On 7/15/2010 2:39 PM, Vitaliy wrote:
>
> However, if you had minutes to react, wouldn't your instinct be to shift to
> neutral?
>
>    
I don't know, there is a fairly widely circulated video of a full size 
SUV, might have been a Tahoe or expedition sort vehicle. On a wide 
(maybe 4 lanes one way) and light traffic, not sure exactly why, but 
maybe a sudden lane change to the left, the rear wheels started sliding 
to the left (dry pavement). We are all told to steer in the direction of 
the skid. The rear slide continued until the vehicle was perpendicular 
to the direction of original travel and the lanes, at which point it 
rolled over with the front wheels still pointed vehicle forward. There 
was no appropriate steering action. If there had been even a moderate 
appropriate action (reaction), there would have been no accident. 
Undoubtedly, officially the vehicle got blamed, but, I believe that was 
driver error.

The point being, today driver training is just the start of it, but 
there are available today for the younger drivers, classes where 
defensive and not routine driving conditions are practiced including a 
skid pad. :)  I have discussed with more than a few, what to do with a 
stuck open throttle. Many (most?) were surprised to hear the put it in 
neutral thing. Many would have turned the key off, which would have 
locked the steering wheel.
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