I could see there was no car in the oncoming lane so it was safe. There was a car right behind me also going 55 mph, so braking would not have been a great option. You really just react. I'm thankful it turned out to be a non incident.

At the time it was just a momentary scare, nothing more. I muttered "stupid bitch" under my breath -- well, maybe a little louder than that -- and we continued on our way. It wasn't until yesterday that it gave me a chill, thinking about how quickly everything can change.

Bruce Springsteen wrote a terrific song, "Wreck On the Highway", on the same general topic. My takeaway from that song has always been "Be thankful for the ones you love because they can be gone like..." (snapping fingers)

"Last night I was out driving
Coming home at the end of the working day
I was riding alone through the drizzling rain
On a deserted stretch of a county two-lane
When I came upon a wreck on the highway

There was blood and glass all over
And there was nobody there but me
As the rain tumbled down hard and cold
I seen a young man lying by the side of the road
He cried Mister, won't you help me please

An ambulance finally came and took him to Riverside
I watched as they drove him away
And I thought of a girlfriend or a young wife
And a state trooper knocking in the middle of the night
To say your baby died in a wreck on the highway

Sometimes I sit up in the darkness
And I watch my baby as she sleeps
Then I climb in bed and I hold her tight
I just lay there awake in the middle of the night
Thinking 'bout the wreck on the highway"




>my personal rule is brake never swerve. swerving is much more likely to end up in oncoming traffic or completely losing control.
>
>Nick
>
>
>>That would change a lot of people's habits here. There are some people who hardly eat anywhere BUT in their cars. Driving my daughters back to their mom's house on Sunday we almost got creamed by a lady who was eating a sandwich. Her car suddenly lurched a couple of feet into our lane, forcing me to move an equal amount into oncoming traffic. Fortunately no one was in that lane at the time.
>>
>>I don't have a problem with non-alcoholic beverages like coffee or soda in the car as long as the driver is prudent about when to take sips.
>>
>>
>>>In the UK eating or drinking while driving is an offense.
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>I clicked on a banner ad for the new Dodge Avenger because I couldn't believe what they considered the most important feature of their new vehicle:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>http://www.dodge.com/en/avenger/features/interior.html?feature=cool_ideas
>>>>>
>>>>>Almost a year ago, when I was in the market for a new vehicle, I saw the Dodge Caliber and it already had that feature.
>>>>
>>>>It's sad that with a minimum of thought one can predict one result of this "cool idea":
>>>>
>>>>- With "regular" cupholders, coffee gets cold and pop gets warm so the driver is less likely to want to finish the drink after a while
>>>>
>>>>- The "new and improved" cupholders mean that the driver is more likely to completely finish the beverage and/or take more and smaller sips because she doesn't have to finish it while it's hot/cold
>>>>
>>>>- The act of reaching for a beverage and drinking is a driver distraction
>>>>
>>>>- Therefore "New & Improved" cupholders increase driver distractions, which lead to increased injuries and deaths
>>>>
>>>>The effect may be small, but multiply by literally millions of vehicles and it becomes real.