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How do you maintain safe distance from those in adjacent lanes? Especially if they may come from behind you, suddenly change lanes in front, then break hard?

int_19h 4y ago
You do not, but that wasn't the hypothetical posited by OP. In the actual case with Tesla, the driver of the car that was in front of the pile-up was not at fault IMO. But there were a bunch more cars behind, and at least some of those slammed into each other because they didn't maintain proper distance, according to the police.
- throw827474737 4y ago
  Are we looking at the same video? The turn signal is on long before, the lane change of the car starts long before.. you don't see any reaction of the following driver even when the Tesla's tires finally cross the line, which is the latest point where the following driver must adapt apeed and distance, but nothing happens?
  - quacksilver 4y ago
    I am not sure about the US, but in most countries I have driven in, putting a turn signal on is asking for permission to enter another lane, and there is no 'right' to go into the other lane or expect drivers currently there to slow down for you. If there is an obstruction ahead, the safest scenario is to change to an empty lane ('empty' including safety distance) or brake in your lane to avoid hitting it. If you have some other problem you should probably brake slowly and change lanes to the outer edge of the road whenever there are safe gaps. I would probably be off the gas or braking based on movement of the car in the other lane as part of driving defensively, though i don't think there is any 'obligation' for me to do so. The behavior of the Tesla would also strike me as rather odd (assuming a right hand drive country unless there is a off-ramp coming up on the left) as it appears to be pulling over to the wrong side of the road.
throw827474737 4y ago
You don't, but as soon as you see the car in front of you change the lane (or just indicating via turn signal), you should? And to be honest, this looks more like slowing down and not a hard break, and at least the first following driver slept quite a bit... agreed the stopping had no reason, so (as someone quoted German laws) for that you would be too blame... but for crashing into the car with that video footage, I'm sure the following driver would get at least 80% if not 100% blame.

int_19h 4y ago

You do not, but that wasn't the hypothetical posited by OP. In the actual case with Tesla, the driver of the car that was in front of the pile-up was not at fault IMO. But there were a bunch more cars behind, and at least some of those slammed into each other because they didn't maintain proper distance, according to the police.

throw827474737 4y ago
Are we looking at the same video? The turn signal is on long before, the lane change of the car starts long before.. you don't see any reaction of the following driver even when the Tesla's tires finally cross the line, which is the latest point where the following driver must adapt apeed and distance, but nothing happens?
- quacksilver 4y ago
  I am not sure about the US, but in most countries I have driven in, putting a turn signal on is asking for permission to enter another lane, and there is no 'right' to go into the other lane or expect drivers currently there to slow down for you. If there is an obstruction ahead, the safest scenario is to change to an empty lane ('empty' including safety distance) or brake in your lane to avoid hitting it. If you have some other problem you should probably brake slowly and change lanes to the outer edge of the road whenever there are safe gaps. I would probably be off the gas or braking based on movement of the car in the other lane as part of driving defensively, though i don't think there is any 'obligation' for me to do so. The behavior of the Tesla would also strike me as rather odd (assuming a right hand drive country unless there is a off-ramp coming up on the left) as it appears to be pulling over to the wrong side of the road.

throw827474737 4y ago

You don't, but as soon as you see the car in front of you change the lane (or just indicating via turn signal), you should? And to be honest, this looks more like slowing down and not a hard break, and at least the first following driver slept quite a bit... agreed the stopping had no reason, so (as someone quoted German laws) for that you would be too blame... but for crashing into the car with that video footage, I'm sure the following driver would get at least 80% if not 100% blame.