Were you planning on exiting the vehicle or spraying from within?

If there's any wind at all, you'll end up with some spray-back. Even if there's no wind, you may still get some pepper effect on yourself. The problem with shooting from inside the car is the sprayer will be near your head when you shoot unless you really reach the thing out the window away from you.

Plus surprise is important. If you're waving it around threateningly he may try to grab it away from you. Best thing is to stay calm (hard to do with someone screaming at you) and whip it out and spray.

*Later*
I visited that web site and noticed that the personal spray is actually more concentrated than the bear spray (3% vs 2%). Apparently the bear spray canister delivers a larger load much faster than the personal one.

 

The personal size spray is designed to be carried on your person, but why carry a little bottle when you can easily carry a big bottle in your vehicle?

 

As long as you don't live in a hot climate. I read an account awhile back of a hiker leaving a can in his truck after returning from hiking trip in Yellowstone. Can overheated in the desert (AZ or NM?) and rendered the truck uninhabitable

On another note, when I was traveling up north, never hiked without it. Good stuff.

 

Every incident is different so you have to use some judgment. But if you are in reasonable apprehension of physical danger you are entitled to defend yourself. The beauty of the bear spray is that it stops the guy 15 feet before he gets to your window. Obviously, spraying from inside the vehicle or spraying into the wind is a bad idea. But, if you extend your arm out the window and spray on a windless day or spray downwind, you'll be okay. You can actually practice this technique.

I ask this respectfully: What's the alternative? Waiting until the guy is at your window and able to strike you? At that point you're fighting hand to hand and you're far more likely to get hurt and it's far more likely you're going to have to hurt the other guy. I have weapons in the vehicle I could use at close range, but I wouldn't want to if I could avoid it.

 

Buy a Taser if its legal in your area.

I was on my way to work one morning and pulled into a parking space at a 7-11 type store. A guy and a girl were there a couple of cars away. He was yelling at her, then he shoved her, I was about to tell him to calm down when he slapped her. He was a big guy and her head twisted around. I yelled at him to stop it and calm down and he started advancing on me yelling obscenities.

I had a momentary thought at a fight, but instead I tasered his butt. He went down, laid on the asphalt for probably 15 seconds, sat up and yanked the wires off. He then stood up, wobbly, and hobbled, bent over, to his car
started it up and left. Left his girlfriend there. When police arrived they took down information but she kept insisting she didn't want to press charges and kept giving me dirty looks. No good deed goes unpunished.

Point is, the thing works!

 

Well, if some is good then more is better. Right? :

 

Excellent idea! However, I would rather get this from the Fox Labs. It works up to 30 ft and you can get it in a stream variety if you are afraid of the changing winds.

http://www.defensedevices.com/foxlabonepou.html


Also, don't forget the Fox Labs Grenades

http://www.defensedevices.com/foxpespgr.html

 

This is a horrible idea. Spraying from the vehicle is the dumbest thing you could possible do. Then you're in a tiny box filled with OC &/or CS vapor. Sounds like the worst hotbox you can imagine.

Not only that, but the cans really do rupture in the heat, from age, an impact or crash, etc. etc. You're just asking for trouble keeping that crap in your car. Get your CCW permit and carry a firearm if you are that worried. Or keep a bat under the seat. Personally, if some moron gets out and threatens me, i'm not getting out of the truck. There is a loaded weapon in the truck at all times, so i'm not to concerned about being unprepared.

 

One of the dumber things you could possibly do is pull a loaded pistol for any conceivable threat.

I've carried bear spray in my vehicle for years and it has never ruptured. I've sprayed it from the vehicle without a problem. So, I'm not sure what experience you're drawing upon when you make your conclusions. A bat under the seat strikes me as a weapon of limited usefulness when you're sitting the driver's seat.

And, I have a CCW permit and carry a pistol. My point is that a loaded weapon is not always the appropriate response. The choices you offer are 1) sitting in the vehicle with your right arm effectively disabled while someone punches your lights out, or 2) shooting him. I would argue that the bear spray might be a better alternative in some situations.

 

I'll say that I've never shot a pepper spray can but I saw a guy do it at arm's length. He still ended up with watering eyes so that's why I asked. So you were able to shoot the spray out the car window without any tearing yourself?

Sort of related:
I had a couple of a$$holes on motorcycles harassing me at a traffic light one time. I pulled my teeny little pepper spray out and pointed it at the nearest one and they both backed off. There was some cussing and muttering but the situation defused. The big danger when this happened was what if one of 'em was packing? They weren't luckily but I was shaking like a leaf for an hour afterward.

 

Pepper foam is a better idea than any spray, in my opinion. It shoots as a stream so it gives you distance. It also doesn't shed spray particles, so you're less likely to get a dose, yourself. Plus it clings like mad.

 

I appreciate your comments and it underscores my point: I think the single most likely place to face a violent encounter these days is in your vehicle, and your vehicle is a crappy venue from which to launch a defensive attack because of the space limitations. Your attacker is free to move about and you are belted into this small space. Again, the best strategy is to simply drive away if you are able, but sometimes you're locked in place by nearby vehicles or structures. It is easy for an attacker to break your window and access the interior of your vehicle. Guns are effective, but your defensive response needs to be reasonable.

I carry five weapons at all times in my vehicle: bear spray, a flashlight with a tactical bezel, a collapsible baton, a knife, and a baby Glock 9mm. The bear spray has a defensive range of 30 feet. The knife and flashlight are stabbing weapons if a guy gets his body in range, and they are short weapons that can be effectively used in the tight confines of the vehicle. The baton is good when I'm on foot outside the vehicle and deadly force is not required. The 9mm is good anywhere but only if deadly force is required.

The 9mm is stored in a lockable console vault. The knife is in the sunglasses holder above my head. The baton is jammed between the passenger's seat and center console where I can readily grab it. The flashlight is in the tray in the center console. Having prepared for the worst, in my opinion the bear spray is the weapon to use about 90% of the time.

Here's the flashlight and the end of the baton poking out from between the seat and console (passenger's side view):

Baton and flashlight:

 

I was at a gas station yesterday where a guy was blasting rap music. I told him to turn it down, and he did. Then he turned it back up when I walked back around to pump my gas.

I came back around and told him to turn it down. He did. I told him not to turn it up again.
He said a few things, which made me laugh and I finished pumping my gas and we left.

I had explained that my son was in my car, and besides that its rude. I told him its Sunday, and he should probably be more respectful. He was a small little flat bill hat white guy, wanting to be a scary thug. However, showing your underwear and intemidating old people, only sets yourself up for what ever God sends you, your way.


My point is this. Its not always road rage, it can just some times be confrontations. Ones that you honestly bring upon yourself. Who knows, that guy could have been a black belt and whooped me good. I can accept that. Just remember these personal defense sprays can be considered assault. The OP was spot on that most of the time these situations defuse themselves. If it be by the guy venting and chest beating, or by the person being submissive, they tend to deflate fast.

I have been hit with Pepper spray. I realize this stuff is WAY more powerful, but when I was peppered, it didn't incapacitate me. It hurt. I can still fight while blinded and hurt. In fact if that guy would have sprayed me with Bear spray, I am 90% sure my wife would have handed me my pistol from the boot and I would have put 18,18,18 rounds in his blurred general direction.

So it is my advice that if someone is going to do you bodily harm, then you should use something that will take the guy out of the fight. My suggestion would be a cheap Flee Market Taser 1 million watts. If confronted by many opponents, and your goal is to escape, THEN I would use a Pepper spray.

However I have always held the opinion, that one should never take a knife (or in this case non leathal spray) to a gun fight.

Or maybe we should just man up, accept that we can't drive, or throw fists like men? Or learn to drive? I think half the problem we have is not having a proper butt whooping. Everyone goes for a weapon. I prefer to fight with fists. Cowboy up. IF its worth killing over, then kill. But if its anything less, don't avoid your problem, Throw knuckles.

One last note. I have never used a spray that didn't have backlash. Now you have two drivers unable to drive. Strong wind, proximity, misting, etc will result in you receiving some of it. Keep that in mind.

 

Will pepper spray freeze in cold weather? I'd leave a can in my truck, But come winter and 20-30 below will it still function?

 

No clue about freezing. Suggest you call the manufacturer. But, if you want a good example of when to spray someone but not shoot them check this out.

 

No clue about freezing. Suggest you call the manufacturer. But, if you want a good example of when to spray someone but not shoot them check this out.

YouTube - Road rage fight caught on tape ends in arrest

I would have shot him.

He is lucky he is going to jail. Unlucky that he looks like Hana Montana. I am sure his butt can smuggle Buicks by now.

 

Tested my bear spray today

This thread got me thinking about the bear spray that I keep in my van.
I am grateful to the OP and the guy who posted about the risk of bear spray bursting in a hot vehicle because they motivated me to check my spray.

Today I inspected my bear spray and saw that it had expired in 2007, so I decided to empty it and get a new one. I went behind my garage and let fly at the ground at about a 45 degree angle.
WHAT AN EDUCATION !!!
1. I expected a fairly straight stream that would go 15 feet.
What I got was more of a fog stream that went about 10 feet before disapating into a cloud.
2. The wind was calm so I did no expect to suffer any effects myself. WRONG ! My: eyes, nose, and throat started burning after about 10 seconds so I retreated to my front yard. After getting to the front of the garage I saw my buddies girlfriend walking towards my driveway on the sidewalk. She was about 60 yards from where I had fired the bear spray, and she was already coughing and covering her mouth. I yelled at her to turn around and then got my garden hose to knock the vaper cloud down. I had the nozzel on a fog pattern and let it rain down on the area that I had sprayed with bear spray.
I had a bandana over my mouth and that helped a lot with my nose and mouth, but my eyes still suffered inspite of my sunglasses.
3. I am not going to replace my bear spray. I am going to stick with the Kimber Life Act pepper shooter. It shoots
two shots of pepper goo that only effects the person who gets hit. I have tested this stuff a couple times and have been very impressed with it's range, and the fact that I did not suffer any adverse effects. Also...
My van is a camper van that would be very hard to clean out if a big canister of bear spray ever burst on a hot day.

My advise to backpackers who insist on carrying this bear spray is to quickly run the other direction after fireing it.

 

just shoot the pig!!!!

 

I like the console vault, stoneunhenged! I have a tuffy locking console in my jeep to protect the stereo and my firearm.

I might have to look into the kimber lifeact, I really don't want to experience the spray again. It was only a small pocket one that blew up on me, but it sucked.

Like I said, maybe the bear spray has a better vessel, all I know is i'm nervous to leave it in the vehicle or spray it out of a vehicle. Breathing that stuff sucks. Definitely don't want to be on the receiving end of that can.

 

After reading the posts here I ordered some of the pepper foam. My bear spray is outdated anyway, so I'm upgrading to something that may be less dependent on wind direction.

 

So which did you get?

 

Reminds me of a situation I was involved in years ago when I was younger. I was cruising the strip in my car minding my own business and noticed a guy in a truck staring at me quite a bit everytime I went thru town. Well he exits his truck and walks across the street and throws a punch hitting me in the head and goes to throw another and I grab his arm and floor it. This guy was screaming like a little girl to slow down but let him go instead watching him roll down the street. I pull over at which time the cops are seeing this and arrest him as they witnessed the whole scene. Come to find out this clown thought I was the same guy cheating on his girlfriend because I drove the same car and looked just like him but he was drunk and made a mistake. I walked away with a black eye and he received a broken arm, road rash, DUI, and assault. Police said I was justified in my actions.

 

I had that problem once. I was at a gas station and a much older guy comes up to me and starts pointing his finger at me. He says I was some guy at a party. I tell him, I don't know him. He puffs out his chest and starts talking about me louder. I repeat he doesn't know me, I wasn't at the party.

He starts talking trash about me. Then I step up to him and ask him. If I supposedly am this bad person that you hate, at this party, why didn't you do anything about it then? Are you not a coward today, as you were yesterday? Listen old man, if don't leave me alone, and get out of my way, I am going to put you down. Your done.

He looks me in the eyes for half a second then walks off saying something about "wrong person".

We have evil twins running around picking fights I guess.

 

Some folks are worried about getting overspray or wind blown spray back at themselves. Here's something to think about:

http://www.redhotpepperspray.com/pepper-spray-antidote.html

Pepperspray "antidote" For self use only. Let the bad guy roll in it.

 

I... Don't know what to think of this video...

My intent was to prove that even when Pepper sprayed a man is only discomforted, and not incapacitated... However, I think I may have underestimated Pepper spray..

 

OK I found one....

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2006/11/Dude-Knocks-Out-Cop-181144.html

Don't spray Prize fighters with pepper spray. Shoot them.

 

These gadgets are frequently effective but some people aren't as affected by them. That's true for pepper spray, tasers, even lethal injections for execution.