[puffer]

Has anyone every been behind a raised pickup truck cruising on the freeway, when the truck changes lanes last second and the traffic is completely stopped right in front? Not braking or even switching lanes earlier.

This has happened to me 3 times in the last 13 years of driving. I know that's not an impressive number but that is 3 times too many. A regular driver would start braking early to slow down and to warn cars behind that traffic is slowing or stopped ahead. These guys have to know they obstruct the view of everyone behind them with their huge ass trucks, but still pull this stunt.
It has only happend to me while behind big trucks and I have never noticed any other vehicles doing this. Now I try to avoid being behind them, and if I have no choice, I follow wayyyy behind, to the point I start getting tailgated.

Just thought I share and see if this happens to anyone else.

[Jumbosock]

My E46M3 was rear-ended and totalled as a result of someone changing lanes last minute and the person behind him plowing into me. =( I was ready for a new car anyway.

[swanson]

nothing to do with pickups. Keep your distance behind any vehicle and you wont have that problem

[puffer]

But you can usually see in whats going on in front of most cars. Going at freeway speeds to a dead stop comfortably needs lots of distance. No one drives with that much space typically. And to switch lanes last second without warning cars behind you is a dick move.

[justinnum1]

Originally Posted by swanson

nothing to do with pickups. Keep your distance behind any vehicle and you wont have that problem

this

[son_of_siggy]

Originally Posted by puffer

No one drives with that much space typically.

Sure they do. Responsible drivers do it everyday. If you're so close you can't see around them, you need to back off. It's easy to see around semi-trucks with the right distance. You're following too closely, plain and simple.

You don't always need to drive with enough space to come to a dead stop at comfortable levels, you just need enough space to see far enough ahead to KNOW when you'll need that extra space. Driving the way you describe is one of the primary ways motorcyclists are killed.

[puffer]

Mind you all times this happened to me, I was able to stop in time. I never said i was tailgating
My main gripe is that they didn't bother giving cars behind them a heads up that traffic was stopped and wait until the very last second to change lanes when they could have done it much sooner, or even tap the brakes. Here in socal, there are long stretches of straight flat freeways. You can't always see what is in front of a truck no matter how far behind it you are.

[san~man]

Originally Posted by puffer

My main gripe is that they didn't bother giving cars behind them a heads up that traffic was stopped and wait until the very last second to change lanes when they could have done it much sooner, or even tap the brakes.

It's not their responsibility to give cars behind them a "heads up," it's the responsibility of the driver in the back to keep a safe distance.

How do you know that they weren't caught off guard like yourself, and executing an "emergency" lane change in order to avoid an accident?

Put the responsibility on yourself instead of someone else.

[puffer]

Originally Posted by san~man

It's not their responsibility to give cars behind them a "heads up," it's the responsibility of the driver in the back to keep a safe distance.

How do you know that they weren't caught off guard like yourself, and executing an "emergency" lane change in order to avoid an accident?

Put the responsibility on yourself instead of someone else.

It's may not be there responsibility but it is recommended by DMV as a safe drving practice to warn traffic behind you.
They could have been caught off guard also, but just hard for me to believe with them sitting so high they can't see many cars ahead.

My original question is if this ever happend to anyone. I'll take the answer as NO. And from everyone's response, I guess I am the irresponsible one for complaining.

[rbehniwal]

The bigger the truck, the further back you have to drive. That way the driver can see you too.

[vasmir]

Originally Posted by san~man

... It's not their responsibility to give cars behind them a "heads up," it's the responsibility of the driver in the back to keep a safe distance...

+1

Originally Posted by puffer

... Here in socal, there are long stretches of straight flat freeways. You can't always see what is in front of a truck no matter how far behind it you are.

No, I never follow close enough that if the car in front of me suddenly stopped, I couldn't stop or avoid it. And if I can't see beyond of the car in front of me, I fall back farther to see, or drive a little closer to the line to see around.

It annoys me when I'm following a car with a safe amount of distance and another car merges between us. If a deer runs into the highway or traffic is stopped ahead, they're toast. Clearly they don't realize the physical limitations of the their 15 yr old honda civic... or the laws of physics.