Man, that was close

[Compadre]

Traveling home today with my small trailer in tow.  Two lane road, 55 mph speed limit, not much for shoulders and pull over space. When cars start to add up behind me, I typically pull over every few miles to let them go by as I like to go 48-50 on those roads. Today, I was doing 55-57 just to be polite to the people behind untill I could find a spot to pull over, didn't like it but was doing it.

So, in the rearview, I'm watching a yahoo in a truck just itching to pass, but there's a car between him and me.  Reach a long downhill and I can see him gun it and pull into the passing lane. Problem was that the car behind me decided to pass also and the truck was in their blindspot. Car pulls into truck, forces him off the far side of the road, both doing 60 plus, and just off the back corner of my trailer. And, there's a car coming the other way. I slow a bit and the car is still stepping on it to avoid the car coming the other way. He/she passes me with the drivers side rear quarter panel flopping loose like a main sail, then pulls over. Truck somehow avoided oncoming car and fills in behind me and pulls over as well, couldn't tell what kind of damage he had. I kept on going. Considering that the truck driver could easily have rolled over and that the car could have been pushed into me, and that both avoided the oncoming car and that the only ramifications were 2 jerks having to up their insurance premiums, then it worked out ok. Even jerks don't deserve to die or be injured, but if their poor habits cost them a bit, I'm happy.

 

[Prior member]

I can relate. We had to make a trip to and from Key Largo a few days ago in  our new 2019 Tacoma, ( no trailer)
I was on I-95 In Georgia in three lanes of bumper to bumper traffic with everyone breaking the sound barrier.
The speed limit was 70 and I was in the center lane with my cruise set to 72. The high speed lane to my left had bumper to bumper traffic going between 80 and 90 MPH with one vehicle length between them. To my right in the slow lane they were going the exact same speed as I was so I could only go straight. A tractor trailer flat bed came up behind me and I thought sure he was going to plow into me he came so close. He leaned on his monster horn and held it on. there was absolutely no where I could go, since I had a vehicle directly in front of me and one on each side. After about ten seconds he cut into the high speed lane, cutting off a car there, and then before he was even ahead of me still blasting on his horn he cut me off, and the back of his trailer missed me by inches as I swerved to my right. Then he jamned on his brakes and I am sure if I didn't have my brand new brakes I would not have been able to stop with out ramming him. I told my wife to call 911, but by the time she got her phone out, he was long gone, and I never got his plate number.

Be alert ! there are crazy drivers out there !

Jack L

 

[Pugapooh]

Glad you're ok!

 

[Roy M]

Incidents like those happen too often and get people killed. I was on a very busy two lane highway the other day, a bike passed me then whipped in and out of traffic on the center line. If somebody had strayed across the line or forgot to shoulder check he would have been dead. Same thing coming home except it was a small pickup.
My buddy drives a logging truck, after encountering two truck wrecks on the same stretch of road on the same day he turned around and came home. He just couldn't deal with it.

 

[RVMommaTo6]

It amazes me the risks people take on the roads, they don't have respect for the abilities of these machines we're so used to.

 

[Compadre]

I'm happy that no one was injured and seems there was just property/vehicle damage,  I'm just commenting on the people who feel the need to speed. We all know that  guy/girl who passes you on a country road will be in front of you at a traffic light 5 miles down the road, so whats the point?

I was driving a bucolic road in the northern Adirondacks of NY, had been on this road only once before, scenery was great.  Midday on a Sunday, where do you really need to be? Why do you need to do 60 -70 in a 55 mph zone? Its both country yahoos  and  the wealthy in BMW's so it crosses lines. Both extremes seem to feel they can drive as they wish and they both put sensible drivers that follow the rules at risk. Oh well, not going to change, I'm just venting a bit.  Be safe and drive like that car in front of you has your mother driving.

 

[John From Detroit]

Passing multiple cars is called a Gambler's pass... Truck driver lost the gamble.

I'm like you in that I try to pull off and let 'em pass. ONE TIME . I let a truck pass (A Service truck I think from the power company) he even thanked me (Blinked his lights with the ICC button)  WOW.

 

[winona]

Similar accident. 

I was in my F150 heading home in a snowing-like-crazy snowstorm.  The roads are entirely covered.  In fact, the whole world is totally white.  I'm the third car in line with the first trying to see where the road is, so obviously not going 55 mph.  The two pick-up trucks behind me are itchin' to pass.  Me?  I'm just content to get home, no matter how long it takes.  The 2 trucks behind me pass at the same time, one almost broadsiding the other.  I watch in my rearview mirror as they both careen into opposing snowbanks.  Luckily I don't think anyone was hurt.  Whatever tow company they called make it worth their while to get paid twice with getting the 2 trucks out of the drifts.

 

[jackiemac]

Glad you were not impacted by the awful driving.

The worst driving I have seen recently was here in Yellowstone.  Hardly anyone going at the speed limit.  We were passed several times by idiots because someone a few cars in front is going too slow.  Even with double yellow lines and bends.  Crazy.

The other night coming home from Gardiner to West Yellowstone in the dark a guy in a truck was doing between 20 and 30, fast slow, brakes on and off.  The guy behind was trying to get him to pull over in one of the laybys but he was having none of it.  Steve kept flashing his headlights to try to get him to move over too.  The guy behind him eventually pulled over, probably just to give him time to get out of the way.  We got a good stretch to over take and what did he do, sped up and we just made it into the lane before the double yellow lines appeared.  What a jerk.  Linda might have a different story about a crazy Scotsman 

I am amazed at how badly people are driving in this park.  I don't mind the folks slowing down to see the animals etc. but really  there is no common courtesy from folks to pull over and let others pass which we always do.

 

[BruceinFL]

I can relate. We had to make a trip to and from Key Largo a few days ago in  our new 2019 Tacoma, ( no trailer)
I was on I-95 In Georgia in three lanes of bumper to bumper traffic with everyone breaking the sound barrier.
The speed limit was 70 and I was in the center lane with my cruise set to 72. The high speed lane to my left had bumper to bumper traffic going between 80 and 90 MPH with one vehicle length between them. To my right in the slow lane they were going the exact same speed as I was so I could only go straight. A tractor trailer flat bed came up behind me and I thought sure he was going to plow into me he came so close. He leaned on his monster horn and held it on. there was absolutely no where I could go, since I had a vehicle directly in front of me and one on each side. After about ten seconds he cut into the high speed lane, cutting off a car there, and then before he was even ahead of me still blasting on his horn he cut me off, and the back of his trailer missed me by inches as I swerved to my right. Then he jamned on his brakes and I am sure if I didn't have my brand new brakes I would not have been able to stop with out ramming him. I told my wife to call 911, but by the time she got her phone out, he was long gone, and I never got his plate number.

Be alert ! there are crazy drivers out there !

Jack L

Here's when a dashcam would have come in handy. You never know when it will pay off.

 

[John From Detroit]

My favorite.. I was heading into work one day on the I-96 Express lanes approaching Davison (The east end of the express lanes) exit in Detroit.. Well some 1D10T flew past me and the semi truck beside me then realized it was his exit so at like 90MPH he hangs a right. somehow does NOT roll the car and what is in front of him on the 45MPH exit ramp... A steel hauler.

We were kind of hoping he'd make contact but he took the ramp like a  skateboarder (it is shaped a bit like a half pipe) and managed to keep her wheels down and radiator intact.

But based on his driving both the Semi Driver and I (We had radio contact) were hoping for the inevitable to happen.

 

[Roy M]

I have seen that stunt pulled, all we could do is wait for the carnage that fortunately didn't happen. I was on I-5 in Portland which is a circus during rush hour pulling a 35' flat deck trailer behind a one ton pickup (legallly). The hippie in the VW Microbus in front of me moved to the next lane then immediately pulled partially back into my lane and STOPPED! All I could hear were horns and tires squealing, I didn't hit him but it sure gave me cause for alarm.

 

[old_toys]

another dangerous situation to watch out for is when you are on the interstate pulling you trailer and you pull out to pass a laboring semi going up a steep hill and as you pass the truck you give the right turn signal and the yokel behind you decides to pass you on the right as you attempt to return to the slow land. this has happened many times to me. it's getting very dangerous on the roadways these days.