Yesterday driving at 45 I had the following occur: 100 yards in front of me an oncoming motorcycle swerved and almost laid his bike down. Expecting him to come into my lane, I hit the brakes then thought about letting off.

This reaction was driven from when I was 17 and had a Trooper. Driving home late one night I ran over a raccoon. That time I hit the brakes hard. The raccoon ended up between a locked up tire and the ground and it smeared him 20 feet down the road. The site was nasty.

So what would you have done??

 

A little to vague. Did he swerve to avoid hitting an animal? Object? Another vehicle? something? Did he swerve to avoid a pothole that wouldn't affect a car?
You nailed the brakes, ok. Then thought about letting off. Why? As for the coon under the tire concern, anti lock brakes would allow that tire to roll over a potential smeary animal.

 

Better to reduce the closing speed than to worry about the slim possibility of a body under a locked tire.

 

If you had a lift and 35+, just line him up right to drive right over him and he's be unharmed.... Depending how big of a guy he was...

Not serious..

 

100 yards is still pretty far off at 45 mph. i'd let off the gas and check the rearview mirror to make sure no one is following too close, then assess the situation again in front of me to determine if i need to brake, swerve or just keep driving.

 

Seems to me I read (or was it a line in a movie?) that race car drivers aim for the other guy. "Because when you get there, he won't be there anymore." More seriously, slow down and give him room for whatever fate befalls him. Keep an eye on your rear view mirror to avoid causing someone behind you to hit you. And do use your steering wheel to not run over the poor chap, it at all possible. 45 MPH just isn't that fast.

 

Did you just quote Days Of Thunder?

Sent from my iPhone using JK-Forum

 

And never forget... "rubbin' is racing"

- sent while my wife wasn't looking

 

I may have! LOL.

 

Slow down as much as possible. I got that. Try and avoid, got that. All that said and done...when someone is sliding under your vehicle and it is still moving do you continue to brake hard at the moment of impact or let off?