Why is it that when humans see danger a few seconds ahead like a car coming fast they just stand up there?

Question

i saw it already too....a car of any other vehicle is coming and its like 10 feet away and the person stands up there and takes the blow of the car

Answer 1

If you watch Police Videos, you've already seen cases where the standing officer catches an incoming car out of the corner of his eye and leap out of the way in split seconds before the impact.  Lots of people have the ability to react instinctively to impending danger, but unfortunately, too many others end up with a "deer-in-headlights" freeze and fail to react appropriately.  Why do they do that sometimes?  They're busy trying to make a decision, but they're afraid of making the wrong decision.  ANY decision is usually better than no decision at all, but that's what we get for having an evolved higher brain that second guesses everyything that the lower brain does.  As strange as this might sound, I think quick reaction times come from practice---the more often you've had to react in an instant, the more likely you'll react similarly in the future.  You develop a knack for shutting down your "higher brain" in such times and just move.  

Answer 2

Your brain doesn't know what's going on. It's an unfamiliar situation, and your survival instinct doesn't work here.

One part of the brain is saying "Danger! Move!", where another part of the brain is saying "Hey, what's that? Let's have a look". This causes you to do nothing at all, or more correctly, keep doing what you were allready doing.

Kind of like the deer in the headlights, when it's all ready running, it will keep going, but when it's stopped, it'll keep standing still.

Answer 3

Shock?

Answer 4

Insurance money?

Answer 5

i think its shock meany  ppl have that when u cant move just stand there. its almost like when my freind got punched in her fast she was shoked and coldent move at all till some one was pulling her into the buss. i think it just might be shock.

Answer 6

This sounds like a "Deer in the Headlights" instinct, where animals freeze when they don't know what to do or where to go.

Instincts are probably designed that way because the consequences of running in a random direction may be even worse.