In that situation the car is a much better weapon than a handgun. Keep driving at a steady rate of speed and do not stop for anything - no matter how many bumps you feel under the wheels.
On that Walking Dead episode....the car eventually stopped and that pretty much went negative from that point on.
Your solution is clearly more sensible and best, however there are those who might have been looking to shoot the leader of that crew and then drive away with no bumps.
“Keep driving at a steady rate of speed and do not stop for anything - no matter how many bumps you feel under the wheels.”
For some situations. For some a ‘panic’ mode is better. Steady speed may show intent to harm while speeding away in a panic would show fear of harm.