You never know

[viperbuck93]

Okay, I'm driving the Viper home from work last night on the Freeway, in a rural area, with hardly any traffic, going the speed limit (80mph). there is a car about three car lengths in front of me and suddenly a peice of a blown truck tire launches from under his car directly at my driver side front tire, instinctively I **** the wheel around it and back into my lane. I must have traveled four feet to the right and back, I was suprised I was able to avoid it, Though I would never purposely pull that hard the Vipers response was amazing!!! But it got me thinking what would have been the outcome had I been driving my other car which is a big SUV? Just goes to show, you can never truly relax no matter how safe the conditions are, or seem to be. Be safe out there!

 

[CitySnake]

Okay, I'm driving the Viper home from work last night on the Freeway, in a rural area, with hardly any traffic, going the speed limit (80mph). there is a car about three car lengths in front of me and suddenly a peice of a blown truck tire launches from under his car directly at my driver side front tire, instinctively I **** the wheel around it and back into my lane. I must have traveled four feet to the right and back, I was suprised I was able to avoid it, Though I would never purposely pull that hard the Vipers response was amazing!!! But it got me thinking what would have been the outcome had I been driving my other car which is a big SUV? Just goes to show, you can never truly relax no matter how safe the conditions are, or seem to be. Be safe out there!

OK, it's great that between your excellent reflexes and the extraordinary handling capabilities of the car, you were able to avoid any damage and loss of control ...

BUT (and yeah I guess I'm being a hard ass) ...

What the heck were you doing 3 car lengths behind the car in front of you at 80 MPH? Imagine if that driver had hit his breaks in some avoidance move of that same blown truck tire? Would you have also been able to avoid his entire car while under hard breaking?

That's quite a precarious position you put yourself in while on a rural road with hardly any traffic.

 

[viperbuck93]

Okay I get it your right, it was not 3 more like 8 or 10. My point was, even when conditions seem perfect things happen, just making a point. But glad you could pick that one point out of the entire paragraph.

 

[mach4444]

Had a similar occurrence on I -75 one afternoon.

3 lanes wide, guy in the left lane blows his right front tire and it flies under car in center lane.

I am in far right lane about 50 ft back and this thing is launched right at my drivers side window !

Viper reacted superbly and what would have been an accident in any other vehicle was a non-issue..
These snakes can slither.....

 

[DrumrBoy]

Its hard to pay close attention to everything when normal traffic patterns prevail; but still a good idea if you can discipline yourself to do it.

A couple of weeks ago I was traveling on an interstate (7 lanes each side plus an 8th for HOV traffic) early in the morning, it was still dark. I'm in the leftmost lane, right next to the HOV lane, just cruising, doing about 80 and watching traffic.

Then I saw headlights in the HOV lane..... before it even registered what was going on the guy in the HOV lane GOING THE WRONG WAY had passed me, the closing speed was probably 150+ - needless to say it happened quickly.

I called 911 to report it and the 911 operator said that the police were already on their way.....so he must've been doing it for a few minutes at least. How this car didn't take out some family in a minivan actually in the HOV lane is a mystery to me, but glad it all ended without death.

I was paying attention, but to cars in the normal flow of traffic....not looking for the bizarre. I could have ought the farm if I had been one lane over.

Strange stuff happens out there, the more awareness you can force yourself to maintain, the better your chances are to avoid whatever the idiots throw at you.

 

[CitySnake]

BUT (and yeah I guess I'm being a hard ass)

But glad you could pick that one point out of the entire paragraph.

Well I DID mention my concern. You just confirmed it
Sorry 'bout that.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

That's why I always leave lots of room between me and all other cars on the highway. Especially in the Viper.

 

[Dave Moore]

But it got me thinking what would have been the outcome had I been driving my other car which is a big SUV?

You would have just driven over it. When you car is 4" off the ground it doesn't take too much road debris to make a mess of your car. I hit a retread once because it was dark and the oncoming car headlights produced just enough glare that I couldn't see it. The short story is $5000 in damage.
Dave

 

[bluesrt]

traveling behind a car 3 lenths,maybe he was on his way to do some drafting---------------------------------

 

[RTTTTed]

From the other point fo view ...
I was driving my
Dump Truck in the right lane of the freeway and a rear tire blew. That caused the other dual to explode. Short stoty - outside tread jumped off my tire like a snake and flew at an angle then rolled out across the hood and windshield of a speeding Miata that was just about to pull up beside me. I heard and felt the explosion and watched the tread blow out and lay itself across the Miata. The driver reacted (after) and swerved to the left edge of the road, then back into his lane. He stomped on the throttle and took off. Sure gave his heart some exercise? Obviously he didn't car about damage as he took off.

I safely pulled to the side of the freeway and called for a tire truck to come help.

Ted