Why You Shouldn't Act Like A Child While Driving At 75 MPH

"PatBateman" (PatBateman)
11/09/2013 at 09:52 • Filed to: Car Crash

Last night, I was driving my entire family from Houston to Central Texas in the SUPER MOM MOBILE BATTLE WAGON (Buick Enclave) on IH 10. My wife, three young daughters (all under 8), and I, just driving, minding our own business and being safe on the road. Not everyone was following our example.

You see, Interstate Highway 10 goes from Downtown Jacksonville, FL, to the Santa Monica Pier in California. A large 800 mile chunk of that goes through the Great State of Texas, and much of that chunk has a 75 MPH speed limit applicable to it. This is absolutely awesome speed to drive when there is no one around. It really sucks when you're in the middle of a wolf pack at 7 PM, and über blows when you have an impatient full size truck driver tailgating you as you travel at a somewhat safe distance behind another person. These two factors turn into a major accident.

While I was going 75 in the left lane and about to make a pass, another car whips around from behind the ass-sniffing truck that is three feet behind me, accelerates, and tries to cut the truck off behind me. The truck doesn't budge. In fact, the truck cozies up closer to my tailpipe (he was probably two feet away from us at this point). The line cutter cares not, and swerves at the truck. Nothing. Then, in my side mirror, I see the line cutting car just start coming over. Not only on the truck, but on my rear quarter panel. So I jam on the gas (honestly, that Enclave has decent go power) and clear myself from the situation by inches. The two childish drivers, however, hit each other. The truck goes partially into the grass median, comes back, clips the other car, and then both start spinning and flipping. At SEVENTY FIVE F*CKING MILES AN HOUR.

All the traffic behind them stops, we immediately call 911 (OnStar comes in handy), reports the situation, and continue on our way. I downplay the events with my wife, but the fact is that, if I had not accelerated at the last minute, my entire family would have been involved in a huge accident at highway speeds, injured or possibly worse.

DON'T DRIVE LIKE CHILDREN.

DISCUSSION (50)

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 09:57

Glad you're all okay.

Call my cynical, but it sounds like the other two got exactly what they deserved. Hopefully no one died; just enough injuries to make them think about driving better once they recover.

PatBateman > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
11/09/2013 at 09:59

Actually, yeah, that was the thought my wife and I had last night as well. Dumbasses wanted to call each other's bluff while driving fast, neither party was bluffing. I hope they never do it again.

McSchmalex > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 10:06

Wow.

This actually reminds me of when my friend was arguing with his wife about why he bought an Audi S6. She was mad because it was expensive. He justified it as "the car handles well at speed and will thus be safer."

They are driving down the road one day and the semi hauling concrete culvert piping blows a tire, flips the trailor, cables snap, and multi-ton culverts are cartwheeling down the road.

Oh, this was in Vermont in the winter.

Truth in Engineering?

A3R0 > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 10:11

As my Dad always says " You have to know the situation". We were coming back from a car show and a mustang from the show slams on the gas... gets into a huge fish tale while still accelerating... my dad saw him in the mirror when he was far away. My dad swerves into the exit lane, and the mustang guy ended up saving it, he thinks if he went once more in the fish tale he would have gone pirouetting down the highway. Congrats on saving yourself!

Nibby > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 10:20

Glad you and your family are okay. Being from NY, I try to make sure I am always prepared for someone to cut me off. I always maintain a distance from the car(s) ahead and if I am being tailgated then I'll move out of the way if I can

Tom McParland > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 10:26

Awareness... you haz it. Best safety device ever.

$kaycog > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 10:38

You did some of the best defensive driving I've ever heard. Great job in protecting your family.

SPNKiX > McSchmalex
11/09/2013 at 11:12

Part of your story appears to be missing...

davedave1111 > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 11:17

I was always taught that if someone tailgates you, you slow down as quickly as is safely possible - no emergency stop, obviously - to the speed at which the distance they're keeping is an appropriate stopping distance.

SPNKiX > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 11:25

I had a similar situation a few years back when my wife was pregnant: I was driving her somewhere in Ohio in the snow and some guy in a brand new, full sized pickup pulls onto the highway and I swear I could hear him screaming "4x4!!!" as he impatiently pulled up behind the lady in the right lane. I had a feeling he was about to do the whole "I was born in the left lane you sissies!" and execute a sudden lane change into our right side, so I sped up. And on cue, (while probably yelling about how "it's SNOW, people, not LAVA!") he executes said lane change into the space we just occupied and promptly spins into the median. The whole episode lasted about 20 seconds.

desertdog5051 > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 11:31

Scary situation. Glad you and your family did not get involved in that. I agree with ADab... They got what they deserved IMO.

SPNKiX > davedave1111
11/09/2013 at 11:33

By slowing down, you would be reducing that distance. It's best to move over or, if you can't, then keep a lot of distance between you and the car in front of you. Also, if you can spin your car around and shoot at them out your window while facing backwards, that would be an alternative.

Thisnewformatisrubbish > McSchmalex
11/09/2013 at 13:39

Great story, bro.

Skif6996 > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 13:57

First, I'm glad your family escaped the accident. I dont want you to take this the wrong way... You were not doing anything wrong. However, doing exactly the speed limit in the fast lane is just asking for some idiot to tailgate you. I know you were passing a car in the right lane, but the courteous (albeit illegal) thing to do is speed up when you are passing. I would not have ridden your ass but I would have been irritated following you in the left lane at exactly the speed limit. What you were doing is techincally the right thing to do but it may put you in this situation more often than you want.

gmctavish needs more space > davedave1111
11/09/2013 at 14:18

I once came to a complete stop when someone started tailgating me, and they didn't go around me...I just started driving again and he kept on tailgating....also it was the middle of the night and he could've gone around me at literally any time. It was confusing, went all the way home brake checking him at random intervals....

gmctavish needs more space > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 14:21

This is a perfect example of what to do in this situation. Crazy story, and the best dealing with aggressive drivers I've heard of in a while.

Makoyouidiot > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 16:03

Full size trucks...always reckon they own the road, the fools. Bit off topic, I know, but if you're anywhere near Eastland county, Pat, I can show you a sweet driving road.

PatBateman > $kaycog
11/09/2013 at 21:08

Thank ya much. It was a harrowing experience, especially viewing it all in my rear view mirror all the while trying to keep my eyes on the road ahead of me.

PatBateman > Nibby
11/09/2013 at 21:11

I usually keep a good distance from the car in front of me (like last night), but there wasn't any place to get over, really. I was passing slower traffic, in traffic, and there was a gap just big enough for asshat-in-car to try his maneuver. I hate shit heads.

PatBateman > Skif6996
11/09/2013 at 21:13

There was a car in front of me, and another in front of them. I just didn't tailgate them, thus leaving me some room for acceleration.

PatBateman > Makoyouidiot
11/09/2013 at 21:15

LOL I understand what you're saying. My daily driver is a crew cab F150 Lariat 4x4, though. And I promise, I don't drive it like an asshole.

Down in Houston, it's been a while since I've been in Eastland county.

McSchmalex > Thisnewformatisrubbish
11/09/2013 at 21:46

And no, I do not work for Audi

Skif6996 > PatBateman
11/09/2013 at 22:10

Gotcha.

davedave1111 > SPNKiX
11/10/2013 at 07:11

Yes, that's the dilemma. If you gently ease off the brakes, even tailgaters back off rather than plough into you, though. They're not actually trying to hit you, just too stupid to keep a safe distance.

ckvoncan > PatBateman
11/10/2013 at 08:50

But but but... The I10 Points Championship was on the line!!!

Thisnewformatisrubbish > gmctavish needs more space
11/10/2013 at 19:21

that sounds like an invitation for someone to really ruin your night.

I'd let them follow me to a quiktrip, there are always cops there for the free drinks.

I'm not getting shot over this shit.

Reigntastic > PatBateman
11/10/2013 at 22:38

If you're going 75 in the left lane in TEXAS, people are going to be angry with you. That translates into an 85mph expectation from most.

IDRIVENEON > gmctavish needs more space
11/10/2013 at 23:14

That's a smart idea. I've pulled over so a tailgater would pass me.

PatBateman > Reigntastic
11/10/2013 at 23:55

When there are multiple cars in front of me, there isn't much anyone can do. Heavy traffic in both lanes.

gmctavish needs more space > Thisnewformatisrubbish
11/11/2013 at 06:17

I live in Canada, so I don't know what a quiktrip is and the traffic problems in Vancouver consist of rich immigrant "students" with bought licenses, guns aren't exactly a worry :p Unless you're hells angels. That's pretty much it.

gmctavish needs more space > IDRIVENEON
11/11/2013 at 06:18

I sometimes do that, but then I feel like I let them win….but seriously haha, that's also a smart move.

wildbill > PatBateman
11/11/2013 at 07:55

So when I'm in the middle lane or even the passing lane and someone pulls from behind me and into the the right(er) lane to gain one position ahead of me in a critical mass of traffic and I close the gap between me and the car in front of me to an...'unwelcoming size' - is that me acting like a child or spanking the child who cant deal with being in an impassble traffic situation where everyone is still going 20mph over the speed limit but THEY need to be going faster....? [if the common public doesn't do anything at all, who will?]

Kerberos824 > PatBateman
11/11/2013 at 09:59

Perfect example of why every tech gadget out there will never replace situational awareness. Knowing where you and your car is at every moment and how to drive out of a situation is the most important thing about driving, and something which an overwhelming amount of the population lacks.

Reigntastic > PatBateman
11/11/2013 at 10:39

This is why two lane highways are the worst. I-35 is like this as well.

jamnajar > PatBateman
11/11/2013 at 13:18

The lack of dash cam footage for this story is intolerable...

PatBateman > jamnajar
11/11/2013 at 17:14

Dash cam footage would have been boring. Rear bumper footage would have been NUTS.

PatBateman > Reigntastic
11/11/2013 at 17:30

Luckily, I don't have to drive 35 anymore. But yeah, it would be great if they expanded 10 to 3 lanes on each side between Houston and San Antonio for the entire stretch.

jamnajar > PatBateman
11/12/2013 at 10:24

I stand corrected: Dashcam with rear facing camera!

TheOnelectronic > PatBateman
11/14/2013 at 10:31

Something something cobb short-throw shifter.

I_AmDeath > PatBateman
11/15/2013 at 17:11

I some people in this world just think cars stop all at once if you jam the brakes. Or so it seems.

DoubleU > McSchmalex
11/15/2013 at 17:14

That reminds me of one time I was driving on the highway and this asshole tailgater finally passed me. The craziest part is

This was in Houston in the winter (kind of...Houston doesn't have winter).

Poundingsand > Thisnewformatisrubbish
11/15/2013 at 17:52

Yeah! Tell it again!

Poundingsand > McSchmalex
11/15/2013 at 17:52

Care to share WHY the Audi was, at this point, a justifiable purchase?

Poundingsand > wildbill
11/15/2013 at 17:55

I am voting for the latter. These people are true assholes.

4thwall > PatBateman
11/16/2013 at 02:33

Glad you and your family are safe.
Nice work avoiding the accident.

wildbill > Poundingsand
11/16/2013 at 09:51

Thank you - now sometimes when i close the door on them i yell 'i am the law' - thats childish though isnt it...

Poundingsand > wildbill
11/18/2013 at 11:38

Childish. Yet funny.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tom McParland
11/19/2013 at 13:22

I'd wager 75% of drivers would be completely oblivious to any of that going on behind them...

fink stinger > McSchmalex
11/19/2013 at 15:16

deserthackberry > PatBateman
11/21/2013 at 20:40

I just came back from visiting my sister in CA. I LOVED driving there after living in central TX. It's almost like California drivers actually have somewhere to go! I can't wait to get away from the whole bunch — the big pickup drivers, the big SUV drivers, the Lexus drivers, the pushy drivers, and the butt watchers — or as my sister calls them, "God's little hall monitors" — who INVARIABLY slow down as soon as they get in the passing lane if there's anyone behind them, whether there's a pile of traffic ahead or nothing at all.