Today I had a close call.

[ルーカス]

Tonight I was in my car driving home from a friends house around 11pm. There is a local road that ends and merges into a single lane mid corner (if I am driving at night I am on the constant look out for headlights or ANYTHING reflective).

I am doing about 60km/h and all of a sudden there is a cyclist in front of me (wearing nothing reflective in a black t-shirt and navy shorts). The car I was in is more or less a drift car that we participate in local drift days in. I had time to pull my hydro e-brake and just manage to get around him. This really pissed me off and got me thinking. I avoided this because of driver experience on track. What if I was just a regular driver or a teenager texting someone?

I could have ended someones life and I would have had to live with it for the rest of my life. I pulled over and let that sink in for a second. The cyclist knocked on my window to ask what had just happened and I explained calmly that I was maybe 5 inches from killing him.

Now I think cycling is great. What I don't think is great are stupid cyclists. The ones that stay in the middle of the lane and think they own the road. I've heard enough accidents of hit and runs locally and I am beginning wonder if the driver was really as bad as media puts them out to be. As a matter a fact I think all bikes should be plated, need valid stickers and must have insurance. If it was regulated by the government they could build more bike lanes and possibly save lives but that's a rant for some other time.



I can say I'm glad I got the gearhead fever at a young age. It was that or cocaine, im sure cocaine would've been cheaper in the long run lol.

Safe driving, LG.

Car I was driving for better mental picture

[rick3000]

This is why my dad made me take a defensive driving class when I got my license, and why I now recommend those kinds of classes (and autocross) to everyone who will listen. It sounds like that cyclist was very lucky he pulled in front of you in your drift car. The story would have a very different ending if it had been any other car or driver.

I had a similar experience last year, I was almost t-boned by a drunk Mercedes SLS driver that cut me off (running a red through an intersection) and proceeded to accelerate to 60+ in a 30 zone, and spin into a tree and retaining wall. He came within a foot of my passenger door, but I saw him with just enough time to brake and swerve away (luckily there was no oncoming traffic).

Being alert and aware of your surrounding, especially at night, is essential. It just sucks when a car/bicycle/whatever comes out of nowhere.

Stay alert out there!

[JayG]

Glad everyone was safe. We have the same problem with motorcycles here in CA. Lane splitting is legal and you get these guys flying down the freeway half the time between lanes. I have sen on more than 1 occasion a bike almost being hit when a car started to change lanes and did not see the bike

I made my son take the Tire Rack Street Survival class shortly after he got his license.
It is specifically for new teenage drivers and is like a mini PDS (performance Driving School). Most of the same exercises we did in our 2 day Porsche PDS without the 2nd day Autocross. Skid pad, threshold braking, quick lane changes to avoid an obstacle, etc.

It teaches them accident avoidance and gives them the skill to keep themselves safe. It was around $90 IIRC. About 2 months later he told me that taking course saved him from being in an accident due to something flying off the back of a pickup in from of him on the freeway.

The kids at the beginning don't want to be there and by lunch time that are having a blast.

The best thing you can do is driver training, not just for kids, all of us. Besides where else can you drive as fast as you want?

[steved0x]

Glad everything turned out OK. Cool car BTW too

[Jinx]

Tire Rack puts on a great program.

Our local Porsche group also puts
On a yearly Car control Clinic at
A very reasonable cost.
Program is open to anyone, and
You can use your own car.

Can't beat the learning experience

[Porsche9]

Glad to hear it turned out alright and can't agree more with driver training. You are never done learning and keeping your skills sharp.

Do I see a 6 series BMW and a MINI Cooper? The 240SX is cool tool.