I'm not a skillful driver, and my usual response to a driving emergency is to BRAKE. (This is why it's good that I have ABS and, now, stability control - so I can brake as hard as I want and still swerve also.) The one big accident I ever got into was my fault; I started to run a red light by accident, realized it at the last minute, and decided not to stop because what are the odds a car will be right there where I can't see? Only a car was right there and hit me.
I think I respond well to crime emergencies. I am usually ready to pull out my cell phone at the first sign of trouble. I sprang away like a springbok once when a suspicious car pulled up next to me on a deserted street. I often have dreams in which I am threatened by criminals and I respond correctly and effectively (e.g., by running away screaming).
In my opinion, the key to dealing with emergencies is thinking about them ahead of time. Obviously you can't prepare for everything that might ever happen in your whole life, but you can think through a lot of situations (roommate is lying on the floor apparently unconscious; stove is on fire; basement is filling with water; all of the above) and mentally rehearse your responses (dial 911, kneel beside roommate; reach for container of flour kept in pantry, pour on fire; call a plumber; freak out!)
I'm sure this is true of driving situations also. Sometimes you can even practice things like emergency braking or swerving (when the road is empty). If you have ABS, it is helpful to practice how that feels too - try it when there is a patch of ice or a pool of water around in an empty lot so you don't have to brake super-hard to activate it.
emergency response
I'm not a skillful driver, and my usual response to a driving emergency is to BRAKE. (This is why it's good that I have ABS and, now, stability control - so I can brake as hard as I want and still swerve also.) The one big accident I ever got into was my fault; I started to run a red light by accident, realized it at the last minute, and decided not to stop because what are the odds a car will be right there where I can't see? Only a car was right there and hit me.
I think I respond well to crime emergencies. I am usually ready to pull out my cell phone at the first sign of trouble. I sprang away like a springbok once when a suspicious car pulled up next to me on a deserted street. I often have dreams in which I am threatened by criminals and I respond correctly and effectively (e.g., by running away screaming).
In my opinion, the key to dealing with emergencies is thinking about them ahead of time. Obviously you can't prepare for everything that might ever happen in your whole life, but you can think through a lot of situations (roommate is lying on the floor apparently unconscious; stove is on fire; basement is filling with water; all of the above) and mentally rehearse your responses (dial 911, kneel beside roommate; reach for container of flour kept in pantry, pour on fire; call a plumber; freak out!)
I'm sure this is true of driving situations also. Sometimes you can even practice things like emergency braking or swerving (when the road is empty). If you have ABS, it is helpful to practice how that feels too - try it when there is a patch of ice or a pool of water around in an empty lot so you don't have to brake super-hard to activate it.
Tam