On the way home from a friends house, i almost got in a wreck(wouldn't have been my fault). What the situation was is that i was traveling in the far right hand lane of a 3 lane road(not always smart but some nimrod was going 30 in the center lane a minute before). About a minute after i got into the right hand lane(so i had been there fore a while) a silver mercedes C-class decided he thought he could jump out right in front of me, and instead of just going quickly as soon as i hit my horn he stopped, dead in the middle of my lane. I hit my brakes, and being that it has been raining for the past 3 days, the wheels locked up. I then went to pumping and tried to steer around him, but as soon as i would start to turn the wheel would just lock up again, even with pumping the pedal. Luckily, he threw his c-class into reverse and i was able to get far enough to the left to avoid the very close accident. In this situation, what is the best thing to do? my car does not have abs/traction control, and untill i had hit my breaks there was a car directly to the left of me, and at the time it looked as if the c-class was planning on jumping all three lanes of traffic. What kind of evasive action should i have taken? obviously what i did this time worked, but if he hadn't backed up it may have very well been a wreck with two mercedes involved. Thanks
Ryan

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

Well I have figured that the best thing to avoiding an accident is to learn what to look for that would indicate bad drivers. Leaving turn signals on too long, riding the brake, choppy accelaration and decel, and women. What you descibed doesnt seem to leave much time for driver analysis so quick reactions (but not over reaction) is probably the next best thing.You said that you recognized what was going on with car so you have handling dynamics to some sort of understanding. There really is no set guideline that you can take because every incident is different so I guess the best thing to do is educate yourself on how to recognize and react to potential situations. Just my 2 cents

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88 300E
03 911 C4S
2008 Triumph Speed Triple

My pics --> www.BrettAdamsDesign.com

"....and women." LOL - that's not nice...

Keep in mind that the moment you lock your wheels, not only does your lateral control vanish, a car that is in a skid will always slide quite a distance further than a car that is braking just at the limits. Worst case scenario, hit your brakes to see where the car will start sliding, then release them to just above that point. If you're going to have an accident (god forbid) you may as well have it while moving as slow as possible. If you're going to hit someone, hit them head-on, not offset if possible - your car will be more structurally sound with a straight head on collision (unless of course you're driving a Geo Metro in which case you're screwed regardless of what you do).

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Kai Xing
85 BMW 325e 5-speed
86 BMW L7
86 BMW 645CSi 5-speed (Turbo) (sold...with sadness)
86 Mercedes 560 SL (Temporarily)
http://www.geocities.com/xing6666/af1signature.jpg

good point about the wheel lockup. I have messed around on wet pavement etc to see where my threshold is, i just can't ever find it again in an emergency situation,probably due to my inexperiance. I really want to take a race course/class and a defensive driving hands on course/class. I feel if i could put into action what they teach me there I could evade/avoid 99.9999% of accidents. IN that situation, i did pump the brakes, but as soon as i'd start to turn my front wheels would lock up again, thus creating a sliding brick. I guess in that situation I should just completely get off the brakes and use all my available traction to swerve out of the way?
Ryan

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

Under those circumstances, you never know how you will react. your first reaction will be to hit the brakes and steer. Most people will most likely do this. A Driving course can teach you how to control the car in those situations.

I am also wondering what this C class owner was thinking driving like a moron, in the wet no less.

Alon

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'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

Well, first thing is not to pass on the right, especially if there are intersections close by. Worse still is to change lanes in an intersection. Never change lanes in an intersection. Try as best as you can to not have a car beside you when you're going at speed. Either pass them, or slow down so you have an "out" in case you need to swerve into the next lane. If you're going straight through an intersection, it might be better to use the center lane. To turn right, get in the right, to turn left, get in the left. I've learned to not believe people when they signal, I always wait for signs that the car doing the signaling actually turns, stuff like that. Hrm, hey I dunno, what can I say? Ask John Shellenberg, maybe he has a better way

Kuan

Always give yourself an out. I'm constantly on the look out for people who can't drive. One thing that is a good indicator is if someone uses a turn signal...if they don't be EXTRA careful of them. Last winter I was going through a busy country intersection and some guy pulled out from a side road and was in my lane...he couldn't get traction and I could tell I was closing in, if I hit my brakes hard I could've lost control and been in a head on collision, I chose to veer to the shoulder and then start to brake. I ended up hitting a sign. I figured of my choices it was the best decision to avoid injury. Oh, the guy didn't stop either. ARGGGH!

Ryan, I think you did the best thing considering. Sometimes speeding up is an option (only if certain), if you could get in front of the car next to you. Also, I don't know how slick it was but I would first take my foot of the gas, give brake, and then go behind the middle car.

the incident was not in an intersection, rather the c-class was coming out of a convienance mart. I completely agree with not passing on the right, and i hardly ever do that actually, this was an odd circumstance, and i didnt' really think anything of it due to the lack of traffic on the road. I guess i avoided the wreck and that's all that matters, but i do want to take one of those classes on defensive driving/race driving.
R

__________________
83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

lol, how true. Any specific thing you think i should work on for panic stopping? i did mess around with a little of it the other day, and i had figured out my threshold, but i always seem to go past it whenever its an actual emergency situation, when i'm nice and relaxed/calm etc, it's a cake-walk. Even in dry conditions (which i have also messed around with a LITTLE bit, didnt' want to ruin my new tires ), the one time it happened i locked up the wheels before i realized i needed to back off. Basically, how to apply my practice to real life panic situations? is that basically just practice/experiance? thanks
Ryan

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83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

Howdy All,
tkamiya brings up a point that is interesting. How people honk their horn before they hit their brakes. If they have time to honk and hit their brakes then it isn't a panic stop so why honk the horn other than to make the other person mad and shoot you In the panic stops I've made the last thing I was thinking about was honking my horn. I'm not a multi-task person anyways

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

You're driving a 1983 300SD W-126 Mercedes-Benz! I own a 1982 version of that car. Probably in the same color. You need to learn how to drive a heavy Mercedes diesel defensively.

There really is no other way to drive that car but defensively. It doesn't have the acceleration to keep you out of trouble, and it doesn't have ABS, airbags, or any other mechanical self-help program to stop you in the shortest distance, or save your ass. At a proper driving school, they will teach you how to brake effectively without relying on ABS anyway, because they hate ABS.

Save up your money and buy a course. At last count, they average only about $385.00 for a highway survival / accident avoidance course. It will be the best investment you ever made, and hopefully, the start of many more. Check to see where the closest school is to you in Florida. If you need help, email me, and I'll se what I can find out. When you call the school, go for an introductory tour, and ask about an easy payment program. See if you can just hang out there, empty the trash and sweep up. You never know where that might get you...

Meanwhile, here's my diesel driver's defensive driving course in a nutshell:

A. You can't get out of anyone's way, and you aren't a race driver. Drive with dignity, fear, and respect for all other drivers on the road. Always leave plenty of room and time to accelerate that beast to enter fast moving traffic. Also, use your transmision to keep yourself above 2500 RPM. That's when the turbo kicks in, and where the power curve really starts on that car. If you shift up and down manually, you will have better power, acceleration, traction, and control. I usually start out in 1st, and even use it as a downshift on street corners to maintain optimum power.

B. Expect the worst from drivers around you, You will seldom be dissapointed. Just imagine the worst possible case senario, and try to imagine what you could do to safely stay out of it becoming your accident.

C. Stay out of the right or left lane unless you are going to turn. Only pass on the left unless you have to do otherwise. This applies to freeway traffic as well. Don't get cocky, remember, you're driving a diesel. It might be a Mercedes, but it's a diesel Mercedes, not a Kompressor.

D. Create and visualize a "space cushion" around your car whenever you can, leaving a space to your right and left, and plenty of space in front and behind. Drive like a leper. Stay away from other cars. Always be aware of where other cars are around you. Try to not "run with the pack". Be a lone wolf...

E. Motorcyclist's trick: Always try to have an escape path that is constantly evolving to allow you to stay out of someone else's accident. They might stop in front of you, not stop when you do, or just drift into your lane. Drive like any other driver might die behind the wheel at any minute without notice, and you're naked on a motorcycle.

F. Think "smooth"! don't do ANYTHING abruptly. Abrupt motions under speed will cause you to lose control of your vehicle. And if what you are doing isn't working right, don't just stop suddenly, learn whether to back off, or do more, but do it smoothly, and as quickly as is safe...

G. Learn to drive by the "seat of your pants", feeling what the car is doing, and how you are influencing the behavior of the engine and suspension by what you are doing while you are driving it. Remember, driving is a serious full-time job, not a party on wheels.

H. Always leave more following/braking distance in the rain. This is the most often repeated mistake made by drivers everywhere. Instead of blowing your horn (and your cool), just drop a gear, set up on the brakes gently, and slow that big car down. Then you will be in a better position to accelerate back into the other lane and get around that lame-o driver in the C-class. Too many people brake before signaling, and blow the horn instead of using their brakes. Only blow the horn as a warning, not as a threat, or way of "scolding" another driver.

Go to the public library. Look for a book called the "Smith System" of Defensive Driving, or any other books on defensive driving (the more recent, the better). Also look for books by Jackie Stewart, Bob Bondurant, and Skip Barber. You can learn a lot from books written by these guys.

It was a close call, learn from it, and develop survival skills to keep you alive and out of danger.

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Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

One other thing you can also do that doesn't cost anything is play "what if" while driving. I have done this for nearly 30 years (I started driving at the ripe old age of 12, licensed at 13). The game is simple, tooling down the road, imagine a situation and ask yourself what you will do if "this" happens.

Say you are running up the highway, number one lane, next to the "K" rail (the low cement walls the highway dept. puts out). You're doing 75MPH, what if the left front tire blows, what is the car going to do, what are you going to do? Or making a sweeping left turn on a highway curve, right front blows, what and what again? Do the same thing with the other drivers around you, if he does this, I will do that. After a while the reaction you have mentally practiced will be at your ready disposal.

I used this when learning to drive,and through high speed driving courses, on the skid pan and in daily driving as well. It has served me well.

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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.