The life and death stare-down was as memorable as it was brief. Scant yards from my home, after an hour of outwitting some real crazy post-holiday “driving” on I-84 and I-91, it would have been normal to start relaxing as I turned onto my street. Dusk itself was inviting me to unwind after such a journey. Patiently timing the gap after two oncoming cars, I instinctively shuffled the steering wheel to engage the gentle 70⁰ left, hands back in their natural 9&3 positions.

BOOM! Real-time drama unfolded center-stage, just 40 feet straight ahead. Powerful Cayenne headlights illuminated the surprised star of the act, a full grown mama deer. Her hoofs were no match for the steep oak-leaf laden bank and it became clear that her final resting place was going to be in the middle of my lane, now just 30 feet ahead. Too late to re-grip the steering wheel. Too late to wish for more time. Way too late to brake with any hope of changing the inevitable.

BAM! Violent weight transferred forward.

UGH! I grunted as I hit the steering wheel like a hammer.

BIG G-force! Another grunt immediately followed, more G’s.

Speechless, until I was able to utter “Are you OK?” to Pam in the right front seat.

Luckily, Mama Deer lived, Pam was shaken but okay, and in utter disbelief it seemed that my GTS was untouched! This two-second long drama would have ended very differently if not for years of rehearsal for this very kind of event.  Thank you AutoX-University!

How would you have acted in this real situation? Here is a slow-mo replay of what I did, presented to help reinforce the lessons we all learned last year at CVR’s AutoX University. A two second encounter that turned a certain violent crash into a violent save.  

The initial “Bam” was violent application of the brakes, not done with any hope of stopping in time but only to instill maximum weight transfer to the front tires, readying them to deliver super-turning-power. Too much or too quick of a brake stab would have kicked in the ABS and that inefficiency would have meant certain impact. Too little braking would have meant that crippling understeer would follow and fur would meet the hood or at least the fender.

Trail-braking could then immediately commence in-sync, with dramatically “hitting” the steering wheel with the hammer-like force. A velvet covered hammer, but no less as brutal. Tightening core muscles provided the foundation from which such vigorous force could flow and a resultant “grunt” would be heard if I had time to actually let any air escape. The steering wheel was hammered to the left with eyes guiding it to the desired open spot. Without already having hands in the ideal 9&3 position from instinctively shuffle steering onto my street, the bench-press level of force would not have been possible and the slight delay would have ended with impact. It was OH SO CLOSE! So much so that as I cleared the deer, a feeling of utter amazement came over me. The miss could not have had ANY margin. I felt compelled to check the right side for deer teeth just to be sure.  

It wasn’t over! Although the first “flick” was complete and the deer saved, I was now in the wrong lane. I knew it was safe to use that asphalt before I flicked left but a hasty retreat to my lane was in order to retain that safety. Since the right side suspension springs were still FULLY compressed they could now be unleashed to rapidly throw weight to the left side springs. With a slightly more relaxed grunt, the steering wheel was then turned right and the return to my lane ended the ordeal.

These brutal actions had been well calibrated and practiced many times at our CVR  AutoX events. Avoiding orange and green vinyl “deer” was a common metaphor used in our AutoX-U lessons. Indeed, it was no accident that there was no accident. Vital prerequisites were all needed used in this drama; relaxed wide field of view, actually looking ahead, proper seating, hands poised because of shuffle steering, and the actions were freshly practiced. Dilute any of them and the cast in this play most certainly would have involved plaster.

Car control skills learned, refined, and repeatedly practiced at CVR AutoX events do absolutely make a difference. Although avoiding “vinyl deer” at speed in a big parking lot is a lot more fun than dodging the real ones, it’s gratifying to know the AutoX-University skills do in fact directly translate to the street. Join the AutoX-U Class of 2023 to freshen your “Better Driving…Faster!” Dates will be published soon on the CVR AutoX web page (https://cvrpca.com/autox/ ).