Wherein I am f#$%ing rude. Language warning, longish.

[Ironclad Alibi]

So... it's not like deer, then? Where they tell you to just hit them rather than swerve?

And yes, I'm just kidding. I'll try to avoid hitting a deer at all costs.

The State of Iowa doesn't think it's a joke. Their "Don't Veer For Deer" campaign has proven successful in reducing human fatalities in car and deer collisions. I think my instinct would be to swerve. I don't know if I could avoid veering, and I hope I don't get to find out.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The State of Iowa doesn't think it's a joke. Their "Don't Veer For Deer" campaign has proven successful in reducing human fatalities in car and deer collisions. I think my instinct would be to swerve. I don't know if I could avoid veering, and I hope I don't get to find out.

Me, I think I'd just hit the deer. I have airbags and I always wear my seatbelt.

If you swerve, you may well up losing control and rolling the car or veering into the other lane and getting hit by somebody in it.

[blas]

Hasn't anyone seen Planet Terror? Just hit it, send it flying away from you....

Don't swerve!

Back on topic.....it never fails to amaze me how many people run across the busy highway. Granted it's still in town...but the speed limit in some areas is 50 MPH! Someone must really want to get hit today.....

[Bradester]

I think my instinct would be to swerve. I don't know if I could avoid veering, and I hope I don't get to find out.

We learned not to swerve in driver's ed, and my insurance rep sis-in-law tells me whenever the topic comes up to just hit the buggers.

But you're right, I think my first reaction would be ZOMG WTF IS THAT IN THE ROAD TURN WHEEL SLAM BRAKES!!!!

[PCGameGuy]

That's when you drop into neutral, engage handbrake, and REV. LOUDLY.

Reminds me of the time my wife was driving her Camaro, and a jaywalker decided to cross in front of her. 350, with glasspacks, coming down a 50 MPH zone at you, and you decide to walk in front of her.....and pimp walk slowly to look cool?

So my honey,, guns it, and you hear the car drop into low gear and ROAR!

Where is the funny you ask? Well, his eyes got very wide, and he sped up to get out of the road.....but still looking cool, so he fast pimp walked!

*Pimp Walk - Walking slowly, usually sticking one leg out farther, and sliding the second leg up, rolling hips and shoulders in unison.

*Fast Pimp Walk - Same as pimp walk, but fast enough to make you look like a chicken with a bad leg.

[Sliceanddice]

just remembered this.
Driving around, running errnds going 43, cause im about to hit the transition into a 45 and wanted to speed up quickly. Just got to the intersection letterly two wheels in it. and this little old lady who looks like that little old lady from the batman forever movie who is in the midd of the road when the bat mobile races pass with bad guys on its as, walks in to the crosswalk, right in front of me.
I curse and slam on my breaks. and stop right infront of her, who was just about my head lights.
I think she cant be stupid enough to walk infront of on coming traffic during lunch, i was surprised there wasnt anyone behind btw, and she continues to alk across oblivous, in a slow stalky manner.
I barely get out the intersection before the light turns read, and thats only because i just wait for her to get away from my car, she never made it across before the red light.

[chainedbarista]

gah, i agree with iradney; scare the bejeezus out of those idiots (if only darwin could take a hold of those three...).

when i was stationed in germany, i was told that if you hit someone crossing outside of a crosswalk, you're not held accountable. can anyone verify this?

[Chanlin]

On the question of if you swerve to miss a pedestrian and cause an accident who would be held liable. It depends if said Pedestrian sticks around or not and anyone (especially the driver of the other vehicle) is around to/can confirm that is exactly why you swerved. Otherwise it becomes a case of you lost control of your vehicle and caused the accident.

One case I was with a friend and a similar incident happened. The first time was on the interstate. Guy in front of us suddenly slammed on his breaks for no apparent reason. We swerve to avoid him and end up being rear ended by the traffic in the other lane. The guy who had slammed on his breaks took off. We never saw him again, and unfortunately neither one of us could remember the guys full plate number. Other driver said he didn't know why we suddenly changed lanes, accident gets rule as my friends fault.

This second one is from my own experience. Some fool kid darted out in front of me on his bike on one of the busier roads in town. I swerve to avoid him and end up clipping a car that was turning left on to the road (two lane road I was in the far right, swerved into the far left to avoid the kid and hit a car turning into that lane). Kid takes off. Other driver tells the cops it was him or the fool kid and he doesn't fault me for it. Its ruled and accident and neither myself or the other driver are ruled liable for the accident.

[protege]

That's when you drop into neutral, engage handbrake, and REV. LOUDLY.

Hehe I used to do that on my street. All summer long, the stupid kids like to play out in the street. Usually hockey, but they'll throw the football too. Most of the time, they'll get out of the way. There are a few though, who seem to *want* to get hit. For them, I used your method, but with one little addition... I wouldn't use the handbrake--since the street was level, I'd let the car roll a bit, and blip the throttle a few times That was usually enough to clear the street

[Willis]

I had something similar happen to me about a year ago. I was at a busy intersection in LA and this lady is standing at the corner while I'm at a light waiting to turn. She positioned herself where she'd be crossing in front of my car and others. No problem. I was making a right on red so that means that there would be pedestrians crossing in front but none crossing the street I was turning onto. I waited for her to cross in front of me but she didn't move, she was standing on the sidewalk talking to some other lady. After a few seconds I went and made my turn. Right in the middle of the turn, she decided to walk across the OPPOSITE crosswalk on the perpendicular street that I was turning onto.

The kicker is she had her baby in a stroller trying to beat me across the street. She starts cursing at me and I start cursing back. I had to stop because she was basically stopped the stroller in a position where I couldn't avoid hitting it. I told her to get her BABY and her dumbass back on the sidewalk and LOOK *I was pointing at the signal box w/the hand on it* at the solid amber hand that means YOU as a pedestrian can't cross right now. She starts pushing the stroller against my tire but finally backed off when people started laughing at her and yelling at her for being careless.

[BookstoreEscapee]

She starts pushing the stroller against my tire but finally backed off when people started laughing at her and yelling at her for being careless.

She should have been cited for child endangerment!

[Canarr]

when i was stationed in germany, i was told that if you hit someone crossing outside of a crosswalk, you're not held accountable. can anyone verify this?

Not quite. Traffic regulations in Germany are complicated (as most laws in Germany tend to be), and rarely favor the driver. Plus, both laws and verdicts seem to require a superhuman awareness and reaction times that would make Superman sweat - otherwise, you're at least partially at fault.

A few things:

1. Someone walks into the street you're driving in, you're required to stop (duh) regardless of crossings or whatnot - otherwise you'll be ruled partially at fault if you hit someone. If they just appear suddenly . (darting out between cars, running into the street), then you've got a good chance at being cleared.

2. Unless it's a kid. Hit a kid with your car, no matter how impossible he was to see before, and you're completely at fault. No exceptions.

3. Rear-ending another vehicle is, be definition, always your fault. No matter what caused it, whether he stopped for no reason or in order to not hit someone: any driver is required to always be able to stop in time before hitting the vehicle before him. If there is a third person involved that somehow intentionally caused the other vehicle to stop, you might have luck with a separate lawsuit against that third person for at least partial liability in order to recoup some of your costs, but you'll always be liable to the driver you've hit.

4. If an accident involved a training vehicle - meaning, someone driving who does not yet have a license - then the trainee driver will almost always be ruled at fault.

[protege]

3. Rear-ending another vehicle is, be definition, always your fault. No matter what caused it, whether he stopped for no reason or in order to not hit someone: any driver is required to always be able to stop in time before hitting the vehicle before him. If there is a third person involved that somehow intentionally caused the other vehicle to stop, you might have luck with a separate lawsuit against that third person for at least partial liability in order to recoup some of your costs, but you'll always be liable to the driver you've hit.

It's like that here too--if you rear-end someone, it's automatically your fault. Also, if someone (a third party) does cause the other car to intentionally stop...it doesn't matter. You can still get nailed for following too closely, and possibly for failure to control your vehicle.

[JustADude]

It's like that here too--if you rear-end someone, it's automatically your fault. Also, if someone (a third party) does cause the other car to intentionally stop...it doesn't matter. You can still get nailed for following too closely, and possibly for failure to control your vehicle.

I've always wondered, though. What if you're at a complete stop and you get ploughed into hard enough that you get slammed into the car in front of you?

[Canarr]

I've always wondered, though. What if you're at a complete stop and you get ploughed into hard enough that you get slammed into the car in front of you?

In Germany, if you had your foot on the brake - evidenced by tracks on the street - then you're not liable for the damage to the car in front of you, and that's added to the tally of the driver causing the accident.

If you weren't on the brake, then you pay the damage to the car in front of you, the guy who hit you pays yours and his own.

That might be mitigated by size and weight of the vehicles involved, but that's in the judge's discretion.