Near Miss - Distracted Driver

[Wardster]

On my way back from camping in Florida over the Christmas break, I nearly hit a young distracted driver. The look on the passenger's face when she saw my truck inches from her is one she will not soon forget. So glad I didn't hit them.


Near Miss

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Eric&Lisa wrote:

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
Dashcams sure are handy little truth detectors. Glad everyone is ok.

For your entertainment, check out the stupid driver videos on YouTube. Originally mostly Russian, more and more are now stateside. The funny thing is not the other driver, it is the person with the dash cam thinking the problem is exclusively the other driver. Just because someone cuts you off in traffic is not an excuse to sideswipe them, but that is what turns up on a lot of the videos. Self incrimination at its best.

-Eric

I've watched plenty of Russian driver videos in disbelief. Crazy stuff.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

ticki2 wrote:
My old eyes could be failing but I did not see brake lights on the pickup .

Garth Brooks once sang. "He Never Hit The Brakes When He Was Shifting Gears" Though it may have been a different driver...

[dieseltruckdriv]

Travels with Yoly wrote:
We were driving on a tight twisty narrow mountain road in western North Carolina. The road is posted "No Vehicles Over 4 Axles". As I approached a tight right hander we were met by an 18 wheeler coming around the curve taking up every bit of both lanes and possibly the shoulder at the point that I saw him. I slammed on the brakes and had to drive off the edge of the road with the side of my camper inches from the rock face wall on my right. The trailer missed my left side by inches as it went by. If it weren't for the narrow 6.5 foot wide Eureka camper we surely would have had contact.

Close Encounter on a Mountain Road !

That clown of a driver took a lousy line into that corner. Good job avoiding any damage. After I had to lock up the brakes on my 5er to avoid an idiot local about an hour north of my home on a city street so they could turn right in front of me from the left lane, I bought a dash cam.

In case anyone wants to "discuss" my comments with me, I drove commercially and pulled up to 120,000 lbs for 17 years. That truck driver needs to get some experience, or get a different line of work.

[GeoBoy]

Just purchased a new GPS with a camera. Too many erratic, distracted drivers on the road who don’t take responsibility for their actions.

[ticki2]

My old eyes could be failing but I did not see brake lights on the pickup .

[Kayteg1]

Dashcams sure bring honesty to this World.
On other forum a member posted video, when he stop on big parking lot facing bigger driveway, when young driver who already passed the driveway, decided to back up without checking behind him.
So the member got $6000 damage to his front end, when young driver was "rear ended". Without camera the case could take "different spin".
Turned out the parents, who own the car let the insurance policy laps and registration as well.
Called Police let the driver go without a ticket.

[Eric_Lisa]

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
Dashcams sure are handy little truth detectors. Glad everyone is ok.

For your entertainment, check out the stupid driver videos on YouTube. Originally mostly Russian, more and more are now stateside. The funny thing is not the other driver, it is the person with the dash cam thinking the problem is exclusively the other driver. Just because someone cuts you off in traffic is not an excuse to sideswipe them, but that is what turns up on a lot of the videos. Self incrimination at its best.

-Eric

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Dashcams sure are handy little truth detectors. Glad everyone is ok.

[Travels_with_Yo]

profdant139 wrote:
Wow, Neil, great footage. The company's phone number was on the side of the truck -- when I have a close call with a truck, I almost always phone the firm, if I can, to alert them to a bad driver. The complaints add up over time, and they fire the bad apples.

And the OP is to be congratulated on his fast reflexes -- well done!!

Thanks Dan for the props 🙂 I called the NC State Highway Patrol thinking they could make use of my footage but they completely blew me off since there was no accident report of any kind. He suggested I call the trucking company but by that time (about 4 days later) I just wanted to move on.

[Travels_with_Yo]

towpro wrote:

Travels with Yoly wrote:

jimh425 wrote:
If you had more than a 6 1/2 foot TC, you shouldn't have been on a narrow road without shoulders either. Sounds like the truck was lost in any case.

Any normal truck and truck camper with a typical 8 or 8.5 foot width would have been fine on that Hwy. It's a well travelled route in a very touristy place ... lots of camping etc. It's a normal width road. It was just the length of the truck/trailer that posed the problem.

I agree, I run that road with my Dually and 7x14 box trailer every couple weeks. Its a popular route from Jacksonville (and north) down into central FL where you can avoid Rt 4 and some of the Disney traffic.

Actually, this Hwy 64 is in western North Carolina running between the towns of Highlands and Franklin ... just wanted to clarify 🙂

[covered_wagon]

I hang back from clusters of other cars until they are stopped because often those clusters are following too close and taught me to stay back many times.

As an alternative I would have been going slower knowing the potential for something like that can happen, but mostly I avoid clusters esp. with all the druggies.

[Kayteg1]

I see the golden pickup showing brake lights starting on 3rd second on this video and red car on 4th.
I also see the red car wheels turning during panic stop, so ABS did work and the black marks are the results.
So I agree with OP conclusion that the red car driver was distracted or underestimated the traffic and when she finally realized stop traffic ahead of her (6th second), at 35-40 mph she run out-out of stopping distance.
To her defence, right turn saved the situation.
I think the final jerking come from suspension bouncing on abruptly stop wheels, but some contact could be made.
Bottom line, whole situation lasted 4 seconds and it was just a hair distance from ruining the day for 3 drivers.

[profdant139]

Wow, Neil, great footage. The company's phone number was on the side of the truck -- when I have a close call with a truck, I almost always phone the firm, if I can, to alert them to a bad driver. The complaints add up over time, and they fire the bad apples.

And the OP is to be congratulated on his fast reflexes -- well done!!

[mountainkowboy]

I drive like I'm a ghost anymore, throw back to being a M/C rider for 50 years and a commercial driver. We had an idiot cut us off to "get to the exit" from the #1 lane...typical here in southern California for my area. It was a little car like a Civic, we weighed just under 17K that day, I missed him by inches and was hard on the brakes to do it. People are generally idiots and they prove it all the time..........