The evening rush hour and the holidays are the times when you’ll see the most drivers on the road. After a long day at the office, many drivers are feeling tired. When a driver is tired or stressed, they might take it out on others using the road. If there is a local natural disaster or emergency, roads might be filled with desperate people.
Prepare to keep yourself and your loved ones safe while driving. Evasive driving requires lots of practice. Attend a driving school or hire a professional instructor in order to learn advanced techniques. There are, however, simple strategies that can help to save you in desperate times.
Approaching Vehicle Road Blockades
Sharp and evasive turning techniques like the Bootlegger’s Turn and the Moonshiner’s Turn (or J Turn) will take practice and can take a real toll on your tires. A Bootlegger’s Turn requires high speed, a sharp turn of the steering wheel, and a hard pull of the parking break. This will totally turn a forward driving car completely around, allowing you to speed away. A Moonshiner’s Turn is the same, but the driver starts off backing away from the threat in reverse, then using the technique to turn that car around and speed away. Of course, have an experienced evasive driver help you master these techniques in a place where no other cars or people can be harmed if you don’t nail it.
Drivers don’t always need to avoid a threat on the road. A car is a strong weapon if used correctly. The front and rear ends of a vehicle are the most vulnerable. Aiming at either the rear or front of a single car blocking the road will cause it to spin out of the way. If two cars are blocking the road, the place where the two cars meet is the weakest point. Aim for this area to break the cars apart and get through the blockade.
What to do if You’re Being Followed
A driver may notice that someone is following their every move on the road. In this scenario, it is not wise to get out and confront the other driver. Confrontations that take place outside of your car can put you in significant danger. Maintain as much control of the situation as possible by staying in a locked car or truck. There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself in this situation.
- Keep your speed manageable. Trying to zoom away can cause you to lose control and wreck. That not only makes you more vulnerable, but also puts other innocent drivers in danger. Maintain your current speed and drive responsibly. Making good decisions and staying in one piece is the ultimate goal. Leave the high speed car chases for the movies. If a following car is threatening your safety by ramming or other attacks, keep both hands on the wheel and try to remain calm. In these situations, whoever makes the first serious driving mistake first is the one who takes the impact. An attacker swerving and hitting your car is the most likely to mess up first.
- Don’t give up. You should stay in your vehicle and keep moving if at all possible. If you must exit your vehicle, drive to a popular location with other people around. Exit your car and find help and cover immediately. If you aren’t in a populated place, drive to the nearest place that provides as much cover as possible. Anything that comes between you and the threat is some kind of protection. Exit your car and try to hide. In either case, exit your vehicle. This forces your pursuer to leave the safety and comfort of their car, too.
- Turn down small alleyways or streets to see if the other vehicle stays on your tail. If the other vehicle stays with you even through intersections and parking lots, get on the phone with law enforcement if you can to let them know you feel that you are in danger. Let them know as many specifics as possible. Keep track of your approximate location and route so that even when you are feeling stress you can help emergency services locate you.
Get Out of Town Fast
Prepare for evasive driving situations by being familiar with the roads and highways around your location. As with many other survival situations, being prepared ahead of time is the best way to pull off these techniques.
- If you’re in a new area, take the time to look over a map and learn the location of popular places like large shopping centers, police stations, and hospitals. Drive around to find the quickest route from your home or office to the nearest highway. You can avoid dangerous situations by having a knowledge of the local roads.
- Keep a road atlas available and have your local areas marked for easy access. Do not rely solely on your cell phone or GPS, they aren’t always reliable in bad weather. Prepare to bug out for emergency evacuations by highlighting the best routes out of town in your atlas ahead of time.
Practice these driving techniques to increase your chances of safety on roadways. Any time a driver feels threatened or desperate, they are a danger to everyone else on the road. Avoid unprepared drivers and other threats by being informed about local roadways and evasive driving techniques.
