Deer in the Headlights

[Kay Sera]

Now I know exactly why deer stand still in the face of oncoming traffic.

My gut instinct was to stop. That's what it said, and in the milliseconds before the car hit me, all I heard was screaming brakes from his car and all I did was pull the handlebar brakes on my bicycle for dear life.

So I stopped in front of a car careening down the road toward me at 25 mph.

I have never been more grateful for a helmet and strong bones, and I have never experienced more tender care than that given me by the six random strangers who ran out to help. 

And I have never heard such relief as when I called the 19 year old driver to tell him I was (and am) perfectly okay.

[Angela]

Glad you are okay, too.  I've heard that time kind of slows and it's almost like you watch it happening from outside the frame of reference.  Interesting read.

[Bob Clay]

As a biker with wikipedia history of broken bones I can confirm that although you see it coming, there seems to be nothing you can do about it but say "What the f....... (SPLAT)"

[Kay Sera]

thank you for explaining the actual reason why we stop. good to know.

[Gita]

Yikes. well told.

A kayaking instructor told me that the reason people hit rocks in a river is that our brains see the rock looming ahead and then the brains tell the eyes to widen, to get a good look while the brain processes the exact nature of the threat. He said we are hard wired to stare at danger and do nothing, and we have to retrain ourselves so that the new response is to steer-paddle away from the threat. I think that applies to other things as well, like oncoming cars and asteroids and clowns with seltzer.