Almost got in a big accident earlier today on the LIE on Long Island. Why do people insist on using the brakes at the very last possible minute. The person in front of me stopped short from 70 down to about 20 mph.

With about 2 car lengths distance between me and the car, I slammed on my brakes and downshifted to 2nd at about 20 mph. Anyways... got me kinda rattled... especially since this is my first stick shift car and it's only been my 2nd week driving it (got the car on 6/24).

Is there a better way of slowing the car down using a MT?

 

Just use your brakes - downshifting is fun, but, tramp on the brakes in an emergency. Besides, disk pads are cheaper than clutches.

 

There are many drivers do that on LIE, and it's very often too!! I almost had an accident once at Exit 29, but thanks to Acura's +/- shift that safe my life!!
My advice is don't follow too close on hush hour, at lease keep 50 feet away!!

 

Going west on the LIE sucks the most because the road conditions suck and the lanes get small. Going east there is plenty of "leg" room.

 

Going east, I take the Grand Central/Northern State and switch over to the LIE at exit 48 and do the reverse on the way home. I avoid the LIE like the plague since I was almost crushed by a truck a few years ago.

I was driving in the middle lane and an 18 wheeler moved into my lane right on top of me. Thank goodness no one was in the passenger seat or they would have been crushed. I kept beeping my horn and went after him but he never stopped. I got his plate number and pulled over because I thought my wheels were going to fall off. A patrol car passed by a minute later and I flagged it down and told the officer what had happened. I asked him to radio ahead to cut the guy off and he looked at me like I was crazy. He had no interest in doing anything but filing a report in spite of the fact that this trucker had left the scene of an accident, and was only a few miles away at this time.

He ran the plate number for me and told me the name of the company who owned the truck. Almost five years later my insurance company is still trying to recover the $5,000 they shelled out to fix my car (and my $500 deductible).

 

just slamm the brakes to stop the car although shifting into a lower gear will help use the engine to slow the car a bit the brakes have more stopping power than anything.

 

Yeah buddy there is a much better way of slowing the car down using a MT......don't tailgate.

A car going 70 mph takes 5 car lengths for the driver to process the emergency and 19 car lengths to brake effectively. Instead of 2 car lengths distance, you should have allotted 24. But blame the LIE. That's a good idea.

http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/road_safet...g_distance.htm

BJ

 

Just use your brakes in an emergency. Don't try to downshift in a panic stop. Keep both hands on the wheel and depress the clutch and brake. You may want to try this out under 'controlled conditions' to get a feel for how the car responds in a panic stop and when ABS engages.

 

I second what Aegir said. Brake! However, dis-engage clutch almost at the end of the stop. If you dis-engage clutch earlier, it might increase your speed a little bit though.

 

hey BJ... good job pulling people down. i have noticed that about you and all your other posts... i'm sorry though... your comment here has been a little weak compared to the shafting you give others. tsk tsk... i think you're slipping...

haha, are you from long island? two car lengths (it was probably more than that now that i think back... i didn't hit the car in front of me) is NOT tailgating especially on the LIE.

thanks for the tips everyone

 

I'd like to see BJ keep 24 car lengths spacing on the LIE.....it would just never happen!!! Nice idea, but impractical if not impossible anywhere near that zoo. Montana maybe, New York...hah!!!