Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

snakeweasel

Mr_Shiftright said:

Nah. I mean--what are the safest cars in the world? Race cars----light as a feather and yet a person can survive a 150 mph crash no problem (usually). Auto racing has gone from a death wish to a pretty safe sport.

MINIs are solid, I will say that for them. It's not a Nissan Versa.

It's just not screwed together right.

First thing is define "race car" (BTW "race car" spelled backwards is "race car"), different styles of racing have different requirements. Formula 1 racing has a minimum weight requirement of around 1,550 pounds while NASCAR has a minimum weight of 3,400 pounds (IIRC).

Secondly race cars usually crash into other vehicles going in the same direction going approximately the same speed. This greatly reduces the forces involved. The other type of crash a race car is going to get into would be sideswiping the wall, again no great forces involved.

Now if that 150 MPH car gets T-boned and you have a totally different story.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

You're not listening to the right music.

berri

Those things are a wake up call. Don't know where the accident occurred, but if your insurance company is located in the same country as the accident, and if the case has some possibly weird aspects to it legally, you can almost rest assured that the truck insurer will try to rip you off. You may be better off going through your own insurance company and paying the deductible. It is harder for the insurer to con job or rip off another insurance company. If the your insurer wins the case your deductible will be refunded. I don't think it is necessarily unusual that a cop does not (at least initially) write a ticket when the answer is not totally obvious to the officer. I had this happen to one of my kids some years back. The situation was a little different, but the same in that the officer did not initially issue any ticket. In our case the other party was screaming irrationally and claiming injury. So I decided to go through my insurer. It took about 8 months if I recall, but I eventually got my deductible back and no policy price hike. Just a personal opinion, but if the truck insurer is Allstate I'd personally recommend letting your insurance company handle it.

roadburner

Glad you weren't hurt.
Pray it is totaled
Go see your doctor to make sure there aren't any complications.
With the advent of the internet it's easy to find comps for valuation purposes; that's not to say that the perp's insurance won't try to low-ball you, but it makes it easier to prove that they are doin so. And I don't know an insurance company that would want to take this to trial unless they were 100% sure they could seat twelve UAW members as jurors.

berri

One problem though, it is expensive to litigate upfront unless it is small claims court and big corporations can string you along legally.

Good idea on seeing his doctor because even if there is nothing apparent right now, it can help set a baseline should problems arise later.

And yeah, pray it is totaled and don't initially agree to sign it over to a dealer or body shop until you are comfortable.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Tonight we were on our way to meet friends for dinner. We were almost there and we came to an intersection, and the light changed to amber. I had a fair bit of time and easily stopped, but a large waste type truck plowed into the back of us. It sent us flying across the road and up onto the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Thankfully, we seem to be OK physically, but we are shaken up and very tired. We have dealt with police and the towing company, filed reports, and I was on hold with the the insurance company claim department for about 30 minutes while being told "I am a priority". how long do you wait when you aren't a priority?

One thought that struck me, is how fragile life can be. One minute you are on your way out for a nice evening, and within seconds your world is turned upside down.

Another thought is try to buy the safest car you can afford. I think the car absorbed a lot of the impact, and it could have been much worse.

The tow truck driver/body shop owner said he thinks the car will be a write off, and warned me the insurance company will try to give me a low price.

Another strange thing is the cop feels the truck driver is at fault. But, wouldn't charge him because I saw him tailgating me at one point, so should have gone through the amber light. I had lots of time to stop, and the truck driver should have driven more carefully if he has such a large vehicle. I know he felt bad, and I think the cop didn't want him to lose his job, but, I don't know how someone driving a truck like that could plow into a car stopping for an amber light.



Any ideas how you can get fair value for your car.....tow truck driver said don't trust the insurance company.

Ouch, that looks bad, the important thing is that you and yours are OK.

snakeweasel

Well I took my car into the shop yesterday and they gave me Chevy Cruz as a loaner. Got a call from them today stating that they found more damage when they took the bumper off. Hopefully they will have it done by Friday.

murphydog

driver100 said:

Tonight we were on our way to meet friends for dinner. We were almost there and we came to an intersection, and the light changed to amber. I had a fair bit of time and easily stopped, but a large waste type truck plowed into the back of us. It sent us flying across the road and up onto the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Thankfully, we seem to be OK physically, but we are shaken up and very tired. We have dealt with police and the towing company, filed reports, and I was on hold with the the insurance company claim department for about 30 minutes while being told "I am a priority". how long do you wait when you aren't a priority?

One thought that struck me, is how fragile life can be. One minute you are on your way out for a nice evening, and within seconds your world is turned upside down.

Another thought is try to buy the safest car you can afford. I think the car absorbed a lot of the impact, and it could have been much worse.

The tow truck driver/body shop owner said he thinks the car will be a write off, and warned me the insurance company will try to give me a low price.

Another strange thing is the cop feels the truck driver is at fault. But, wouldn't charge him because I saw him tailgating me at one point, so should have gone through the amber light. I had lots of time to stop, and the truck driver should have driven more carefully if he has such a large vehicle. I know he felt bad, and I think the cop didn't want him to lose his job, but, I don't know how someone driving a truck like that could plow into a car stopping for an amber light.



Any ideas how you can get fair value for your car.....tow truck driver said don't trust the insurance company.

Driver - I am glad you are all OK.

The last accident I was in the other driver decided to make a U-turn from the right hand lane. Clearly 100% her fault, but the police were too busy to cite her as there were protests and what not going on in Seattle that day.

I engaged my insurance company and after giving my statement I told the claims adjuster I expected this to be settled as 100% her fault and any thing less would be an immediate cancel on my part.

I don't know if my bluster helped or not - (she was clearly 100% at fault) but the out come was zero dollars out of my pocket for repair.

I hope they give you fair value for the car - it looks to be a goner.

suydam

Wow what a hit. Wait a day or so before you declare yourself unhurt. That kind of hit can cause whiplash and it doesn't always hurt right away, especially when everyone is kind of in shock. That looks like a total for the car. Awful.

jmonroe

@driver100, that was one hell of a hit. So glad you and the Mrs. are OK. Don't get worked up about how this will play out now with the insurance company. It's only sheet metal but you guys are skin and bones. Give yourself some time to think this through before worrying about how the insurance stuff works. You could be pleasantly surprised.

If either you or your wife are in the slightest way not feeling like you usually do when you wake up tomorrow be sure to go to the doctor or the emergency room. It might not be a bad idea to do it anyway.

I'm sure you'll keep us informed about how this plays out, but again, the good news is that you guys are OK.

Oh yeah, when you get a rental ask for a Black 2015 Altima.

jmonroe

andres3

stickguy said:

that certainly sucks. and looks like a write off for sure, with the structural issues.

I would say research the heck out of values (talk to dealer) same as if you were looking to trade in or buy the same car, so have a solid # based on facts. and if they lowball you, escalate, file challenges in writing, and basically make it your mission in life to harass the insurance company. and of course the old standby, threaten to get a lawyer and sue.

I know two wrongs don't make a right, but the day I get low-balled for a totaled car is the day my neck and back really start hurting and instead of a property claim I have an injury lawsuit. That's the only way it is worth it to hire a lawyer, and frankly the only way a lawyer will have any interest in your case.

Also, in many jurisdictions (at least in CA) apparently writing red-light tickets for marginal violations is more important than doing a police report for an accident, unless there are injuries involved. If the other party is at fault, you want to be injured so you can have a police report documenting the fault (at least in CA). Otherwise, you are at the mercy of the other party being honest about what happened. I think the next time I'm hit I think I'll be injured. Also, I pray that my car is totaled and not "fixed."

Did you miss the less than 1 year or 12,000 (or 15,000) mile clause many insurance companies have for full replacement value? For the little anecdotal experience I have with cars being totaled, insurance companies are rather far more fair than usual in these cases.

andres3

js06gv said:

driver100 said:

Tonight we were on our way to meet friends for dinner. We were almost there and we came to an intersection, and the light changed to amber. I had a fair bit of time and easily stopped, but a large waste type truck plowed into the back of us. It sent us flying across the road and up onto the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Thankfully, we seem to be OK physically, but we are shaken up and very tired. We have dealt with police and the towing company, filed reports, and I was on hold with the the insurance company claim department for about 30 minutes while being told "I am a priority". how long do you wait when you aren't a priority?

One thought that struck me, is how fragile life can be. One minute you are on your way out for a nice evening, and within seconds your world is turned upside down.

Another thought is try to buy the safest car you can afford. I think the car absorbed a lot of the impact, and it could have been much worse.

The tow truck driver/body shop owner said he thinks the car will be a write off, and warned me the insurance company will try to give me a low price.

Another strange thing is the cop feels the truck driver is at fault. But, wouldn't charge him because I saw him tailgating me at one point, so should have gone through the amber light. I had lots of time to stop, and the truck driver should have driven more carefully if he has such a large vehicle. I know he felt bad, and I think the cop didn't want him to lose his job, but, I don't know how someone driving a truck like that could plow into a car stopping for an amber light.



Any ideas how you can get fair value for your car.....tow truck driver said don't trust the insurance company.

Glad you are OK. That was a substantial hit.

My advice - at this point don't get worked up over what some tow truck driver, who is a stranger to you, says. Turn it in to his insurance company, and also yours in case there are any liability or coverage issues with his company that would delay the process. As a last resort, you could use your coverage and then your company will subrogate against his. Whichever company handles this, give them an opportunity to evaluate your vehicle and make an offer. You can go in armed for a fight and then end up being pleasantly surprised at the outcome. I've been in auto insurance claims, including management, for over 22 years and all with the same company. Not every insurance company is evil.

LOL, mind stating which auto insurance company isn't evil?
Actually, I'm well aware there are large differences (to say the least) between different insurance companies. Evil is a word I'd use to describe the bottom 25%.

Insurance is the one industry that makes a self-proclaimed self-titled Libertarian favor single-payer gov't ran healthcare over insurance ran healthcare. Gov't is lazy, incompetent, and wasteful. Sometimes perhaps even a bit evil, but that evil pails in comparison to what I've seen from Insurance. I just don't think the gov't could do worse there.

andres3

driver100 said:

Tonight we were on our way to meet friends for dinner. We were almost there and we came to an intersection, and the light changed to amber. I had a fair bit of time and easily stopped, but a large waste type truck plowed into the back of us. It sent us flying across the road and up onto the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Thankfully, we seem to be OK physically, but we are shaken up and very tired. We have dealt with police and the towing company, filed reports, and I was on hold with the the insurance company claim department for about 30 minutes while being told "I am a priority". how long do you wait when you aren't a priority?

One thought that struck me, is how fragile life can be. One minute you are on your way out for a nice evening, and within seconds your world is turned upside down.

Another thought is try to buy the safest car you can afford. I think the car absorbed a lot of the impact, and it could have been much worse.

The tow truck driver/body shop owner said he thinks the car will be a write off, and warned me the insurance company will try to give me a low price.

Another strange thing is the cop feels the truck driver is at fault. But, wouldn't charge him because I saw him tailgating me at one point, so should have gone through the amber light. I had lots of time to stop, and the truck driver should have driven more carefully if he has such a large vehicle. I know he felt bad, and I think the cop didn't want him to lose his job, but, I don't know how someone driving a truck like that could plow into a car stopping for an amber light.



Any ideas how you can get fair value for your car.....tow truck driver said don't trust the insurance company.

I know how a truck plows into a car stopped for a light; it's called distraction, probably a cell phone or texting. Doesn't look like he even hit the brakes. Do you know if he did? (locked or screeching tires before impact?)

Regarding a citation for tail gating; probably not necessary piling-on; the accident will go on his record and that's bad enough probably.

The first rule of running a yellow light is to make sure it is safe to do so! This guy gives yellow light runners a bad name. When I got my recent red-light ticket I changed lanes as I noticed the car slightly ahead of me wasn't going to go through. I got the ticket; they didn't, but no one got hit, harmed, or threatened. Slamming on the brakes for a light probably will get me rear-ended at some point, and when that happens I'll remember and thank the Vista Sheriff for his wonderful service to serve and protect

andres3

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Nah. I mean--what are the safest cars in the world? Race cars----light as a feather and yet a person can survive a 150 mph crash no problem (usually). Auto racing has gone from a death wish to a pretty safe sport.

MINIs are solid, I will say that for them. It's not a Nissan Versa.

It's just not screwed together right.

First thing is define "race car" (BTW "race car" spelled backwards is "race car"), different styles of racing have different requirements. Formula 1 racing has a minimum weight requirement of around 1,550 pounds while NASCAR has a minimum weight of 3,400 pounds (IIRC).

Secondly race cars usually crash into other vehicles going in the same direction going approximately the same speed. This greatly reduces the forces involved. The other type of crash a race car is going to get into would be sideswiping the wall, again no great forces involved.

Now if that 150 MPH car gets T-boned and you have a totally different story.

Same direction and same speed greatly reducing crash forces involved???? Sounds like you are making my argument for higher highway and freeway speed limits!!!

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

@driver100, that was one hell of a hit. So glad you and the Mrs. are OK. Don't get worked up about how this will play out now with the insurance company. It's only sheet metal but you guys are skin and bones. Give yourself some time to think this through before worrying about how the insurance stuff works. You could be pleasantly surprised.

If either you or your wife are in the slightest way not feeling like you usually do when you wake up tomorrow be sure to go to the doctor or the emergency room. It might not be a bad idea to do it anyway.

I'm sure you'll keep us informed about how this plays out, but again, the good news is that you guys are OK.

Oh yeah, when you get a rental ask for a Black 2015 Altima.

jmonroe

Just want to echo what other have said about being glad you're ok. What a lot of insurance companies will do is try to give you wholesale book which is thousands less than replacement costs. What you have in your favor is that the truck driver rear ended you. He's 100% at fault. Who told you you should have run the yellow light? That's stupid.

Definitely see a doctor. I'm betting you'll get a fair settlement because they have no defense against your claim of negligence. Usually you can't get any money for injuries unless you have at least one broken bone so if you have larceny in your heart punch yourself in the mouth and knock out a tooth.

driver100

Guys, I was going to reply to your posts individually but that would take all day. I do appreciate your wealth of knowledge and I read your remarks very carefully....lots of excellent points made.
Things like seeing the doctor, dealing with insurance company, getting value for the car, and your good wishes for me and Mrs. Driver are very much appreciated.

It is truly an honor to be part of this wonderful group of people.

Well, I have a busy day ahead, have to find a rental car...try for a black Altima, see if it works as well for me as it does for jmonroe.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

Did you miss the less than 1 year or 12,000 (or 15,000) mile clause many insurance companies have for full replacement value? For the little anecdotal experience I have with cars being totaled, insurance companies are rather far more fair than usual in these cases.

By "full replacement value" do you mean getting you a new car? If so that can be a bad thing. I have known people with that kind of policy and have totaled their car, the insurance company fixed their car because it was cheaper than buying the replacement car. He said it never drove right afterwards and he couldn't unload it.

ab348

And of course the new E-Class is a totally different car with a totally different engine which may not be acceptable to Driver and Mrs Driver.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

The first rule of running a yellow light is to make sure it is safe to do so! This guy gives yellow light runners a bad name. When I got my recent red-light ticket I changed lanes as I noticed the car slightly ahead of me wasn't going to go through. I got the ticket; they didn't, but no one got hit, harmed, or threatened. Slamming on the brakes for a light probably will get me rear-ended at some point, and when that happens I'll remember and thank the Vista Sheriff for his wonderful service to serve and protect

The first rule of running a yellow light is that at the time the light turns yellow if you can reasonably stop your car before entering the intersection you have to stop for the light.

Now following that first rule if the car you were following was able to stop you should have been able to also.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Nah. I mean--what are the safest cars in the world? Race cars----light as a feather and yet a person can survive a 150 mph crash no problem (usually). Auto racing has gone from a death wish to a pretty safe sport.

MINIs are solid, I will say that for them. It's not a Nissan Versa.

It's just not screwed together right.

First thing is define "race car" (BTW "race car" spelled backwards is "race car"), different styles of racing have different requirements. Formula 1 racing has a minimum weight requirement of around 1,550 pounds while NASCAR has a minimum weight of 3,400 pounds (IIRC).

Secondly race cars usually crash into other vehicles going in the same direction going approximately the same speed. This greatly reduces the forces involved. The other type of crash a race car is going to get into would be sideswiping the wall, again no great forces involved.

Now if that 150 MPH car gets T-boned and you have a totally different story.

Same direction and same speed greatly reducing crash forces involved???? Sounds like you are making my argument for higher highway and freeway speed limits!!!

Nope I am not, actually it would be an argument against it as raising the speed limits would create a greater discrepancy in speed between vehicles as some would go faster and some would not.

graphicguy

Driver.....Oh My! So glad you are unharmed. Trying to wrap my arms around the truck driver not being cited. I ALWAYS thought if you were rear ended, it was ALWAYS the fault of the driver who did the "rear ending".

I really don't have a good feel for erman iron and what it takes to fix them. It always seems they build and engineer cars in a way that befuddles me. Not a good or bad thing. It's just a "thing" with me.

But, that looks like a bent frame, in addition to whatever suspension, sheet metal, paint, sensors, etc, etc, that are toast. I'd say it's a total. But, who knows what kind of "negotiations" will go on with the insurance company and the company you take it to for repairs.

Know a body shop guy. He says insurance companies never let him fix a wreck the way he thinks it should be fixed in an attempt to nickel and dime his shop, and he's been in business 2 decades.

OF....good to hear we're on "solid ground" together!

imidazol97

@driver100
Glad neither of you were hurt. I was hit from the rear long ago and my neck and shoulders developed a stiffness after a day or more. My Mustang had the tall Recaro seatbacks that kept my head from moving more. She hit me twice. I'd recommend having a doctor check you out rather than wait for problems to develop.

I hope you had the car towed to the MB dealer's body shop to get their expert opinion.
Maybe that damage can be buffed out with the proper wax, LOL.

Hope you can find a good replacement vehicle sitting on the dealer's lot.

A big problem with stoplights here is all the people who tried starting their own business with the poor economy through the years. They get a pickup, a heavy trailer, and some commercial grade mowers. Then they're driving in a pickup and heavy trailer. When someone stops quickly in front of them, they haven't allowed room to stop. They drive as if it's the pickup's weight only that the tires and brakes need to stop. BAM.

stickguy

My first rule of yellows is to check the mirror to make sure I'm not getting rear ended lik that if I do stop, which I normally try to do. With often someone behind me in another lane shooting past, dead red.

And when I do cheese the yellow, and get nervous about it (getting snagged), odds are at least 1-2 cars behind me blow it or the red too.

sda

@driver100 , Glad you and your wife are OK. The MB really did its job well. It is impressive how safe and robust modern cars have become. I hope you don't suffer any lingering affects and that you get this settled quickly and without fuss.

henryn

andres3 said:

LOL, mind stating which auto insurance company isn't evil?
Actually, I'm well aware there are large differences (to say the least) between different insurance companies. Evil is a word I'd use to describe the bottom 25%.

Insurance is the one industry that makes a self-proclaimed self-titled Libertarian favor single-payer gov't ran healthcare over insurance ran healthcare. Gov't is lazy, incompetent, and wasteful. Sometimes perhaps even a bit evil, but that evil pails in comparison to what I've seen from Insurance. I just don't think the gov't could do worse there.

That's an easy question to answer. USAA.

jmonroe

stickguy said:

My first rule of yellows is to check the mirror to make sure I'm not getting rear ended lik that if I do stop, which I normally try to do. With often someone behind me in another lane shooting past, dead red.

And when I do cheese the yellow, and get nervous about it (getting snagged), odds are at least 1-2 cars behind me blow it or the red too.

I'm with you about looking in the rear view mirror to see how close I'm being followed. That is not a real comfortable feeling when the car behind you is gaining on you and you are about to stop at the yellow light. I guess, other than one of the guys who posts here, there are a lot more of those drivers on the road. It's always been a judgment call and so far I have been lucky.

When I was working and got off the PA Turnpike coming home, heading West on PA Route 22 trying to make a left turn onto PA Route 48 heading South, I always seemed to get the light for at least one cycle and very often two at this very busy intersection. Which, so I have been told, is the second most heavily traveled intersection in PA. Only the Philadelphia area has an intersection with more traffic in PA, again so I've heard. Anyway, being prepared for the light to change I was always prepared to stop. The scary thing was, more than just a few times when the car behind me saw that I was slowing down, they just laid on their horn, both men and women alike. Horns don't scare me but light runners do. Like I said, probably just lucky.

Every now and then (mostly then), because of all the light runners, and when I say running a light I have seen at least 2 and sometimes 3 cars going through on the full red (with me being the first one to stop at the light), the local police are pulling people over as fast they can find spots for them without disrupting traffic too much worse than it already is, for about a week. Then after the word gets out the light runners are not as prevalent as before. But, it only lasts for about a week or two, then back to the unsafe normal.

I'm not exaggerating too much when I say that if the local guys policed this intersection, during the rush hour after work more than every once in a while, the revenue produced could lower my taxes.

If our local police have a Policeman's Ball every year, that must be one gala event.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

stickguy said:

My first rule of yellows is to check the mirror to make sure I'm not getting rear ended lik that if I do stop, which I normally try to do. With often someone behind me in another lane shooting past, dead red.

And when I do cheese the yellow, and get nervous about it (getting snagged), odds are at least 1-2 cars behind me blow it or the red too.

I'm with you about looking in the rear view mirror to see how close I'm being followed. That is not a real comfortable feeling when the car behind you is gaining on you and you are about to stop at the yellow light. I guess, other than one of the guys who posts here, there are a lot more of those drivers on the road. It's always been a judgment call and so far I have been lucky.

When I was working and got off the PA Turnpike coming home, heading West on PA Route 22 trying to make a left turn onto PA Route 48 heading South, I always seemed to get the light for at least one cycle and very often two at this very busy intersection. Which, so I have been told, is the second most heavily traveled intersection in PA. Only the Philadelphia area has an intersection with more traffic in PA, again so I've heard. Anyway, being prepared for the light to change I was always prepared to stop. The scary thing was, more than just a few times when the car behind me saw that I was slowing down, they just laid on their horn, both men and women alike. Horns don't scare me but light runners do. Like I said, probably just lucky.

Every now and then (mostly then), because of all the light runners, and when I say running a light I have seen at least 2 and sometimes 3 cars going through on the full red (with me being the first one to stop at the light), the local police are pulling people over as fast they can find spots for them without disrupting traffic too much worse than it already is, for about a week. Then after the word gets out the light runners are not as prevalent as before. But, it only lasts for about a week or two, then back to the unsafe normal.

I'm not exaggerating too much when I say that if the local guys policed this intersection, during the rush hour after work more than every once in a while, the revenue produced could lower my taxes.

If our local police have a Policeman's Ball every year, that must be one gala event.

jmonroe

I've gone off on here before how they run reds in the town where I work. But if the police really wanted to make money they'd park at any intersection where there is a shoulder. The right on red on the shoulder without stopping revenue would retire the national debt.

tjc78

@driver100

Glad you are OK. The car did what it was supposed to do and protected you. I'm not following the Police officer on this... I know in NJ if you rear end someone you are getting a careless driving ticket.

Nevertheless, their insurance will have to pick up the tab for everything. I'm also agreeing with most everyone here the car is most likely a total (and that would be a good thing in this case).

ab348

tjc78 said:

@driver100

Glad you are OK. The car did what it was supposed to do and protected you. I'm not following the Police officer on this... I know in NJ if you rear end someone you are getting a careless driving ticket.

The same is true up here. They call the violation "Following too closely".

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, wait for the offer from the insurance company. If you don't like it you can ask them to bump it up, based on some comps you might provide or comments you might make; if they don't budge, you have the right to hire your own appraiser. If he comes in higher than the insurance company's appraiser, then they might bump up their offer. If they dig their heels in, and there's no agreement, then it automatically goes to an arbitration hearing. The arbitration referee often splits the difference. If the two of you are only say $1000 apart, it's best to avoid arbitration, as that costs you some money--so try to work something out before the point of "nobody's budging". Since the truck hit you, the arbitration is probably non-binding, so I guess you can pursue other legal means if you are still no satisfied with the settlement.

On a new-ish car like this, I'd expect the insurance company to come up with a fair offer right up front.

Michaell

A little help needed - some cross-border purchase and registration questions:

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/42492/general/x/buying-3-states-away-and-driving-it-out#latest

driver100

Thanks to all the people who wrote and commented, I really am impressed with your wealth of knowledge and insight.

Just some points:

Fortunately, we paid the $55 extra for full value coverage. That seems to mean if the car is a write off, then I would get what I paid for the car. I think it is worth it for that coverage, it sounds like no hassle.

Since we all enjoy cars and driving, I think we tend to treat amber/red lights in a similar way. I try to check the mirror too, but every situation is unique. Traffic was going 35 mph, very residential area with townhouses, stores, schools. I knew the light had been green for quite awhile so I knew it would change soon, also the pedestrian No Walk sign was flashing red, so I picked my point of no return....if I got there I would go through. I wasn't even close, the last thing I want to do is have the car turning left in front of me make his turn, or even worse, go through and hit somebody. I had lots of time to stop, so I pumped the brakes so anyone behind would have time to see what my intention was.

The cop said some really questionable things, but, I think he had his own agenda.
He said, the truck driver thought I would try to go through on the amber light (we know what the word "assume" means, and would the truck driver have gone through behind me?)

He said you go through on amber if you can do it safely..........I thought you are supposed to stop on an amber light if you can do it safely.....which I did....it was a very slow controlled stop.

He said he has seen cars switch lanes in front of a big truck, and then stop suddenly, not realizing big trucks need room to stop. I said, this was nothing like that, he was following me for a mile...no switched lanes.

The truck drivers supervisor showed up immediately and started talking to the cops a lot, and I think he told the cops the truck driver would lose his license if he was charged.

Strangest of all, I said the truck driver was tailgating me further back....he said I should have known that and known trucks take longer to stop. As was mentioned, the truck driver should follow at a greater distance so he can stop...he should always be able to stop his vehicle if the car in front stops.

The cop said I was in the green column on his sheet meaning I was the one hit, truck driver was in black meaning he was at fault. Cop said there weren't really any witnesses so he doesn't know if there was speed, if the truck driver tried to stop etc.

I think it is like a game, cop knows insurance will look after the car (oh yeh, I guess with no fault insurance the companies work it out), truck driver was obviously at fault, but, he doesn't want the driver to lose his job or have it on his record. I don't care whether he is charged, but, this maniac is still on the streets, and it is really warped thinking to think that you should try to run an amber light if you can easily stop. Kind of making the victim the guilty one.

andres3

driver100 said:

Tonight we were on our way to meet friends for dinner. We were almost there and we came to an intersection, and the light changed to amber. I had a fair bit of time and easily stopped, but a large waste type truck plowed into the back of us. It sent us flying across the road and up onto the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Thankfully, we seem to be OK physically, but we are shaken up and very tired. We have dealt with police and the towing company, filed reports, and I was on hold with the the insurance company claim department for about 30 minutes while being told "I am a priority". how long do you wait when you aren't a priority?

One thought that struck me, is how fragile life can be. One minute you are on your way out for a nice evening, and within seconds your world is turned upside down.

Another thought is try to buy the safest car you can afford. I think the car absorbed a lot of the impact, and it could have been much worse.

The tow truck driver/body shop owner said he thinks the car will be a write off, and warned me the insurance company will try to give me a low price.

Another strange thing is the cop feels the truck driver is at fault. But, wouldn't charge him because I saw him tailgating me at one point, so should have gone through the amber light. I had lots of time to stop, and the truck driver should have driven more carefully if he has such a large vehicle. I know he felt bad, and I think the cop didn't want him to lose his job, but, I don't know how someone driving a truck like that could plow into a car stopping for an amber light.



Any ideas how you can get fair value for your car.....tow truck driver said don't trust the insurance company.

pails
pales

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Did you miss the less than 1 year or 12,000 (or 15,000) mile clause many insurance companies have for full replacement value? For the little anecdotal experience I have with cars being totaled, insurance companies are rather far more fair than usual in these cases.

By "full replacement value" do you mean getting you a new car? If so that can be a bad thing. I have known people with that kind of policy and have totaled their car, the insurance company fixed their car because it was cheaper than buying the replacement car. He said it never drove right afterwards and he couldn't unload it.

I did mean that you get a brand new replacement car if your own car is less than a year old within mileage limits. I don't think it alters the totaling threshold. It's not about what it costs the insurance company, but about the percentage of the cars value that the repairs will cost. Then again, maybe I ought to read the fine print.

I've heard different sources quote anywhere from as low as 50% to as high as 80% of value on the repair estimate in order to get a total. 80% doesn't seem unreasonable with CA labor rates, but that would be on a very old beat up car. On a brand new one I'd like to see 50% used; I'm sure you are probably right and insurance companies will try to avoid replacing your new car if they can make the math work.

The initial estimate on my S4 repairs was $15K and change. Ended up being well over $20K! Optimistic; weren't they?

andres3

ab348 said:

tjc78 said:

@driver100

Glad you are OK. The car did what it was supposed to do and protected you. I'm not following the Police officer on this... I know in NJ if you rear end someone you are getting a careless driving ticket.

The same is true up here. They call the violation "Following too closely".

Failure to stop, driving unsafely, following too closely, and disobeying the laws of physics are all likely involved when you or someone else rear-ends somebody. Distraction is likely the cause of the "failure to stop" in time.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

The first rule of running a yellow light is to make sure it is safe to do so! This guy gives yellow light runners a bad name. When I got my recent red-light ticket I changed lanes as I noticed the car slightly ahead of me wasn't going to go through. I got the ticket; they didn't, but no one got hit, harmed, or threatened. Slamming on the brakes for a light probably will get me rear-ended at some point, and when that happens I'll remember and thank the Vista Sheriff for his wonderful service to serve and protect

The first rule of running a yellow light is that at the time the light turns yellow if you can reasonably stop your car before entering the intersection you have to stop for the light.

Now following that first rule if the car you were following was able to stop you should have been able to also.

That's not a lawful rule. You like to cite the law, so let's use the vehicle code law.

You are legally entitled to go through the intersection as long as you get the nose of your car past the first limit line of the intersection before the light turns red. If you can't get your car's nose past the limit line before the light turns red, then you have to stop. This is why correctly set and timed duration of yellow lights is so important. It takes longer to stop from a higher speed so higher speed roads need longer yellows to be safe. Most violations go away when the yellow is lengthened 1 second. Also, 85th percentile speeds should be used when setting yellow light durations, rather than the speed limit which is often ignored and exceeded for good reason.

That being said, stopping for yellows when you can reasonably do so (no brake slamming) is probably the best advice so you don't get caught in a split second costing you a lot of money for what could have been a tenth of a second.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Nah. I mean--what are the safest cars in the world? Race cars----light as a feather and yet a person can survive a 150 mph crash no problem (usually). Auto racing has gone from a death wish to a pretty safe sport.

MINIs are solid, I will say that for them. It's not a Nissan Versa.

It's just not screwed together right.

First thing is define "race car" (BTW "race car" spelled backwards is "race car"), different styles of racing have different requirements. Formula 1 racing has a minimum weight requirement of around 1,550 pounds while NASCAR has a minimum weight of 3,400 pounds (IIRC).

Secondly race cars usually crash into other vehicles going in the same direction going approximately the same speed. This greatly reduces the forces involved. The other type of crash a race car is going to get into would be sideswiping the wall, again no great forces involved.

Now if that 150 MPH car gets T-boned and you have a totally different story.

Same direction and same speed greatly reducing crash forces involved???? Sounds like you are making my argument for higher highway and freeway speed limits!!!

Nope I am not, actually it would be an argument against it as raising the speed limits would create a greater discrepancy in speed between vehicles as some would go faster and some would not.

Not so fast

There are already people that follow the safe and comfy speed for them rule (ignoring the speed limits for the most part) and those that are rule followers (abiding by the speed limit no matter how ridiculously low it is posted) creating those speed differentials already. Raising the speed limits turns the law breakers into law abiders, and gets the pre-existing law abiders to go faster, which actually REDUCES speed differentials and increases safety.

Logic 101, and proven by many studies as well where speed limits have already been raised.

cdnpinhead

Well, do you want to be right, or do you want to be alive?

The rear-view mirror is your friend.

People who populate the #1 lane driving exactly at the speed limit are right, they think, in the US. In Europe, they'd lose their license, or cause an accident. Different points of view, I guess.

Mr_Shiftright

I really enjoyed some 80 mph speed limits on a recent trip I took. Pushed that to around 87 and since everyone else was going about as fast, it felt pretty comfortable. My only real adjustment to those speeds was to move right over if someone was coming up faster behind me, let them pass, and get right back in the fast lane. I didn't want to deal with anyone coming onto the freeway while I was in the right lane.

Also seeing triple-trailer trucks doing 80 mph was a little disconcerting.

Michaell

Mr_Shiftright said:

I really enjoyed some 80 mph speed limits on a recent trip I took. Pushed that to around 87 and since everyone else was going about as fast, it felt pretty comfortable. My only real adjustment to those speeds was to move right over if someone was coming up faster behind me, let them pass, and get right back in the fast lane. I didn't want to deal with anyone coming onto the freeway while I was in the right lane.

Also seeing triple-trailer trucks doing 80 mph was a little disconcerting.

On our last trip to Sedona, we did about 80 on the trip there and closer to 85 on the trip home. Still got 28MPG for the entire trip in our Outback.

jmonroe

cdnpinhead said:

Well, do you want to be right, or do you want to be alive?

The rear-view mirror is your friend.

People who populate the #1 lane driving exactly at the speed limit are right, they think, in the US. In Europe, they'd lose their license, or cause an accident. Different points of view, I guess.

Like my Father told me from the first time I got behind the wheel with my permit, "don't worry about who is right or wrong. You can be right...dead right".

So far, so good.

jmonroe

andres3

cdnpinhead said:

Well, do you want to be right, or do you want to be alive?

The rear-view mirror is your friend.

People who populate the #1 lane driving exactly at the speed limit are right, they think, in the US. In Europe, they'd lose their license, or cause an accident. Different points of view, I guess.

they are definitely causing more accidents in the US too, even if some or most are indirectly. Help increase pollution more than every TDI combined too.

houdini1

stever said:

Yikes!

I dunno, a check up may be a good idea.

Driver, glad you and your wife are OK. Like Steve said, get checked out. Sometimes there is a delayed reaction before you start to feel any pain. Some times days. And it won't hurt if the insurance company knows there could be injuries. They might quickly offer you a generous settlement to close the case. If the car is totaled and you get "full value", I think most insurance companies also include the sales tax you paid. That could be substantial in this case.

Life is tenuous, and something like a car wreck, a serious one like this, can be very traumatic.

andres3

Speaking of Traumatic events:

There's a father with a 7-year old daughter who got pulled over in AZ on his way to the Grand Canyon that experienced a pretty traumatic event with the LEO that pulled him over. He was in a rental that didn't have front license plates and was therefore reported as a "stolen vehicle.". The license plate that never existed was reported stolen in CA (thanks in part to our useless and pointless 2 license plate law), even though it had its rear-only license plate that forward-thinking AZ employs. That means the car never had a front license plate so there never was anything stolen.

I believe his story is 100% credible, and the Department's defensive reactions reek of the "blue shield" of lies to defend any officer.

To summarize, the rental car wasn't stolen, but he was held at gun point, including having to see the Officer point his gun at his daughter in the back seat booster, and the cop even threw in the obligatory "death threat" that he would put 2 in his back. The father was white and survived. Despite the yelling, gun pointing, and threats, no charges were filed. I'd rather be rear-ended then have this happen to me and my daughter.

snakeweasel

stickguy said:

My first rule of yellows is to check the mirror to make sure I'm not getting rear ended lik that if I do stop, which I normally try to do. With often someone behind me in another lane shooting past, dead red.

And when I do cheese the yellow, and get nervous about it (getting snagged), odds are at least 1-2 cars behind me blow it or the red too.

I am always checking my rear view mirror just in case. If someone is following to closely I will leave a little more space between me and the car in front of me, that way I have more room to stop so I can stop more gently if I have to.

snakeweasel

jmonroe said:

Anyway, being prepared for the light to change I was always prepared to stop. The scary thing was, more than just a few times when the car behind me saw that I was slowing down, they just laid on their horn, both men and women alike. Horns don't scare me but light runners do. Like I said, probably just lucky.

Reminds me of a guy I used to work with who told me pretty much the same thing. He lived near me and mentioned that more than a few times as he was making the left turn into his subdivision that people behind him would blow their horns at him. When he told me that I looked at him straight on the eye and asked "Are you aware that there is no left turn there?"

The look on his face was priceless.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

I've heard different sources quote anywhere from as low as 50% to as high as 80% of value on the repair estimate in order to get a total. 80% doesn't seem unreasonable with CA labor rates, but that would be on a very old beat up car. On a brand new one I'd like to see 50% used; I'm sure you are probably right and insurance companies will try to avoid replacing your new car if they can make the math work.

The rule of thumb is 70-75% of the vehicle. However it is not unheard of for an insurance company to go the least expensive way

explorerx4

@driver100,
Glad you and your wife are ok. Didn't have your dog with you?
Like others recommended, you should both should go to the doctor to get checked out.
Car looks totaled, things like seat belt pre tensioners are one time use only.
Maybe you can find a deal on a leftover E class.

driver100

Thanks again for your good wishes and for excellent thoughts. We were going to dinner and Gigi was not in the car which was very fortunate....she gets a seatbelt for the Florida trip. I forgot about that, lucky she wasn't with us.
I think the doctor idea is good, will try to work it out.
Most people think the car won't be resurrected, including our friend Mike, my salesman, the tow truck driver/body repair guy and many knwledgeable people here.

I never heard the term seat belt pre tensioners but they make the seatbelts extra tight in a rear end accident, I guess to help prevent whiplash. My wife complained that was really tight right after impact - like hard to breathe, but, I think it did what it was supposed to do.

Not many 2016s left, but if the price is right and color etc is good may go with that if I can get a replacement. The 2017 is technologically superior, but only a 4 cylinder until later November or December.

driver100

Houdini......we don't get too many big cash settlements in Canada, they put caps on what you can collect, and healthcare is covered. I think they do work out the sales tax since you don't really have a trade-in. Maybe technically the dealer is buying your trade in.

It is true, when this happens it is a reminder to always be even more careful than you are, and don't take one minute of life for granted......everything can change instantly.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Thanks to all the people who wrote and commented, I really am impressed with your wealth of knowledge and insight.

Just some points:

Fortunately, we paid the $55 extra for full value coverage. That seems to mean if the car is a write off, then I would get what I paid for the car. I think it is worth it for that coverage, it sounds like no hassle.

Since we all enjoy cars and driving, I think we tend to treat amber/red lights in a similar way. I try to check the mirror too, but every situation is unique. Traffic was going 35 mph, very residential area with townhouses, stores, schools. I knew the light had been green for quite awhile so I knew it would change soon, also the pedestrian No Walk sign was flashing red, so I picked my point of no return....if I got there I would go through. I wasn't even close, the last thing I want to do is have the car turning left in front of me make his turn, or even worse, go through and hit somebody. I had lots of time to stop, so I pumped the brakes so anyone behind would have time to see what my intention was.

The cop said some really questionable things, but, I think he had his own agenda.
He said, the truck driver thought I would try to go through on the amber light (we know what the word "assume" means, and would the truck driver have gone through behind me?)

He said you go through on amber if you can do it safely..........I thought you are supposed to stop on an amber light if you can do it safely.....which I did....it was a very slow controlled stop.

He said he has seen cars switch lanes in front of a big truck, and then stop suddenly, not realizing big trucks need room to stop. I said, this was nothing like that, he was following me for a mile...no switched lanes.

The truck drivers supervisor showed up immediately and started talking to the cops a lot, and I think he told the cops the truck driver would lose his license if he was charged.

Strangest of all, I said the truck driver was tailgating me further back....he said I should have known that and known trucks take longer to stop. As was mentioned, the truck driver should follow at a greater distance so he can stop...he should always be able to stop his vehicle if the car in front stops.

The cop said I was in the green column on his sheet meaning I was the one hit, truck driver was in black meaning he was at fault. Cop said there weren't really any witnesses so he doesn't know if there was speed, if the truck driver tried to stop etc.

I think it is like a game, cop knows insurance will look after the car (oh yeh, I guess with no fault insurance the companies work it out), truck driver was obviously at fault, but, he doesn't want the driver to lose his job or have it on his record. I don't care whether he is charged, but, this maniac is still on the streets, and it is really warped thinking to think that you should try to run an amber light if you can easily stop. Kind of making the victim the guilty one.

The cop is full of...prunes. Our school mandates that we stop at all yellow lights and that we slow down and prepare to stop at "stale" green lights. One of our drivers hit a woman last winter who did a right on red with frosted windows in front of him and our safety committe ruled him "responsible" because he didn't stop for the yellow.

Of course in that case the cop didn't give the red light runner a ticket because she was young and cute. Was your truck driver sexy?

Bottom line it doesn't matter if you slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop, the guy who rear ended you was 100% at fault. You are responsible for maintaining a safe distance. This is driving 101.