Sounds really rough but he makes it out to be no big deal.
 

Gargoile

Getting comfortable
Joined
Oct 18, 2021
Messages
812
Reaction score
3,012
Location
Straight Outta Mayberry
Why he could not just kill the engine is confusing to me.
Or throwing it in neutral. But turning it off would have been a better option since the brakes were boiled, Lave the car in gear with the engine turned off to be used as an engine break.

Airline pilots train for all types of issues like this, but 99.9% of the automobile drivers are not trained or even think like this. Drivers Ed is one thing but experiencing the issue in a controlled environment and how to respond is sadly needed.
 

The Automation Guy

Known around here
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
1,375
Reaction score
2,734
Location
USA
Didn't the drive have enough clearance to crash into the curb instead rear ending a vehicle?
Honestly I think his vision to the right was compromised by that huge blower. I agree there was room right at the beginning to go off to the right, but he probably didn't see it, or thought the brakes would come back. After that first second or two, there was no escape since the right lane had the most number of cars in it.
 

Arjun

Known around here
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
9,015
Reaction score
11,032
Location
USA
Honestly I think his vision to the right was compromised by that huge blower. I agree there was room right at the beginning to go off to the right, but he probably didn't see it, or thought the brakes would come back. After that first second or two, there was no escape since the right lane had the most number of cars in it.
That blower should have never been tall enough to obstruct his visual line of sight to begin with. This is worse than putting up a hanging air freshener off the rear view mirror
 
Last edited:

Arjun

Known around here
Joined
Feb 26, 2017
Messages
9,015
Reaction score
11,032
Location
USA
Another problem these days is that are so many young drivers driving without any consideration for others on the road; veering left and right in front of other vehicles, not using turn signals, too many close encounters, almost as if the public roads are theirs to own. Jeez, if you want to full throttle or test your exhaust, test it on a back road. Thank goodness my front and rear Dash Cameras keep my temper down as I'm driving. I've documented and witness just about everything with Dash Cameras, seeing other drivers race, cut others off, engage in road rage, reckless driving, and even outrunning highway patrol units.
 

redpoint5

Getting comfortable
Joined
May 12, 2020
Messages
490
Reaction score
1,547
Location
PDX
Didn't listen yet, but seemed like a series of failures. Don't have a comment on the reaction yet because it seemed pretty tough just looking at it.

I had a pebble stick in the accelerator pedal of the '69 Beetle I drove, and I took an unplanned left turn into a parking lot and then ran circles until I got the car under control.

Once drove an '85 Volvo with only the ebrake because the hydraulics were out.

Done lots of dumb things and have relatively few accidents to show for it. Count me as lucky.
 
Top