Anyone know the correct way to get hit by a car?

Hummer · Mar 2, 2008

So I've been watching a lot of movies and I've always wondered what is the correct way to get hit by a car? Usually the stunt doubles or actors themselves always get hit the same way. Ass onto hood, slide horizontally while back first into windshield (camera switches to inside car view to show impact and then back outside again) and then they role off and they're fine. But how do they get this perfectly at such high speeds.

Is it training and experience from stunt man school and if so what methods do they use to teach this? Before watching "On The Lot" I always thought that these guys were wrapped in bubble wrap or something so they'll be fine.

Well anyways I'm just curious. Not because I plan on getting hit by a car or anything, but just because movies make me curious.

yg17 · Mar 2, 2008

Hummer said:
But how do they get this perfectly at such high speeds.

My guess would be CGI, green screen, or doing it really slowly plus the fast forward button

Melrose · Mar 3, 2008

Hummer said:
So I've been watching a lot of movies and I've always wondered what is the correct way to get hit by a car?

Make it count. Step in front of a Peterbilt 379.

Seriously, given the kind of injuries people sustain from moderate impacts when they're inside a medium sized car going 30MPH, I'd say your chances of surviving a direct hit without any protection would be nil.

jb60606 · Mar 3, 2008

roll onto the hood of the car.

smokeyrabbit · Mar 3, 2008

"Stunt man getting hit by car" shot is made up of several camera angles (ie. several shots) and they either aren't actually hit, or roll over the hood, just like all stunt shots. For all I know they have the car's hood replaced with pillows when they go over. Green screen and CGI was not popular until recently, look at all the old movies where guys actually had to do the stunts. You also never see a guy in a speedo getting mashed, it's usually a guy in a full biker outfit or other costume that facilitates wearing protective pads and such.

You can also use a dummy for the actual impact and then cut to your actor for the surrounding moments.

Antares · Mar 3, 2008

Jump only high enough to reach the front height of the hood. Tuck your arms, turn your body counterclockwise and roll, if possible, parallel to the plane of movement of the vehicle. You want to distribute the force of impact as much as you can. But time it so you don't go face first into the windshield. You'll sustain less injury with an impact on your back then your front...where you'll be more likely to sustain greater physical trauma.

I hope I don't see you on the news. Good luck.

skunk · Mar 3, 2008

If you stand your ground and make sure your Chi is properly centred, the car will just fold around you.

ejb190 · Mar 3, 2008

skunk said:
If you stand your ground and make sure your Chi is properly centred, the car will just fold around you.

If your Chi is not properly centered, you will find yourself folded around the car...

MarkCollette · Mar 3, 2008

Personally, when I got hit by a car, there happened to be a brick wall immediately behind me, to support my body. No broken bones, nor being sent flying. Of course there was the issue of the mangles tissue, a severed artery, internal bleeding, and nerve damage. But you can probably just walk that off. Months later, when you can walk again. That's how I recommend getting hit by a car.

c073186 · Mar 3, 2008

Hummer said:
So I've been watching a lot of movies and I've always wondered what is the correct way to get hit by a car? Usually the stunt doubles or actors themselves always get hit the same way. Ass onto hood, slide horizontally while back first into windshield (camera switches to inside car view to show impact and then back outside again) and then they role off and they're fine. But how do they get this perfectly at such high speeds.

Is it training and experience from stunt man school and if so what methods do they use to teach this? Before watching "On The Lot" I always thought that these guys were wrapped in bubble wrap or something so they'll be fine.

Well anyways I'm just curious. Not because I plan on getting hit by a car or anything, but just because movies make me curious.

Just out of curiosity, were you serious? I mean, do you actually think that stunt people in movies get hit by cars going 60 mph and by same magical technique sustain no injuries? If that were the case, I think we would maybe be learning how to do that in driver's ed or some class ... because it seems that would be useful knowledge.

PlaceofDis · Mar 3, 2008

the correct way to be hit by a car:

don't.

Stampyhead · Mar 3, 2008

Mmm hmm...

MacFanBoyIIe · Mar 3, 2008

I don't know if there is a correct way, but I survived.

richkent72 · Mar 3, 2008

Buy the Torchwood season 1 DVDs - There's an extra that shows how it's done. Basically the car is moving slower and the stunt is actually several separate stunts filmed from different angles. The stuntman/woman may not even be in the path of the car for some shots, but the camera angle makes them appear to be.

Lau · Mar 3, 2008

c073186 said:
If that were the case, I think we would maybe be learning how to do that in driver's ed or some class ... because it seems that would be useful knowledge.

I know what you're saying, but there is a "good" way to be hit by a car and it's a good thing to learn as a cyclist (and is probably worth considering as a pedestrian as well). If you know you're going to be hit and there's no way of avoiding it it's about getting yourself up on the bonnet and rolling as much as you can. A proper cyclist can probably elaborate on my vague description.

dopey220 · Mar 3, 2008

This reminds me of a funny story.

A few years ago, I was at this party. There was this really irritating drunk guy there whose band was playing. As the party was winding down, I walked outside to leave and saw the guy jump in front of this girl's car just to be a jackass, with a big dumb grin on his face. The windshield smashed, and when she got out to yell at him he tried to play it off like it was an accident, and was her fault.

No one was injured, so I didn't feel too bad about giggling a little. I felt sorry for the girl, though.

apsterling · Mar 3, 2008

I got hit on my bicycle, but it (at 10 or so MPH) just fishtailed my tire and scraped up my leg (didn't even hurt, actually) needless to say, the nice man gave me a ride to school, where I cleaned myself up.

mactastic · Mar 3, 2008

Lau said:
I know what you're saying, but there is a "good" way to be hit by a car and it's a good thing to learn as a cyclist (and is probably worth considering as a pedestrian as well). If you know you're going to be hit and there's no way of avoiding it it's about getting yourself up on the bonnet and rolling as much as you can. A proper cyclist can probably elaborate on my vague description.

It's the same way you avoid injury from a fall or other similar situation: convert as much of the linear energy into rotational energy as you can rather than trying to absorb all the linear energy. Or absorb the energy slowly, as in skidding on a surface parallel to your line of action.

Obviously this is only effective up to a point.

MacNut · Mar 3, 2008

You want to jump the hood and roll. Most injuries are either getting pinned to the grill or being thrown.

xUKHCx · Mar 3, 2008

Drawing from my vast experience hit by 2 cars and a bus spin away as much as possible.

ErikCLDR · Mar 3, 2008

Ask Hillary Swank in The Next Karate Kid....

Let's look at the script!

After the girl gets hit by a car

Where you learn that?

Learn what?

Jump into tiger position
when car almost hit you.
They no teach that kind of stuff
girl's gym.

I don't know what you're talking about.
I just reacted.
My father taught me karate
when I was a little girl.
We used to do it every night
after school.
I thought it was a game.

Your grandpapa...
save Miyagi life...
long time ago.
Was wartime.
So, Miyagi try to say thank you...
teach him karate.
He love karate.
He teach your father.
Your father teach you.
And then they died.

So there you go... you use the "Tiger Position"

God that is a strange movie

Anyone know the correct way to get hit by a car?

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