With big-city driving, oftentimes you cannot immediately distance yourself from an unhinged driver---you may both get stopped at the same traffic signal or traffic jam. These incidents tend to happen in heavy traffic because of the added stress of driving 15 MPH or so in a 55 MPH or higher speed limit.

When I have no choice but to be alongside a potentially threatening driver, I stop so that I'm abreast of his rear wheel, whatever side I'm on. This imposes a difficult angle for him to fire a shot while seated behind the wheel. If he were to get out of his vehicle and I can't drive out of the situation because of stopped traffic ahead of me, I'll release my seat belt and twist myself to fire rearward through a partially opened door. Regrettably, this tactic has been used against police officers who thought they were making a routine traffic stop. I'll drive through a steady red signal, if traffic permits, rather than have to engage an irate motorist. A side door has both hard and soft spots where a bullet can achieve 100% penetration. Any cover and concealment is better than none at all. If I see a gun (some motorists may fake removing something from the glove compartment to con you into thinking they're armed) and I'm momentarily trapped, all the elements are now in place, as I understand them, for me to employ deadly force. Employing deadly force against an individual who is actually armed is far more defensible than a situation in which you thought he was armed.