Being Sideswept... Options?

[dibbers006]

Say you are driving along in Lane 2 of a 3 Lane Motorway. You have got 3/4 past a lorry when he decides to swing out and hit your rear quarter.

What are your options? I mean besides getting your rear shoved sideways and your front spinning round to meet the front of the lorry as you over correct and swerve back across the motorway hitting the armco, smashing you into a death spin ending up facing on coming traffic on your roof.

Is there anything you can do? Steer a certain way? Let of the accelerator?

Or are you in for the ride.

I don't want any planning ahead, anticipation stuff. Sometimes there is a situation where you have to pass a lorry next to it and if it pulls out whilst in your blind spot there is not much time to react!

So... any ?!

[Vaux]

If LGV in lane 1 and lane 3 is clear, you could consider using lane 3 instead of 2, but this seems ultra defensive.

Get past the bugger as quickly as possible is the technique I employ. (Even faster for foreign (LHD)).

[Jungles]

If you are very lucky and with reasonably good car control skills, you could attempt a high-speed lane change manoeuvre away from the truck - see anecdote below. It would be the only viable option, and your likelihood of success will depend on how early you begin the manoeuvre, severity of any impact, and the amount of room available for the manoeuvre.

You cannot fight the truck. It is probably at least twice your mass, and getting struck (hard) in the rear quarter is very hard to recover from. Any attempt to counter-steer into the truck will probably result in extreme over-correction once the truck driver realises he has hit you and swerves away.

I had this unfortunate experience with a double semi-trailer truck on a highway. Situation: me in far right 4th lane (8 lane highway with 4 lanes in each direction), he had just moved into the 3rd lane to overtake a car in the 2nd lane and apparently trying to do another overtake. No impact though. I saw the truck swooping in, so I ran on the shoulder, beeped the horn, and briskly accelerated past it before rejoining the lane.

Edited by Jungles on Thursday 3rd May 12:17

[R_U_LOCAL]

The US Police use a technique called the PIT manoeuvre to stop fleeing motorists. It's basically a side-swipe to the rear quarter as described by the OP.

This driver seems to have developed some skills at getting out of the situation...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wQQp6Imeb0

[dibbers006]

Can you imagine pulling that off in rush hour traffic on the M25?!

Thats sort of what I meant though. I guess you are pretty much d if the situation should occur!

Would braking HARD work? Or would that result in you being flipped and still have the tailgaters smash into you?

[henrycrun]

Assuming he just hasn't seen you then leaning on the HORN might wake him up (or have I misunderstood the question?)

Edited by henrycrun on Thursday 3rd May 12:43

[GreenV8S]

Make yourself aware of the truck drivers situation and consider whether he's likely to want to change lanes before putting yourself alongside him. If this does seem likely, don't be along side him at the time. Try to have an escape route on one side or the other (or both) at all times. If you need to pass a truck on your left, try to have a gap to your right and be ready to use it i.e. blind spots checked etc. Being boxed in on both sides is a very uncomfortable situation to be in because you have limited options for evasion. Also sound the horn as soon as you become aware of the danger, if the other driver hears it you may avert the problem completely without putting anyone else in danger.

[dibbers006]

I do appreciate your replies as to what forsight, awareness, positioning and road tactics one could emply when going past a lorry.

However I am aware of those. I was really wondering what car control you could excercise if a lorry ever did hit your rear quarter sending the car into that classic PIT stance as the rear tries to overtake the front!

I am sure the lorry driver would notice pretty quick and swerve away leaving you 'pushing' against thin air. Or they brake and your car grinds around the front of the lorry sending you into the usual bank of grass and trees at the side of the road.

I was wondering what you could do to minimise death and injury to you and others and perhaps save the car as a secondary objective.

A toughie I know. Thats why I was thinking about it!

[GreenV8S]

dibbers006 said:

However I am aware of those. I was really wondering what car control you could excercise if a lorry ever did hit your rear quarter sending the car into that classic PIT stance as the rear tries to overtake the front!

Steer the front of the car in the direction the rear of the car is being pushed, to try to prevent the car from spinning. Depending how hard you have been hit this may be a forlorn hope. If you've been hit really hard then apply as much opposite lock as you can, hold it while the car spins through 180 degrees, the lock will send the car through a reverse flick for the next one, take the lock off once the car is pointing the right way again. I would say you chances of coming out unscathed on a busy motorway with a truck blocking you in on one side are practically nil.

So don't be there in the first place.

[thegman]

I love the US highway patrol and their total disregard for the safety of anybody else on the road when they are trying to stop people.

I once saw some footage (on Scariest Police Chases or whatever) of a police officer leaning out his window, trying to shoot the tyres (with a shotgun) of one of those enormous Mack artics. He succeeded and the truck jackknifed and then rolled over the central barrier "Narrowly missing the oncoming traffic".

What I loved most about this (and continue to love) is the fact that the commentator made the police out to be a hero rather than a maniac.

Oh - apparently the truck driver was wanted for stealing petrol. OMG WHAT A DANGEROUS ANIMAL.

Sorry this was off topic

[Jungles]

thegman said:

I love the US highway patrol and their total disregard for the safety of anybody else on the road when they are trying to stop people.

I once saw some footage (on Scariest Police Chases or whatever) of a police officer leaning out his window, trying to shoot the tyres (with a shotgun) of one of those enormous Mack artics. He succeeded and the truck jackknifed and then rolled over the central barrier "Narrowly missing the oncoming traffic".

What I loved most about this (and continue to love) is the fact that the commentator made the police out to be a hero rather than a maniac.

Oh - apparently the truck driver was wanted for stealing petrol. OMG WHAT A DANGEROUS ANIMAL.

Sorry this was off topic

Off topic indeed. Might I also add: misguided, and gross generalisation (considering that the US has dozens of highway patrol agencies, each with their own training and policies, and the fact that irresponsible use of the PIT manoeuvre is largely frowned upon by police there, no matter what a hype-generating TV commentator says). I used to know a couple of US police officers - one a Toledo city cop and the other a New Jersey state one - and they seemed professional enough about their job.

I will also point out that the PIT manoeuvres shown in the video were carried out on cleared stretches of the highway (also add that there was probably a trailing vehicle to govern the traffic that the pursuit had just passed). My only criticism is the portion where one was performed on an overpass. But it seemed reasonably well conducted for the most part.



Back on topic...


To the OP: If a PIT situation is what you're thinking, and the vehicle doing the PIT happens to be a large truck, and the situation occurs in moderate traffic, your chances of recovery and survival are almost zero.

Edited by Jungles on Friday 4th May 11:21

[freddytin]

Front Wheel Drive I would suggest that you keep your foot firmly planted on the gas, apply corrective lock and pray.

Saw this happen to Nissan Primera whilst passing a left hand drive continental truck about two months ago. He had nowhere to go as a big merc was thundering down the third lane.