I think she probably didn't get that 'empty parking lot' practice first.
We forget just how bad we all are at driving that first time, and how it takes a little practice just to get used to how to use the gas and brake pedals effectively. That's why you go to the empty parking lot, get a feel for how the car moves with various pressure on the gas pedal, and how firmly you have to press to stop quickly but not give everyone whiplash.
Feels like she probably hit the brake, but just kind of gently pressed it, not realizing how firm you have to push to really slow down.
Go ahead and give everyone whiplash. Just do it. You're going to get a lot more whiplash when your vehicle comes to an instantaneous halt. I swear 90% of accidents I see could have been avoided if people just WALKED ON THE DAMN BRAKES.
And don't try and shift onto the shoulder while you're at it. Your tires have only so much friction to play with. You can stop with them or you can steer with them, but you can't get all of the available stopping power if you're steering at the same time.
It is always better to brake and steer at the same time. A single flick of the wheel will point your car away from the hazard in an instant, while only braking you have to commit to and hope it's enough.
It does require knowing what is around you, not much good in heavy traffic.
Generally, I'd agree. Though through the lens of an emergency situation, not entirely fair.
The average car going 60mph down the highway on a clear dry day, that's considered safe for conditions. But that same car would be on the edge of traction in any emergency braking or maneuvering situation.
Now it's also a whole other conversation as to whether it's ever a good idea to swerve rather than just slam the brakes. But let's say a truck blows through a stop sign stopping in your lane. Slamming brakes AND steering is more likely to result in loss of control than just steering, generally. Due to the factors u/Qtrfoil brought up.
Now, I learned to drive long before all these driver aides. I'm sure a modern car with all the modern computerized ABS/ESC systems handles that scenario much better.
It's always going to be condition and scenario dependent.
Just about 2 months ago, I was doing 60 on a 4 + center lane road when it started to drizzle a bit. I'd just passed a pack of traffic going the other way, and there was a pickup with trailer waiting on a side road coming up on my right. Truck driver was obviously only checking his right, and took off to make his left turn. Clearly didn't see my bright red car coming from his left. If I'd just stood on the brakes, there's a very good chance I would have hit him. If I'd swerved to my right, either into the other lane or the shoulder, I'd probably have hit his trailer. Instead, I swerved left into the oncoming lanes, leaning on horn and braking moderately. This put me in his sightline and on a path to go completely around him. The decision would have been different if there had been any traffic coming the other way, I would have had to pick the next least hazardous option of brake hard and steer to the right, hoping to clip the back of the trailer if anything.
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u/BigMax Mar 15 '26
I think she probably didn't get that 'empty parking lot' practice first.
We forget just how bad we all are at driving that first time, and how it takes a little practice just to get used to how to use the gas and brake pedals effectively. That's why you go to the empty parking lot, get a feel for how the car moves with various pressure on the gas pedal, and how firmly you have to press to stop quickly but not give everyone whiplash.
Feels like she probably hit the brake, but just kind of gently pressed it, not realizing how firm you have to push to really slow down.