I feel safer in my MINI than in my Volvo! And that's saying a lot. The car may be short, but they're pretty high. The bright whire roof helps. The MINI actaully seems to stick out a little.
Just avoid hanging out in people's blind spots. I hate that. Pass, paralell or ahead.

 

It is,now.

 

I think it's all relative to whatever you drove before the MINI.

I had a Cavalier, so the MINI feels like a tank

 

Don't forget, the white zone is for loading and unloading.

If I'm going to slow down while being tail gated I always tap the brake three times quick before applying them just to get their attention first.
Or if that doesn't work a quick move over and back like I'm dodging road debris. They seem to realize we aren't in the same handling league because they can't execute the same maneuvers or think I’m crazy/OCD and just back off.
If they are an *** and won't back off, on go the flashers hoping a Cop will notice.
Over all I feel really safe in my MCS I just pretend I'm invisible.

 

Although this is my 1st MINI, I've had nothing but small cars. My other car is a Hyundai Accent. I try to stay as far away as can from SUVs, Pickups, and Semis. Semis make me especially mad, because I've known quite a few people who are or were truckers. If you're next to a truck, and they want over, they'll start coming over into your lane trying to force you out of their way. (making you have to slow down, speed up, change lanes, or sometimes run off the road) They would like you to believe that they can't see you, but from what I've been told by other truckers, they can see you. They just want in that lane, and they're willing to run you off the road to get into that lane. When I'm in the Hyundai, I stand my ground and honk my horn. It hasn't happened in the MINI yet, so I'm not sure what I'll do. It just makes me mad that they're willing to risk my life, so they can have a stupid lane.

 

Tiny horn button? On the 06 it's pretty big and hard to miss.

 

Five months of owning our MINIs and the only real problem we've encountered among other drivers... Admirers. When driving on the interstates, cars want to hang next to us to check out one of The Twins. So they start to drift over into our lane because their eyes are not where they should be. :impatient

We've learned to hug the right line a bit on the interstates.

 

You should name your MINI "The Pygmy Pony". I'll lend you my zircon encrusted tweezers.

On the serious side, a lot of good tips here but I would add, don't drive scared. You'll have more problems being indecisive. I tend to stay ahead of everyone so my focus is on the side street kamakazies.

 

This is a very important point. Try pointing them out farther than you think they should be and see how it does. They're easy to adjust, after all.

 

This is probably why insurance is so high too. I can't complain though, because I'm pretty lucky. I've used the same insurance company since I was 16, and I'm now 27 and never made a claim. They give me a pretty good deal for my loyalty, but it's still annoying to think that all that money I've paid the insurance company is going toward buying crazy drivers new cars.

 

Have you ever thought about taking up motorcycling? Trust me, once you've spent some time on a motorcycle in traffic, you'll feel as if you're in a Brinks Armored Truck when you take your MINI out for a spin.

 

"If you sense someone around you isn't paying attention, get out of there ASAP."

Very good advice... was on the freeway last night in some pretty bad LA stop and go traffic. Then this guy gets behind me and I'm watching him in my rear view mirror looking around his car, in the backseat, leaning over to the glovebox.... I was outta there... not waiting for this idiot to rear end me!

 

My advice is to mod your MINI up to the highest bhp you can cram in. I am constantly finding myself in dangerous situations but always find that the solution is to kick in the afterburners to escape the danger zone.

Two days ago, a HUGE Mercedes ignorantly pulled into the already small "braking distance" space I was allowing in front of me in the passing lane of a crowded NJ Turnpike rush hour - after this bonehead maneuver, I literally had five feet to her bumper at 80 mph, and she immediately started braking to open up more braking room for herself.

I jerked to the middle lane and accelerated at light speed to pull back in front of her (into the large braking distance she was then allowing herself). She was furious and kept hitting me with high beams for miles - but I refuse to have my safety compromised by a bad aggressive driver who feels entitled to dominate others.

I just turned on my rear fog light and zoomed away to more open parts of the road.....

Now, the cop who might stop me after such higher-speed maneuvers might threaten a ticket, but I will argue that I am defending myself and my life from really bad drivers and really deadly situations. The MINI allows you the speed and nimbleness to do so - but you need to proactively take advantage of it.

Bill

 

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

That only works for little old ladies driving Benz

Sounds like a post for the Road Rage thread

Try that against someone who is equally agressive and see what happens. Might not be a pretty picture.

 

That's what I still drive, and I have people cut (across) in front of me every day.

(As a matter of fact, I was on that locomotive a few months ago.)

 

exactley big diesel trucks who think they own the road get right on your behind until you move over or run off the road

 

Oh, that Benz lady was plenty young and plenty aggressive....

Not sure I agree with your observation - since (I think) there is a difference between using your speed and power to remove yourself from a bad situation and away from a bad driver (which was my point) - versus just "playing with" or "taunting" or "sticking it to" another driver who offends you. Almost every day I have some immature driver trying to race me or check out exactly what the MINI does - and I always let them go on their way without engaging them (well, amost always....)

Do you really see what I did as "aggressive"? Yes, I was mad at this witch, mainly because she did something stupid that endangered my safety. My reaction was not to flip her the bird but to get the heck around her and away from her - I think that is different from the usual road rage situation where you are not fleeing to safety but targeting the other driver.

Every driver finds himself or herself in a sudden dangerous situation from time to time (either from someone's intentional or unintentional action) - and my point is only that the MINI gives you more options in escaping such potentially dangerous situations. Hooray for afterburners....

Bill

 

I'm with you 100% on this Bill.

 

I feel you Jinsun. For some reason people can NOT see the pink MINI. (wtf?!)

I know I'm safe tho... I saw a friend roll his MINI and walk away Add to that all the other accident stories here.. and you will know youre good.

If you want something to make you feel better... add a pair of Schroth harnesses!

 

This is true, I went from a "mommy van" to a lifted Jeep Wrangler to a Z3.... found out with the Z I gotta watch those big trucks... they literally couldn't see me if I was right beside them. Sometimes I felt like putting a big dunebuggy flag on my antenna spout! Now with Moe I'm used to protecting my position so all is fine.

 

If you had ever driven a large commercial vehicle you wouldn't think that way. You can be missed being seen by the driver of a big rig. I've driven them & it scares the heck out of me & most likely the one that I didn't happen to see. Yes some truckers drive like bullies, but holding your ground in your Hyundai seems ill advised. Do you think the driver of one of those rigs will even hear your horn? Most likely not, but he may feel his rear wheels running over the top of you. You may be in the right, but you could also end up dead right. IMO the best course of action is to not play with big rigs. Give them room & don't drive along next to them except to pass. Drive safe & good luck to you.

 

On the highway or expressway I usually avoid getting close to big trucks / trailers and buses. Either I keep a safe distance or if I have too, overtake quickly and be a safe distance ahead of them.

 

I have what I call my five-second rule: I will spend no more than five seconds passing a semi.

 

[/quote]Maybe I'll move to Montana, become a dental-floss tycoon.[/quote]