Drivers training likely saved the Pilot yesterday

[Jeff N.]

Hi all, been gone for a while; new job is owning me...

Anyways, here's a plug for drivers training as taught by CCA or others.

Was driving on a city arterial with the wife in our 04 Honda Pilot. About 30mph. Wet conditions. Daylight. For the love of god, some ding-dong in a Mercedes wagon decides to pull out from a cross street right in front on me. We are gonna t-bone the bastard.

I slam the brakes in the Pilot and feel the ABS kick in. Immediately apparent that the 2 ton beast isn't gonna stop in time. Decide to go around the back of the benz. Brakes still floorboarded, bring the wheel to the left to go 'round the back of the benz. Pilot plows straight ahead in a perfect demonstration of understeer. Just as we practice in the braking drills, I lift off the brakes to bring the front tires back within the friction circle and the front tires grab just as practiced and we - by inches - make it around the back of the wagon.

Thankfully, no traffic was in the oncoming lane or I'd be posting pics right about now of the bashed nose on the Pilot.

Without all the drivers skills days I've participated in, I don't think I would have been able to avoid this one. It happened quick a wink and both the wife and I were amazed that we somehow made it through untouched. Wife says I have green light forever to keep going to track days and working as a volunteer instructor... :)

Take a drivers skill day with your local chapter. You never know what you might save...

Cya!

Jeff

[DueyT]

Jeff, well done!

Yeah, there's only so true that the general-public ABS mantra of "Stomp-Stay-Steer" goes until you start demanding more friction from the fronts than the algorithms of the ABS controller can work out. Luckily your skills were good enough to get back to the static-friction case (vice kinetic) and steer within the yaw limits that the Pilot's tires/steering/suspension were capable of providing.

Yup, there is likely no way you could have done that not only by knowing the theory, but by practicing on a (somewhat?) regualr basis.

Cheers,
Duey

[Paul in NZ]

that the driver training kinda hardwires your brain to do those sorta things....i had an incident once when i was an active mcycle instructor.we ended up driving down the road(in my car with three passengers) as if nothing had happened after i had to take evasive action to avoid a head on as a car breasted a rise on our side of the road at night.I dont actually recall doing anything!.I think a lotta people would just slam on the brakes and hope!
Any way well done jeff!
one more thing,what is a honda pilot???

[Jeff N.]

Nice ride really - wifeymobile. Here it is when we picked it up this summer.

http://home.comcast.net/~jsnord/pics/pilot.jpg

[Craig]

Ricer! ;)

Fortunately I've never tested out my driving in a situation like that and hope never to have to do so. I do think it would be a great idea (if unrealistic financially) to take all 16 year old driving students to a skid car class rather than making them parallel park 43948093 times while practicing their driving.

For most people, the first time they ever drive a car into a skid is moments before running into something.

[Robin-535im]

First of all - glad you're safe.

Again - more proof that souping up your car and taking driving classes is all about safety. :) In fact, it's pure torture to drive around all day on the track, whipping your car around turns at top speed; but we're willing to do it because of our love for our families...

In fact... along those lines... you know what would be REALLY safe? An ///M5.

Or better yet, instead of the Pilot, get an Excursion. Then you wouldn't even need to touch the brakes, just plow on through!

[billb]

I try to practice threshold braking weekly, trail-braking every few days, and all at or below the posted speed limit and without endangering other drivers. Offramps with decreasing radius are excellent trailbraking exercises, I've found. ScottyWM might agree that the TenTen Road exit off US1 in Apex is about the most fun you can have around here. That and the I-40 US1/64 ramps. Several times I've done the cloverleaf complete just to satisfy my urge to turn right and hang on...

And when my son gets old enough, he will participate in Driver's Events on track before hitting the road. If you learn how to drive the car first, then you can concentrate on the surroundings, in my opinion.
Just last week, I was nearly sideswiped by a minivan on a notorious stretch of US1 south of Raleigh. I'm behind them, at night (around 9pm), about six carlengths back. I signal into the left lane. I notice, while following, that their maplight is on. Uh-oh. They're going 50 in a 55. I'm going 55-57. As I get about even with their back bumper, they start to come over into my lane, obviously not paying attention. There's a car behind me about 4 carlengths, so jamming the brakes is a sure rearender. I drop to fourth, drop the hammer, hit the horn, and move slightly left so my left sides are outside the line. As my rear bumper clears, I see their headlights in my rearview (not sideview). I would've been creamed. That decision to nail it and get out of dodge saved me a total-loss BMW. I still don't know why they came all the way over into my lane, as there was not a merge lane on their right causing them to move over...

[ScottyWM]

Bill, had to do the same thing on rt. 55 (new section by US1) a couple weeks ago - except it was a dumptruck trailering a backhoe. Drifting right over into my lane like he never even looked. Slam the hammer down, actually had to touch the median to slide by.

I've made it a point to avoid accident situations like driving next to trucks - I wait until there's enough room to make it all the way by before I get next to 'em. But sometimes (like Jeff's) you just can't avoid them, then it's good to know what you're doing that's for sure. Accident free now for .... 25+ years (knock on wood).

Did you get the 3 fixed?

[billb]

Did you get the 3 fixed?
...but it behaved fine this morning. Must've been the combination of battery disconnect and crazy driving conditions that night. I've got the stock chip back in, and Mark's offer of one of his chips is more and more tempting.

Looked for you at the Apex parade Saturday, but didn't see you. We were lined up in position 33, pretty far back. The Model A will now go into hibernation for a few months. :(

[Jeff N.]

..the wife too.

I'll be sure to spring the M5 advice on her as well. A 95 of course...

Craig: I'm in complete agreement with you getting young drivers out to practice stuff like this.

Jeff

[Tiger]

I always wondered if there are performance brake for Pilot/MDX... Their braking performance kinda suck and that is the only negative thing I noticed on them from the test result performance... We really need a better brake for otherwise awesome SUV.

[Jeff N.]

I always wondered if there are performance brake for Pilot/MDX... Their braking performance kinda suck and that is the only negative thing I noticed on them from the test result performance... We really need a better brake for otherwise awesome SUV.