---------------------------------------------Look below-------------------------------- --- "M. Malmkvist" wrote: > Having thought about it for a while, I'm amazed how > many of you believe in > the car's ability to speed out of a danger situation > <quote (taken a bit out of context)> > that someone comes bearing down on you out of > nowhere and the only way to > avoid an accident is to be able to punch the gas and > have the car respond > immediately . . > </quote> > I sort of get the idea that you are all driving > around in 400 bhp eggshells > (okay, no eggshell weighs 2 tonnes), but still... > Many accidents are unavoidable because either the > driver don't realise he's > in a danger situation or he simply isn't humanly > able to react fast enough > (given the speed many people drives with today).
<snipped quite a lot here, except for my incident> > > >When I lived in Dallas, I was driving home one > > night > > >from a friend's and noticed headlights coming up > > fast > > >behind me. I flared my brake lights, thinking > that > > >the driver didn't see me -- he _accelerated_ and > > >rammed my car...when I realized that I was being > > >paced on either > > >side by two _more_ cars...he rammed again... > > >I punched the old Thunderbird... > > >up to 90+mph... that V-8 left the[m] far behind... I believe in a Deity, but it was engineering and a refusal to panic that got me out of that situation. I suppose technically that, since I never learned the workings of the internal combustion engine, I _did_ believe in rather than understand how I used the car to escape -- but escape I did, and if I'd been in a little Corolla, say, I might not be posting today. Debbi who drives a smaller car now, but is hypervigilant to compensate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Ok, then. Admitted. There's an incident when a little extra power was handy. However in Europe (I don't know about the US) that sort of 'accidents' aren't the ones which really cost lives. Was thinking about... Modifying the cinquecento a bit. Perhaps a little turbo, new manifold and a racing cam... Might get me out of trouble some day. M. "Happy-that-you-are-here-to-post-today" Malmkvist
