The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Shooting at an oncoming car thats trying to hit you

Webleymkv · November 6, 2011, 04:37 PM

I agree that the best thing to do is get out of the way. No handheld weapon less than an RPG can reliably stop an automobile instantaneously. Even if you hit the driver, disable the engine, or lock up the brakes, you've still got a several thousand pound object moving at a high rate of speed and that will take both time and distance to stop. Also, it would take some pretty unusual circumstances to convince me that the driver of a car is, without a shadow of a doubt, trying to kill me. I'd hate to shoot and kill someone only to find out that their brakes went out, their accelerator stuck, or the poor driver had a health issue that caused him/her to pass out at the wheel.

November 6, 2011, 04:37 PM	#69
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	I agree that the best thing to do is get out of the way. No handheld weapon less than an RPG can reliably stop an automobile instantaneously. Even if you hit the driver, disable the engine, or lock up the brakes, you've still got a several thousand pound object moving at a high rate of speed and that will take both time and distance to stop. Also, it would take some pretty unusual circumstances to convince me that the driver of a car is, without a shadow of a doubt, trying to kill me. I'd hate to shoot and kill someone only to find out that their brakes went out, their accelerator stuck, or the poor driver had a health issue that caused him/her to pass out at the wheel.