Twice I have had law enforcement officers cut me off while I was pulling a boat on a trailer and then slam on their brakes as they pulled off the highway. They seem to get tunnel vision at times. My boat and trailer were 3,000 lbs. so no brakes and a full on panic stop would have most likely jack-knifed the trailer and smashed up one or more cars in the next lane.
With animals I hit the horn and try to go around them. One thing I did learn from my mandatory high school driver education course was to know at all times what was beside me so I could immediately switch lanes without having to take time to look and decide if it was safe to do so. It has something I have done ever since and it has saved me several times when drivers have come over into my lane without bothering to turn their head to see if it was clear to do so. This has become increasingly common with so many drivers using a cell phone in their left hand while driving and so their hand is blocking their peripheral vision at the same time that the phone call is using most of their brain cells.
I don't drive where I don't have a place to go into the next lane or onto the shoulder if I have to do so. If I am boxed in I will double the distance between my vehicle and the one in front as they are likely driving too close to the car ahead of them and that affects the stopping distance that I will have.
