Explorer ABS and steering response saved my familys life last night.

[ObsceneJesster]

I just thought I'd share my story regarding what happened to me and my family last night while driving home from dinner. I always knew the breaks on my '15 XLT were good but not this good.

We were driving home last night along a main road that had a speed limit of 45mph. We were approaching an intersection with a green light when all of a sudden a police car came flying through the intersection with just his lights on. No siren, no horn no nothing. I was probably doing 50mph and he was easily doing 65mph. An accident at these speeds could have been catastrophic.

In order to avoid colliding with his car, I had to slam on the breaks and jerk the wheel to the left. I know it didn't but the Explorer honestly felt like it stopped on a dime. The truck went exactly where I wanted it to.

What really ticked me off about the entire incident is that the cop was driving recklessly and could have killed me and my family. Had it been the other way around, I would have been pulled over and ticketed for reckless driving. I really wish I was thinking about it at the time but I wish I would have gotten his car number because I would have driven right to the precinct to file a complaint with his Sgt.

Anyhow, the breaks on this truck are honestly the best I've ever experienced. The steering is also accurate and responsive.

 

[sobsmb]

Thanks for the share, and I'm happy to hear you and your family are ok!

 

[jmr061]

Call the dept. involved and file a complaint. That is driving without due regard. I am a certified EVOC instructor and if what you say is correct (him blowing a red light w/o first making sure it was safe to clear the intersection) then the dept. will find out who it was a at a minimum have a talk with him/her. This is a training issue and if not brought to the commands attention could go unchecked and the next person in your shoes may not be as lucky.

 

[markymark0509]

Nice to know the truck is responsive when needed! Glad everyone is ok.

 

[Halwg]

Breaks = Brakes. And in this story it seems like you both were speeding. And continued stopping like that is going to break the brakes!

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Breaks = Brakes. And in this story it seems like you both were speeding. And continued stopping like that is going to break the brakes!

The speed limit was 45 and I was probably doing somewhere between 45 and 50. Around here, you are not speeding until you go over 5mph over the speed limit. This incident isn't about who and who wasn't speeding. My speed also would have had nothing to do if this accident were to occur. In regards to the cop, he is allowed to speed according to MD law. He just isn't allowed to blow a traffic light without slowing down and clearing the intersection.

Hopefully I don't have too many more incidents like this. I wouldn't want my breaks to brake.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Call the dept. involved and file a complaint. That is driving without due regard. I am a certified EVOC instructor and if what you say is correct (him blowing a red light w/o first making sure it was safe to clear the intersection) then the dept. will find out who it was a at a minimum have a talk with him/her. This is a training issue and if not brought to the commands attention could go unchecked and the next person in your shoes may not be as lucky.

I almost called the precinct when we got home but 30 minutes had already passed, I didn't get a car number and it would have been his word against mine. I just didn't feel like it would get anywhere.

By the way, I have an EVOC card and a Non-Commercial Class B License. I drive a Fire Engine in Baltimore. I knew he was in the wrong right off the bat. A lot of the cops around here and in Baltimore drive like maniacs. They also don't use their audible warning when entering an intersection half the time.

And they wonder why they total 3 cars a month.

 

[peterk9]

Breaks = Brakes. And in this story it seems like you both were speeding. And continued stopping like that is going to break the brakes!

Not to make light of a very serious incident, I have posted a few times that the word 'brake' has been the most misspelled one in the 4+ years I've been on this site.

Peter

 

[peterk9]

I almost called the precinct when we got home but 30 minutes had already passed, I didn't get a car number and it would have been his word against mine. I just didn't feel like it would get anywhere.

By the way, I have an EVOC card and a Non-Commercial Class B License. I drive a Fire Engine in Baltimore. I knew he was in the wrong right off the bat. A lot of the cops around here and in Baltimore drive like maniacs. They also don't use their audible warning when entering an intersection half the time.

And they wonder why they total 3 cars a month.

If I was in a similar situation I most surely would have called the police department. If the officer was actually enroute to a call, I would think the department should have a record of who was responding and who was in the area. It may not result in anything but at least a complaint would have been filed and recorded.
Happy to hear that all are well in what could have been a very serious incident.

Peter

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Not to make light of a very serious incident, I have posted a few times that the word 'brake' has been the most misspelled one in the 4+ years I've been on this site.

Peter

I am always misspelling words like that. "Theirs" a whole host of them that give me problems when I'm trying to type something in a hurry.

It's all good though. Every forum has a few grammar police patrolling the threads.

 

[peterk9]

That would be a very close 2nd.

Peter

 

[kirstenb]

Glad you're safe!! I haven't had to brake really hard yet, but I noticed these brakes seem so much more responsive and heavy duty than any car I've ever had.

 

[Odrapnew]

The speed limit was 45 and I was probably doing somewhere between 45 and 50. Around here, you are not speeding until you go over 5mph over the speed limit. This incident isn't about who and who wasn't speeding. My speed also would have had nothing to do if this accident were to occur. In regards to the cop, he is allowed to speed according to MD law. He just isn't allowed to blow a traffic light without slowing down and clearing the intersection.

Hopefully I don't have too many more incidents like this. I wouldn't want my breaks to brake.

Glad you were able to avoid a tragedy, I agree that the brakes on the Ex do a very good job at hauling 2.5 tons down to a stop.....but I'm going to be the bad guy.

If you were going 45(or below) vs. say 47, that may have been enough to put you further away from the intersection when he went through and you wouldn't have been in that situation.

BTW, if you openly admit your speedometer said you were going above the speed limit, that's considered speeding even if you know it reads fast. Now if you said you were going dead on a 45 and a cop clocked you at 48, there's some leeway there.

 

[Rubberhead]

There are some really ridiculous thoughts on this thread. The guy blowing the red light is at fault whether he's a cop or not. Matter of fact, he may be more at fault being a cop. The purpose of the police is to increase the safety of the citizenry, not the other way around.

 

[FordService]

...Anyhow, the breaks on this truck are honestly the best I've ever experienced. The steering is also accurate and responsive.

Wow! I'm so glad to hear that you and your family are safe, ObsceneJesster! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Crystal

 

[Sgt1411]

Call the dept. involved and file a complaint. That is driving without due regard. I am a certified EVOC instructor and if what you say is correct (him blowing a red light w/o first making sure it was safe to clear the intersection) then the dept. will find out who it was a at a minimum have a talk with him/her. This is a training issue and if not brought to the commands attention could go unchecked and the next person in your shoes may not be as lucky.

I agree 100%

Thats unacceptable

When using your emergency equipment and proceeding against red traffic signals, in most jurisdictions police have to stop, or slow to below 10MPH before proceeding.

Second issue is most Motor Vehicle Acts allow police to use lights without siren only in dire circumstances where the sound of siren would "unduly hamper the execution of his/her duties"

That better have been the case, or thats a big training issue if not a discipline issue.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Look everyone.....For the last time, I didn't create this post to discuss my speed. If you want to discuss it then the last thing I am going to say is that 50mph was an estimate since the speed limit was 45mph and I usually find myself doing no more than 5mh over the speed limit (especially with my family in the car.) I didn't look down at my speedometer right before the incident happened and I am only guessing how fast I was going. Bottom line.......It doesn't matter how fast I was going. My right of way was taken away and had the brakes on my Explorer not performed the way they did, I might not even be making this post.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

I agree 100%

Thats unacceptable

When using your emergency equipment and proceeding against red traffic signals, in most jurisdictions police have to stop, or slow to below 10MPH before proceeding.

Second issue is most Motor Vehicle Acts allow police to use lights without siren only in dire circumstances where the sound of siren would "unduly hamper the execution of his/her duties"

That better have been the case, or thats a big training issue if not a discipline issue.

I knew that police were allowed to respond to emergencies without an audible warning. MD law actually states any Emergency vehicle can respond without the use of an audible warning depending on the emergency.

At the end of the day, I don't even think a siren would have made a difference. The electronic Whelen's aren't even that loud (especially when you have your windows up in a vehicle that blocks road noise out as well as the Explorer.)

Maryland law doesn't state an emergency vehicle needs to come to a complete stop. It just states that you must slow down to a safe speed and clear the intersection prior to entering it.