# Driving stories: in the right, but still an idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 19, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973 "2015-11-19T12:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/1 "2015-11-19T12:59:50Z")
A while back I was approaching a stale green light which went yellow. I considered going through, but thought “nah, I’ll play it safe” so put my foot down on the brake and stopped. Next thing I know the truck behind me pulls out into a right hand turn lane (which has barely even begun) and shoots past me in a mad panic. It runs the red and just barely avoids tearing off the side of my car. I’m not 100% sure whether the truck driver merely disagreed with my intention to stop or if he/she genuinely wasn’t able to, but it scared the shit out of me. Sure, if the truck driver wasn’t able to stop in time then they were traveling too fast and too close. If they ran up the back of me, they would’ve been in the wrong. But there’s no use being right if you’re dead. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/2 "2015-11-19T13:47:30Z")
Unless you have some remarkable telepathic abilities I’m not sure how you could know. Perhaps if the truck driver was blowing his horn in a way that related emergency you might know it. I see 0% of a problem with what you did. You can’t account for every possible idiocy out there, just your own (mostly). ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/3 "2015-11-19T13:48:20Z")
Reminds me of the trucker sailing along on a divided four-lane 60 mph highway who had a guy pull out of a side road in front of him. To avoid smashing the idiot into little bits, he did an emergency veer over into my lane, forcing me to do a screeching emergency brake. Not sure who was in the right there, but we all survived. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/4 "2015-11-19T13:58:37Z")
Anytime I brake early for a light or brake hard in highway traffic I check my mirror to see if the vehicle behind me is going to stop. Gives you a chance to avoid this kind of situation, or at least lessen the impact if it goes wrong. Always drive like the other guy is trying to kill you. Cause he is. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/5 "2015-11-19T14:14:47Z")
> [@that\_darn\_cat](#): > > Anytime I brake early for a light or brake hard in highway traffic I check my mirror to see if the vehicle behind me is going to stop. Gives you a chance to avoid this kind of situation, or at least lessen the impact if it goes wrong. Always drive like the other guy is trying to kill you. Cause he is. That’s what I do too. If I’m about to apply a hard brake, I check my review mirror first. For example, I will slam on my brakes for a squirrel crossing the road, as long as no one is right behind me. I’ve been lucky, as all animals have survived so far. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/6 "2015-11-19T15:22:17Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > Unless you have some remarkable telepathic abilities I’m not sure how you could know. It doesn’t take telepathy to check your mirrors… ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/7 "2015-11-19T16:44:31Z")
Truly, what caused this situation was the hesitation when you considered going through the light. I’m sure the driver behind you saw the light turn yellow and glanced at your brake lights. When they didn’t come on, he accelerated, then a half second later you decided to brake after all, and there you all were. Either stop, or go, don’t consider. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/8 "2015-11-19T21:46:00Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > It doesn’t take telepathy to check your mirrors… > [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Either stop, or go, don’t consider. Yeah, this is why I see it as stupidity on my part. I still consider the other guy to be in the wrong, but two simple things I should’ve done that could’ve avoided the situation. The first one especially. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/9 "2015-11-19T22:10:34Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Reminds me of the trucker sailing along on a divided four-lane 60 mph highway who had a guy pull out of a side road in front of him. To avoid smashing the idiot into little bits, he did an emergency veer over into my lane, forcing me to do a screeching emergency brake. > > Not sure who was in the right there, but we all survived. :eek: Thats a hard one to call. You probably had a much better chance of coming out better after a sideswipe than the idiot had from a high speed rear-ending…but the idiot deserved it more. But this is why I NEVER cruise next to a vehicle, especially a big truck, on a motorcycle. Wait behind till there is enough room, then pass briskly. I once hit a car stopped on a blind curve. (not on a motorcycle then) Two girls in the car, a boy standing on each side chatting them up. The boys saw me round the curve and each took a step back. So I could choose the car or a pedestrian. I _almost_ got stopped before I hit the car. It was a gravel road, no lane markings, and they were stopped in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/10 "2015-11-19T22:15:05Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > Either stop, or go, don’t consider. It could have been worse. I once saw my former girlfriend change her mind 4 times over one yellow light. When she finally stopped, she said, “Oh, I could have made it, I guess.” Woman could.not.make.a.decision. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/11 "2015-11-20T08:55:33Z")
As far as I’m concerned, it wasn’t stupidity on your part. A driver has the responsibility not to run into the vehicle in front of him. There are many reasons a car might suddenly brake in front of you, and you have to be prepared for this. This means paying attention, not following too closely and not trying to out-guess the other driver. That being said, it is a good idea to check your rear-view mirror when you have to brake hard. One time years ago the light turned yellow as I was approaching an intersection. I braked, and when I looked in my mirror I saw an 18-wheeler jack-knifing with smoke coming off the tires. I took my foot off the brake and ran the red light. I would have been flattened if I hadn’t noticed the out-of-control truck. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-stories-in-the-right-but-still-an-idiot/737973/12 "2015-11-20T10:16:04Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > But this is why I NEVER cruise next to a vehicle, especially a big truck, on a motorcycle. Wait behind till there is enough room, then pass briskly. Yup. That’s kept me pretty safe on my bike. I had too many cars try to drive through me before I learned about it. Something interesting that the Japanese and Taiwanese do is to assign a percentage of fault rather than all or nothing. Typically it will be 70-30, although if you are riding a bike it is more likely to be 80-20 or 90-10. Only rarely is it 100-0, such as when a coworker got hit from behind at a stoplight.