Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

I'll second what @sda said.

To know that your friends SIL is going to make a full recovery is certainly good news. Now lets be selfish about this and hope it's sooner than what is projected.

FWIW, Son #1 bought a used '13 Infinity G37 in Cleveland in April of '15. It's even black like the accident car, and I remember him saying how well the Infinity scored in the crash tests. I think a lot of cars today do well but some may do better than others. So far, it looks like @driver100 's car and that Infinity did what they were supposed to do.

jmonroe

jmonroe

andres3 said:

sda said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, that was a hard hit. If it had been a lesser car the consequences could have been worse. I hope your friend's sister has a full and quick recovery.

I will never understand swerving so hard that you choose an immobile Tree rather than a deer to hit. HPDE training should be mandatory.

Hey [non-permissible content removed], I don't think the driver chose to hit a tree. Some people are not as good at driving as you are but then they don't get as many tickets either.

EDIT: I just thought of this, I might even get my first "abuse flag" for this post but I'll wear that one with honor.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, bad crash. Look at all those deployed airbags. Best wishes on their recovery.

Almost had a driver100 moment a few minutes ago. I was on a four lane (2 in each direction) with a left turning lane on my side. As I enter the turning lane to make a left a large box truck comes into my turning lane from the other direction trying to make his own left. He seem genuinely clueless as to why this was a bonehead move. If I hadn't hit the brakes he would have hit me head on.

What's wrong with truckers these days? If one of our bus drivers did that they'd be fired.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, bad crash. Look at all those deployed airbags. Best wishes on their recovery.

Almost had a driver100 moment a few minutes ago. I was on a four lane (2 in each direction) with a left turning lane on my side. As I enter the turning lane to make a left a large box truck comes into my turning lane from the other direction trying to make his own left. He seem genuinely clueless as to why this was a bonehead move. If I hadn't hit the brakes he would have hit me head on.

What's wrong with truckers these days? If one of our bus drivers did that they'd be fired.

Those common turn lanes aren't called "suicide lanes" for nothing. I just hold my breath when I have to use them and try to look for a place to run if something bad happens like what happened to you. I don't know what is wrong with some of the dopes that drive trucks today.

While driving the PA pike for about 40 miles round trip for about 8 years when I was working just before I retired, I saw a few but by and large most truck drivers a very good. I'd trust most of them long before I'd trust the average driver to do the right thing in an emergency situation but you'll always find a few rouges like the one you came across and the one that plowed into @driver100.

jmonroe

ab348

verdugo said:

berri said:

I really don't see the advantage to it over Windows 7.

Windows 10 is sooo much better than Windows 7. Even if you don't care about technical details, security, etc., at the very least, it is much more visually appealing.

I find it slower and much less visually appealing, with less user control over how things are displayed. I don't like the Playskool icons or the tiles either. But it hasn't messed anything up so far, so I should be good for a few years until they come out with the next big change to the interface.

stever

I forgot - updated to the Anniversary(?) Edition last night and didn't notice anything different. Been using 10 for a while though. @breld, got the blanks, no biggie.

What else? Oh yeah, let's dial back the name calling please.

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

Interesting you mentioned that. Basically the Cruze is pretty zippy, especially if you have to change lanes in the city, when you are going in the 30 mph range.

I was entering a highway on the on ramp and I punched it to get ahead of the traffic and I thought the poor thing was going to have a hemorrhage and die on me. It was like it was going to choke and quit right there on the on ramp.

It has a fair bit of power if you just need a small spurt of power, but if you need too much it is like it is too much for the little beast to handle....actually a bit scary.

I had a Cruze for a loaner one day when I had my Regal and it was in the body shop for a respray on the bumper cover. What you described is exactly my experience. I thought it was a well-built car, felt solid, fairly quiet, decent space inside. Certainly a big upgrade from the Cobalt. Power around town seemed more than adequate and it moved out nicely.

But... that evening I was driving it home from work and had an uphill on-ramp to the expressway. To get it up to speed I opened up the throttle and the poor little engine revved like crazy, made a ton of noise, but not a whole lot more forward motion. It surprised me as it seemed zippy enough in every other type of driving. But 0-60mph acceleration was its weakness.

I don't understand why, with the new Cruze, GM does not offer the 1.5 Turbo from the Malibu as an upgrade engine in the higher-end model of the Cruze.

I felt exactly the same. I don't think they could add a Malibu engine as these Cruzes come from Korea I guess. maybe a logistics problem.

I was driving it today, city and highway, and I thought in a way this is what one of those 2002 little bmws probably felt like. Steering is really nice and firm, the ride is smooth but not sloppy, very firm, hits bumps with a nice clunk but no jarring....it is small and zips around....pretty good engine within a small range, just lacks power if you really push it.

I know Roadburner won't like it being compared to a BMW, but he should compare them and write about it!

driver100

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, that is a bad one and I have to consider myself lucky....I think these days getting hit from the rear will be better than getting hit head on....especially by a solid tree. I am sure that car will be a write-off....the cost of replacing all the bags would be enough, let alone there isn't a solid piece of metal left.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

. I was on a four lane (2 in each direction) with a left turning lane on my side. As I enter the turning lane to make a left a large box truck comes into my turning lane from the other direction trying to make his own left.

What's wrong with truckers these days? If one of our bus drivers did that they'd be fired.

I usually have to go into a suicide lane to get on my street. I try to go down a street earlier if there aren't oncoming cars, I try to avoid the suicide lane as much as possible. If I do go into it I do it very slowly with my signal on of course, and I am as ready as I can be to curve back out if I have to. They are like an accident waiting to happen.

About trucks these days. I think most truck drivers have "on time deliveries" where they have to be at the dock at a certain time or they are fined. Many are on a schedule....I am sure my waste truck guy got paid by the pick-up. All this adds to tension and fast careless driving, and it will only get worse.

berri

EDIT: I just thought of this, I might even get my first "abuse flag" for this post but I'll wear that one with honor.


Well Monroe, or do we call you Dino now? In basketball you have to draw a foul sometimes.

driver100

stickguy said:

Driver, just let it go, enjoy your vacation, and wait for your new car to arrive. Sounds like best to just move on now.

That is a great reply, and I got to that point, but something else has happened.

Just before my wife told me of her experience and how the cop explained why he wasn't going to lay charges against the driver who hit her, I got a telephone call from a sergeant in charge of traffic cops and procedures in our region. Early in the morning, before the discussion with my wife, I emailed them at info@local police force and left a message I wanted to come in and discuss a collision report (thinking I would never hear back).

The sergeant said he was off work until Tuesday, but wanted to know what I wanted to talk about. He was very likable, obviously had training in PR. I told him I had nothing to gain by filing a complaint, I just think it was unprofessional for a cop to say I was partly responsible for a rear end collision.

He agreed completely. He understood that I was the one hit, and I shouldn't feel I contributed to the accident. He said it was wrong to suggest I should have gone through an amber light.

He said, I don't know if I can change the accident report as far as the charges are concerned, but I will talk to the officer and we will look at our training programs, and he will report on what will be done.

I said, that's all I want, I am not too concerned whether the truck driver is charged or not, I just want it off my conscience that I somehow contributed to this accident.

He said he understood completely and I should not have to feel I did, and they will make sure the problem is corrected.

Now, I can let it go....honest!

jmonroe

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

Driver, just let it go, enjoy your vacation, and wait for your new car to arrive. Sounds like best to just move on now.

That is a great reply, and I got to that point, but something else has happened.

Just before my wife told me of her experience and how the cop explained why he wasn't going to lay charges against the driver who hit her, I got a telephone call from a sergeant in charge of traffic cops and procedures in our region. Early in the morning, before the discussion with my wife, I emailed them at info@local police force and left a message I wanted to come in and discuss a collision report (thinking I would never hear back).

The sergeant said he was off work until Tuesday, but wanted to know what I wanted to talk about. He was very likable, obviously had training in PR. I told him I had nothing to gain by filing a complaint, I just think it was unprofessional for a cop to say I was partly responsible for a rear end collision.

He agreed completely. He understood that I was the one hit, and I shouldn't feel I contributed to the accident. He said it was wrong to suggest I should have gone through an amber light.

He said, I don't know if I can change the accident report as far as the charges are concerned, but I will talk to the officer and we will look at our training programs, and he will report on what will be done.

I said, that's all I want, I am not too concerned whether the truck driver is charged or not, I just want it off my conscience that I somehow contributed to this accident.

He said he understood completely and I should not have to feel I did, and they will make sure the problem is corrected.

Now, I can let it go....honest!

I'll bet you were not expecting that response.

Just be sure your plate number is not going to be plastered on the dash of all the patrol cars in the precinct. But, if it is you will be a model driver from here on out, huh?

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

Driver, just let it go, enjoy your vacation, and wait for your new car to arrive. Sounds like best to just move on now.

That is a great reply, and I got to that point, but something else has happened.

Just before my wife told me of her experience and how the cop explained why he wasn't going to lay charges against the driver who hit her, I got a telephone call from a sergeant in charge of traffic cops and procedures in our region. Early in the morning, before the discussion with my wife, I emailed them at info@local police force and left a message I wanted to come in and discuss a collision report (thinking I would never hear back).

The sergeant said he was off work until Tuesday, but wanted to know what I wanted to talk about. He was very likable, obviously had training in PR. I told him I had nothing to gain by filing a complaint, I just think it was unprofessional for a cop to say I was partly responsible for a rear end collision.

He agreed completely. He understood that I was the one hit, and I shouldn't feel I contributed to the accident. He said it was wrong to suggest I should have gone through an amber light.

He said, I don't know if I can change the accident report as far as the charges are concerned, but I will talk to the officer and we will look at our training programs, and he will report on what will be done.

I said, that's all I want, I am not too concerned whether the truck driver is charged or not, I just want it off my conscience that I somehow contributed to this accident.

He said he understood completely and I should not have to feel I did, and they will make sure the problem is corrected.

Now, I can let it go....honest!

I'll bet you were not expecting that response.

Just be sure your plate number is not going to be plastered on the dash of all the patrol cars in the precinct. But, if it is you will be a model driver from here on out, huh?

jmonroe

LOL I really thought I would be ignored, and I would have given up at that point. I was amazed that he took the time to call, and he got the picture of what happened right away. I have probably explained the accident to about 50 people including the regulars here, and they can't believe what the cop did. This guy understood completely, and will actually reexamine the police training program, and will review with the cop involved.

There is still some hope for humanity and the system. I am so glad the matter will be looked into, and it is out of my hands. Like I and others said to GG when he had the Cadillac problems, present the facts in a dignified way, like a reasonable person, present the facts and make a logical case, and if they are at all reasonable they may get your point. If you fly off the handle you will probably lose.

About the cops knowing me all around town......my new car will have a different set of plates on it...that I can guaranty

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

Driver, just let it go, enjoy your vacation, and wait for your new car to arrive. Sounds like best to just move on now.

That is a great reply, and I got to that point, but something else has happened.

Just before my wife told me of her experience and how the cop explained why he wasn't going to lay charges against the driver who hit her, I got a telephone call from a sergeant in charge of traffic cops and procedures in our region. Early in the morning, before the discussion with my wife, I emailed them at info@local police force and left a message I wanted to come in and discuss a collision report (thinking I would never hear back).

The sergeant said he was off work until Tuesday, but wanted to know what I wanted to talk about. He was very likable, obviously had training in PR. I told him I had nothing to gain by filing a complaint, I just think it was unprofessional for a cop to say I was partly responsible for a rear end collision.

He agreed completely. He understood that I was the one hit, and I shouldn't feel I contributed to the accident. He said it was wrong to suggest I should have gone through an amber light.

He said, I don't know if I can change the accident report as far as the charges are concerned, but I will talk to the officer and we will look at our training programs, and he will report on what will be done.

I said, that's all I want, I am not too concerned whether the truck driver is charged or not, I just want it off my conscience that I somehow contributed to this accident.

He said he understood completely and I should not have to feel I did, and they will make sure the problem is corrected.

Now, I can let it go....honest!

I'll bet you were not expecting that response.

Just be sure your plate number is not going to be plastered on the dash of all the patrol cars in the precinct. But, if it is you will be a model driver from here on out, huh?

jmonroe

LOL I really thought I would be ignored, and I would have given up at that point. I was amazed that he took the time to call, and he got the picture of what happened right away. I have probably explained the accident to about 50 people including the regulars here, and they can't believe what the cop did. This guy understood completely, and will actually reexamine the police training program, and will review with the cop involved.

There is still some hope for humanity and the system. I am so glad the matter will be looked into, and it is out of my hands. Like I and others said to GG when he had the Cadillac problems, present the facts in a dignified way, like a reasonable person, present the facts and make a logical case, and if they are at all reasonable they may get your point. If you fly off the handle you will probably lose.

About the cops knowing me all around town......my new car will have a different set of plates on it...that I can guaranty

That's a good idea for 2 reasons.

(1) It was unlucky because you got rear-ended.

and

(2) If you kept those plates it would have been the biggest revenue generator for your town since the towns last tax hike.

Like I said before, you're honest but you ain't stupid.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

Driver, just let it go, enjoy your vacation, and wait for your new car to arrive. Sounds like best to just move on now.

That is a great reply, and I got to that point, but something else has happened.

Just before my wife told me of her experience and how the cop explained why he wasn't going to lay charges against the driver who hit her, I got a telephone call from a sergeant in charge of traffic cops and procedures in our region. Early in the morning, before the discussion with my wife, I emailed them at info@local police force and left a message I wanted to come in and discuss a collision report (thinking I would never hear back).

The sergeant said he was off work until Tuesday, but wanted to know what I wanted to talk about. He was very likable, obviously had training in PR. I told him I had nothing to gain by filing a complaint, I just think it was unprofessional for a cop to say I was partly responsible for a rear end collision.

He agreed completely. He understood that I was the one hit, and I shouldn't feel I contributed to the accident. He said it was wrong to suggest I should have gone through an amber light.

He said, I don't know if I can change the accident report as far as the charges are concerned, but I will talk to the officer and we will look at our training programs, and he will report on what will be done.

I said, that's all I want, I am not too concerned whether the truck driver is charged or not, I just want it off my conscience that I somehow contributed to this accident.

He said he understood completely and I should not have to feel I did, and they will make sure the problem is corrected.

Now, I can let it go....honest!

I'll bet you were not expecting that response.

Just be sure your plate number is not going to be plastered on the dash of all the patrol cars in the precinct. But, if it is you will be a model driver from here on out, huh?

jmonroe

LOL I really thought I would be ignored, and I would have given up at that point. I was amazed that he took the time to call, and he got the picture of what happened right away. I have probably explained the accident to about 50 people including the regulars here, and they can't believe what the cop did. This guy understood completely, and will actually reexamine the police training program, and will review with the cop involved.

There is still some hope for humanity and the system. I am so glad the matter will be looked into, and it is out of my hands. Like I and others said to GG when he had the Cadillac problems, present the facts in a dignified way, like a reasonable person, present the facts and make a logical case, and if they are at all reasonable they may get your point. If you fly off the handle you will probably lose.

About the cops knowing me all around town......my new car will have a different set of plates on it...that I can guaranty

Like I said before, you're honest but you ain't stupid.

jmonroe

Exactly!

verdugo

I manually started the Windows 10 anniversary upgrade on my two machines. My laptop worked perfectly. On my desktop, I had to reboot once and kick off the upgrade again. After that, it worked perfectly too.

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

As I went through an amber light this morning I can't help but remember *Driver's accident police report. From what I remember about contributory negligence it would appear that Driver could have avoided the accident. 

True, the truck is at fault for the rear end crash. But there is also an alternative legal theory that states that if the accident could have been avoided without harm to others, then driver #1 should have taken evasive action. If not, he bears some share of the blame. And that's the theory the insurance company will likely rely on in settling the claim. 

Not a big deal except the $500 deductible might apply as well as a commensurate premium increase. 

Maybe it's different in MA but when we train a driver (not a driver100) they are told that if a car should pull out in front of you, don't swerve as that could potentially cause a worse accident. The theory is that as long as the other driver is violating your right of way you should hit him rather than take evasive action and drive into someone else's right of way where you would be liable. The woman who trained me 26 years ago liked to tell about the time when she T-boned a Caddilac rather than swerve and how he got the ticket. The cop told her if she had swerved into the other lane and then hit him she would have gotten the ticket.

In driver100's case he was under no obligation to do anything but stop. I'd love to be on a jury if some lawyer tried to float that theory.

henryn

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7.

Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car.

The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew.

The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about.

I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere.

The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, bad crash. Look at all those deployed airbags. Best wishes on their recovery.

Almost had a driver100 moment a few minutes ago. I was on a four lane (2 in each direction) with a left turning lane on my side. As I enter the turning lane to make a left a large box truck comes into my turning lane from the other direction trying to make his own left. He seem genuinely clueless as to why this was a bonehead move. If I hadn't hit the brakes he would have hit me head on.

What's wrong with truckers these days? If one of our bus drivers did that they'd be fired.

Those common turn lanes aren't called "suicide lanes" for nothing. I just hold my breath when I have to use them and try to look for a place to run if something bad happens like what happened to you. I don't know what is wrong with some of the dopes that drive trucks today.

While driving the PA pike for about 40 miles round trip for about 8 years when I was working just before I retired, I saw a few but by and large most truck drivers a very good. I'd trust most of them long before I'd trust the average driver to do the right thing in an emergency situation but you'll always find a few rouges like the one you came across and the one that plowed into @driver100.

jmonroe

Only problem was this wasn't a common turn lane, that I would have understood. This was a dedicated left turn lane for my side only. This moron was basically driving down the wrong side of the street.

ab348

driver100 said:

<
I felt exactly the same. I don't think they could add a Malibu engine as these Cruzes come from Korea I guess. maybe a logistics problem.

I think the Cruze is made in Lordstown, OH. At least I'm pretty sure the model you currently are driving was.

qbrozen

henryn said:

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7. Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car. The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew. The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about. I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere. The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

It does not have to be quite so unusual. Long long ago, I was the 3rd car in a 3-car accident. It was raining, an older camaro was in front of me and we were approaching a red light. The light turned green before we got there so we kept going. A young lady stopped at the light facing our direction decided to go ahead and make her left turn in front of the camaro. He promptly t-boned her, sending her over the opposite curb while the camaro stopped dead in its tracks. I stomped my brakes but still plowed into the back of him.

Later, when speaking with the girl's insurance company, they were insistent I had no claim with them because I should have been following at a safe distance. I contended I was...if the car in front of me applied his brakes and stopped through his car's own power. But since he struck a car who cut him off, his stopping distance went from 100 feet to 0 feet, thereby eliminating my safe stopping room. They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, bad crash. Look at all those deployed airbags. Best wishes on their recovery.

Almost had a driver100 moment a few minutes ago. I was on a four lane (2 in each direction) with a left turning lane on my side. As I enter the turning lane to make a left a large box truck comes into my turning lane from the other direction trying to make his own left. He seem genuinely clueless as to why this was a bonehead move. If I hadn't hit the brakes he would have hit me head on.

What's wrong with truckers these days? If one of our bus drivers did that they'd be fired.

Those common turn lanes aren't called "suicide lanes" for nothing. I just hold my breath when I have to use them and try to look for a place to run if something bad happens like what happened to you. I don't know what is wrong with some of the dopes that drive trucks today.

While driving the PA pike for about 40 miles round trip for about 8 years when I was working just before I retired, I saw a few but by and large most truck drivers a very good. I'd trust most of them long before I'd trust the average driver to do the right thing in an emergency situation but you'll always find a few rouges like the one you came across and the one that plowed into @driver100.

jmonroe

Only problem was this wasn't a common turn lane, that I would have understood. This was a dedicated left turn lane for my side only. This moron was basically driving down the wrong side of the street.

OK, I get it now but you should have said that in your original post. You have known me for a while now, so you should have known I ain't no mind reader.

jmonroe

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

<
I felt exactly the same. I don't think they could add a Malibu engine as these Cruzes come from Korea I guess. maybe a logistics problem.

I think the Cruze is made in Lordstown, OH. At least I'm pretty sure the model you currently are driving was.

I think you are right ab. Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive. It handles well.....just doesn't have a lot of power for sudden acceleration. I find I have to plan carefully, be in the correct lane way back, come onto a highway very carefully. I miss my E400

driver100

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7.

Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car.

The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew.

The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about.

I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere.

The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

I had no claim with them because I should have been following at a safe distance. I contended I was...if the car in front of me applied his brakes and stopped through his car's own power. But since he struck a car who cut him off, his stopping distance went from 100 feet to 0 feet, thereby eliminating my safe stopping room. They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

That is a case where you weren't at fault for a rear end collision. There are and will be exceptions to the rule. Like the cop said to me, I have seen cars cut in front of a truck, jam on the brakes for a stoplight that changes, and the truck driver following has no time to stop. I said, that isn't what happened in this case. The truck was behind me for about a mile!

But, it can happen, and I understand how truck drivers can have a hard time dealing with some car drivers.

berri

They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

I really have become convinced that many insurance companies are slimy. I think you are generally better off getting your insurance company involved because they have a legal staff to fight off the slime. Don't get me wrong, there are some good companies and adjusters out there, it's just that you don't know for sure when an accident occurs.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

<
I felt exactly the same. I don't think they could add a Malibu engine as these Cruzes come from Korea I guess. maybe a logistics problem.

I think the Cruze is made in Lordstown, OH. At least I'm pretty sure the model you currently are driving was.

I think you are right ab. Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive. It handles well.....just doesn't have a lot of power for sudden acceleration. I find I have to plan carefully, be in the correct lane way back, come onto a highway very carefully. I miss my E400

And that is why after my first 2 cars were 6 cylinders Chevy's ('56 and '63) that I got from an uncle when I was in the Navy due to his medical condition, I swore up and down that I would never own another underpowered car again. Like I have said before, if the car I want has the option of getting a larger engine that's the one I get.

jmonroe

ab348

driver100 said:

I think you are right ab. Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive.

I hate to tell you this, but it DOES have a turbo.

andres3

jmonroe said:

andres3 said:

sda said:

nyccarguy said:

@driver100 - I know you are upset about your car accident. Yes you did the right thing. You slowed down & stopped for the yellow light. You got rear ended by a garbage truck. Big deal the driver of the truck didn't get cited. Look at the bright side. You and your wife were not seriously injured. You will be getting a brand new Mercedes and you'll get to punch your CCBA card . You get to go back to Florida in November.

Let me know if the link doesn't work: https://kennyflynnphoto.smugmug.com/Galleries/Firefighting/2016/8-28-16-Congers-FD-Extrication-R/i-DKmtfNk/A

My best friend's sister in law was sitting in the front passenger seat of this Infiniti G Sedan. Her seat belt was buckled, the driver was sober, he was going about 50 mph in a 55 mph zone (5 mph under the speed limit). A deer jumped right out in front of him. He swerved to avoid it & crashed head on into a tree. She suffered broken bones in her neck, back, & arm. She has broken ribs and a significant number of bruises and lacerations. She's going to make a full recovery, but it is going to be long and painfully difficult.

Wow, that was a hard hit. If it had been a lesser car the consequences could have been worse. I hope your friend's sister has a full and quick recovery.

I will never understand swerving so hard that you choose an immobile Tree rather than a deer to hit. HPDE training should be mandatory.

Hey [non-permissible content removed], I don't think the driver chose to hit a tree. Some people are not as good at driving as you are but then they don't get as many tickets either.

EDIT: I just thought of this, I might even get my first "abuse flag" for this post but I'll wear that one with honor.

jmonroe

Fair enough, I can see how the timing and wording of my post may have come off as insensitive given the situation. I actually misread a bit of what was written originally too. I thought the relationship was to the passenger, not the driver. Didn't know the driver was a good friend of someone here.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

bwia said:

As I went through an amber light this morning I can't help but remember *Driver's accident police report. From what I remember about contributory negligence it would appear that Driver could have avoided the accident. 

True, the truck is at fault for the rear end crash. But there is also an alternative legal theory that states that if the accident could have been avoided without harm to others, then driver #1 should have taken evasive action. If not, he bears some share of the blame. And that's the theory the insurance company will likely rely on in settling the claim. 

Not a big deal except the $500 deductible might apply as well as a commensurate premium increase. 

Maybe it's different in MA but when we train a driver (not a driver100) they are told that if a car should pull out in front of you, don't swerve as that could potentially cause a worse accident. The theory is that as long as the other driver is violating your right of way you should hit him rather than take evasive action and drive into someone else's right of way where you would be liable. The woman who trained me 26 years ago liked to tell about the time when she T-boned a Caddilac rather than swerve and how he got the ticket. The cop told her if she had swerved into the other lane and then hit him she would have gotten the ticket.

In driver100's case he was under no obligation to do anything but stop. I'd love to be on a jury if some lawyer tried to float that theory.

The training and teachings should be to swerve if you can do so safely and only if you have room to make the maneuver without causing a different accident. You should swerve only to your car's capabilities. You can't swerve as hard in a Tahoe as you can a Cayman.

I'd agree you don't want to hit someone innocent trying to avoid a negligent driver.

andres3

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7.

Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car.

The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew.

The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about.

I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere.

The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

I had no claim with them because I should have been following at a safe distance. I contended I was...if the car in front of me applied his brakes and stopped through his car's own power. But since he struck a car who cut him off, his stopping distance went from 100 feet to 0 feet, thereby eliminating my safe stopping room. They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

That is a case where you weren't at fault for a rear end collision. There are and will be exceptions to the rule. Like the cop said to me, I have seen cars cut in front of a truck, jam on the brakes for a stoplight that changes, and the truck driver following has no time to stop. I said, that isn't what happened in this case. The truck was behind me for about a mile!

But, it can happen, and I understand how truck drivers can have a hard time dealing with some car drivers.



Another example would be brake-checkers. People who brake hard on purpose in an attempt to cause an accident on purpose (potential attempted murder charges if you ask me). All the more reason to have a dash cam. showing someone hit the brakes hard for zero reason on camera video would be a good use of dash cam.

andres3

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7.

Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car.

The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew.

The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about.

I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere.

The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

It does not have to be quite so unusual. Long long ago, I was the 3rd car in a 3-car accident. It was raining, an older camaro was in front of me and we were approaching a red light. The light turned green before we got there so we kept going. A young lady stopped at the light facing our direction decided to go ahead and make her left turn in front of the camaro. He promptly t-boned her, sending her over the opposite curb while the camaro stopped dead in its tracks. I stomped my brakes but still plowed into the back of him.

Later, when speaking with the girl's insurance company, they were insistent I had no claim with them because I should have been following at a safe distance. I contended I was...if the car in front of me applied his brakes and stopped through his car's own power. But since he struck a car who cut him off, his stopping distance went from 100 feet to 0 feet, thereby eliminating my safe stopping room. They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

It's heart breaking that you had to go through that much hassle when it was clear the vehicle in front didn't stop on its own power.

Good final result though; justice served.

andres3

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

<
I felt exactly the same. I don't think they could add a Malibu engine as these Cruzes come from Korea I guess. maybe a logistics problem.

I think the Cruze is made in Lordstown, OH. At least I'm pretty sure the model you currently are driving was.

I think you are right ab. Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive. It handles well.....just doesn't have a lot of power for sudden acceleration. I find I have to plan carefully, be in the correct lane way back, come onto a highway very carefully. I miss my E400

And that is why after my first 2 cars were 6 cylinders Chevy's ('56 and '63) that I got from an uncle when I was in the Navy due to his medical condition, I swore up and down that I would never own another underpowered car again. Like I have said before, if the car I want has the option of getting a larger engine that's the one I get.

jmonroe

Maybe a Hellcat is in your future then!

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7.

Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car.

The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew.

The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about.

I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere.

The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

I had no claim with them because I should have been following at a safe distance. I contended I was...if the car in front of me applied his brakes and stopped through his car's own power. But since he struck a car who cut him off, his stopping distance went from 100 feet to 0 feet, thereby eliminating my safe stopping room. They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

That is a case where you weren't at fault for a rear end collision. There are and will be exceptions to the rule. Like the cop said to me, I have seen cars cut in front of a truck, jam on the brakes for a stoplight that changes, and the truck driver following has no time to stop. I said, that isn't what happened in this case. The truck was behind me for about a mile!

But, it can happen, and I understand how truck drivers can have a hard time dealing with some car drivers.

Another example would be brake-checkers. People who brake hard on purpose in an attempt to cause an accident on purpose (potential attempted murder charges if you ask me). All the more reason to have a dash cam. showing someone hit the brakes hard for zero reason on camera video would be a good use of dash cam.

If you are following at a safe distance you should be able to stop even if the driver in front of you slams on his/hers brakes. As for the dash cam, unless it has x-ray vision it may not capture why the driver in front of you slammed on his/hers brakes.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

qbrozen said:

henryn said:

I know I’ve shared this before, but it bears repeating. If you don’t like the Windows 10 interface, download Classic Shell (free) or Start10 ($5). After that, you can’t tell Windows 10 from Windows 7.

Back in December of 2010, I was involved in an accident. I was in a pack of cars moving about 70 mph, when we came up to a construction crew. Two young kids, teenagers, walk out in front of traffic holding a stop sign. I guess they thought that hand held stop sign was going to protect them from 20 or 30 cars and trucks traveling at 70 mph. Somehow, no one died, and the only actual bent sheet metal was the front end of my car where I rear ended the SUV in front of me. The rear bumper on the SUV was barely scratched, and at first the woman driving it said she wasn’t going to file a claim. Later she changed her mind, and tried to claim whiplash. That didn’t go very far, hard to claim whiplash when you don’t really have a damage claim for your car.

The guy behind me stopped about one inch off my rear bumper, jumped out of his truck hollering and screaming at the two kids who had caused the whole mess. They took off running, and he chased them off into a wooded area on the other side of the road. The cops showed up, and the guy who chased off after the kids came back, still quite upset. He told the cop that it wasn’t my fault, it was the fault of the two reckless kids. The cop explained that it didn’t work that way, it was my responsibility to be able to stop, no matter what. Which I already knew.

The cop did go over and find the foreman for the construction crew, asking him about the accident and his two workers. The foreman did the classic 3 monkeys stunt, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. He had seen nothing, he knew nothing, he had no idea about 2 of his workmen stopping traffic. Nope, didn’t happen, no idea what anyone was talking about.

I did not get a ticket, but my insurance company did assume liability. They offered to fix the woman’s car that I hit, but she declined. And then, a few days later, contacted my insurance company with a whiplash claim, which went absolutely nowhere.

The way this works, the way it has always been explained to me, by cops, by insurance adjustors, and by lawyers, if you rear end someone, you’re at fault. Barring really, really unusual circumstances, it’s your responsibility to be able to stop.

I had no claim with them because I should have been following at a safe distance. I contended I was...if the car in front of me applied his brakes and stopped through his car's own power. But since he struck a car who cut him off, his stopping distance went from 100 feet to 0 feet, thereby eliminating my safe stopping room. They refused to pay, but my insurance took over and, sure enough, 10 mos later, it was determined I was not at fault and the girl's insurance had to pay back my insurance plus my $500 deductible.

That is a case where you weren't at fault for a rear end collision. There are and will be exceptions to the rule. Like the cop said to me, I have seen cars cut in front of a truck, jam on the brakes for a stoplight that changes, and the truck driver following has no time to stop. I said, that isn't what happened in this case. The truck was behind me for about a mile!

But, it can happen, and I understand how truck drivers can have a hard time dealing with some car drivers.

Another example would be brake-checkers. People who brake hard on purpose in an attempt to cause an accident on purpose (potential attempted murder charges if you ask me). All the more reason to have a dash cam. showing someone hit the brakes hard for zero reason on camera video would be a good use of dash cam.

If you are following at a safe distance you should be able to stop even if the driver in front of you slams on his/hers brakes. As for the dash cam, unless it has x-ray vision it may not capture why the driver in front of you slammed on his/hers brakes.

I guess I should get a lifted truck so I can have a bird's eye view. While your statement is correct about following distance accounting for slammed brakes, the problem is a good chunk of drivers don't allow that following distance, and someone slamming on their brakes for no reason is so unexpected it could catch someone off-guard.

I remember the last time it was done to me, and they were probably surprised how good my A3's brakes were as I didn't hit them. That must of been their intent. Some people lack IQ.

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

I think you are right ab. Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive.

I hate to tell you this, but it DOES have a turbo.

I'd have to check, but I did find this info:
you'll have a choice of three different powertrains for the Cruze: a base 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, a 1.4-liter turbocharged four, or a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four. The 1.4-liter is the 'premium' of the two gasoline engines; while it makes the same 138 horsepower as the 1.8-liter, the 1.4T's accessible low- and mid-rev torque makes it a better match for the automatic transmission—as well as a smoother, more agreeable choice in terms of day-to-day livability.

Not sure if this one has a 1.8 or a 1.4 turbo.....if it has the turbo that would explain the extra power, and it might explain that turbo drag, where the engine can't catch up to the throttle.

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

<
I felt exactly the same. I don't think they could add a Malibu engine as these Cruzes come from Korea I guess. maybe a logistics problem.

I think the Cruze is made in Lordstown, OH. At least I'm pretty sure the model you currently are driving was.

I think you are right ab. Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive. It handles well.....just doesn't have a lot of power for sudden acceleration. I find I have to plan carefully, be in the correct lane way back, come onto a highway very carefully. I miss my E400

And that is why after my first 2 cars were 6 cylinders Chevy's ('56 and '63) that I got from an uncle when I was in the Navy due to his medical condition, I swore up and down that I would never own another underpowered car again. Like I have said before, if the car I want has the option of getting a larger engine that's the one I get.

jmonroe

I agree. One of the lamest cars I had was a 63 Comet, 3 on the tree. I like the extra power for comfort and safety reasons.

roadburner

I drove a Cruze Eco with a manual gearbox several years ago, and I was very impressed.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Not sure why they don't use a larger engine or add a turbo, that would make it a blast to drive.

Which engine does it have under the hood? The obvious difference is the dipstick--one goes into the top of the engine and the other goes through an external tube down to the sump.

nyccarguy

Thank you all for your well wishes regarding my friend's sister-in-law. She is still hospitalized, but progressing very nicely. As I'm sure you all know, paying for this mess is a whole different animal. The driver only had state minimums for insurance, which is $100,000 per occuurence. Divide that by four and you get $25,000 per person in the vehicle. My friends sister-in-law's health insurance will then kick in after that, but it isn't great. Then, luckily she just leased a new Infiniti A few months ago, and really upped her insurance coverage for the new car. So her car insurance will cover with his car insurance and her health insurance doesn't. Then she will have to try to legally go after the driver for what's leftover.

jmonroe

nyccarguy said:

Thank you all for your well wishes regarding my friend's sister-in-law. She is still hospitalized, but progressing very nicely. As I'm sure you all know, paying for this mess is a whole different animal. The driver only had state minimums for insurance, which is $100,000 per occuurence. Divide that by four and you get $25,000 per person in the vehicle. My friends sister-in-law's health insurance will then kick in after that, but it isn't great. Then, luckily she just leased a new Infiniti A few months ago, and really upped her insurance coverage for the new car. So her car insurance will cover with his car insurance and her health insurance doesn't. Then she will have to try to legally go after the driver for what's leftover.

Yes, that sounds like a real mess money wise but the most important part is that she is still alive AND is recovering nicely. In the end it is only money and while it could be a real mess like I said, the money in the end will work itself out but I'm sure it won't be easy.

jmonroe

henryn

andres3 said:

While your statement is correct about following distance accounting for slammed brakes, the problem is a good chunk of drivers don't allow that following distance, and someone slamming on their brakes for no reason is so unexpected it could catch someone off-guard.

I remember the last time it was done to me, and they were probably surprised how good my A3's brakes were as I didn't hit them. That must of been their intent. Some people lack IQ.

The problem is, if you do NOT allow that "safe following distance", and you rear end someone, you are at fault.

In today's modern high speed urban traffic (freeways), it is almost impossible to leave a good cushion between yourself and the car you are following. If you try to leave 2 or 3 car lengths in front of you, 4 or 5 cars immediately cram into that space. The only thing you can do is pay close attention, be prepared to react, and drive a car with really good brakes.

jmonroe

henryn said:

andres3 said:

While your statement is correct about following distance accounting for slammed brakes, the problem is a good chunk of drivers don't allow that following distance, and someone slamming on their brakes for no reason is so unexpected it could catch someone off-guard.

I remember the last time it was done to me, and they were probably surprised how good my A3's brakes were as I didn't hit them. That must of been their intent. Some people lack IQ.

The problem is, if you do NOT allow that "safe following distance", and you rear end someone, you are at fault.

In today's modern high speed urban traffic (freeways), it is almost impossible to leave a good cushion between yourself and the car you are following. If you try to leave 2 or 3 car lengths in front of you, 4 or 5 cars immediately cram into that space. The only thing you can do is pay close attention, be prepared to react, and drive a car with really good brakes.

I agree. Leaving what is a safe distance only results in cars jumping into the safety space you allowed yourself. Yes, it gets frustrating doing this but those cars that jumped into your safety space are the very ones that are responsible for why, even us good drivers, pay the insurance rates that we do. I keep telling Mrs. j this about our rates and she is not so sure I am right. This is the not the only time we have disagreed about something and I will not bring this up while we are in the house. I only mention this while we are in the car and this happens. You don't think I want to do laps around the dining room table do you?

As for having good brakes, I'm not sure how you can prove this other than making panic stops while test driving a car and you better warn the salesman before you do it. Also, just be sure you let @oldfarmer50 know what car you do this with because he will NOT be interested in that car, no way. :@

jmonroe

stever

This might be a situation where a dash cam gets you off the hook for rear-ending someone who cuts in front of you.

nyccarguy

@jmonroe - my biggest gripe I have with my 4cyl Legacy is that it's underpowered.

houdini1

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron cop did a number on me. Other driver was at fault, but, I stopped too suddenly for an amber light.

Like I said, it was a completely normal stop. The cop never asked anything about how or why I stopped, but, he took the truck drivers word that he thought I would go through the light and he was going to do the same. Isn't that assuming...make an [non-permissible content removed] of u and me?

This is what the retired insurance broker wrote to me:

The police reports used to show estimates of damage. I don’t see any here but the officer, it appears, didn’t like you or your ride or both.
There is nothing to be gained & only frustration in attempting to have the officer alter his report.
With the amount of damage done to your vehicle the other driver should have been charged.
You were rear ended when you stopped for the changing light & owe no explanation to anyone for your actions.
You are not at fault.

I feel like telling the police department they have a moron officer who should learn the law and study the drivers handbook. I'd like to see him called up on the carpet....but, the insurance man says just get on with life!

Were your brake lights working? If so than the moment you touched that brake pedal the truck driver should have known you were stopping. Either that or he wasn't paying attention. And it doesn't matter how fast you stopped he should have been able to stop before hitting you, since he didn't he was either following to close, going to fast, wasn't paying attention or a combination of the three.

He was clearly at fault.

Most people can't believe the truck driver wasn't charged! For the cop to say I stopped too fast, and should have gone through an amber light I can easily stop for is ludicrous.

I sometimes think, the odds of me hitting a car or a person in the intersection would have been 10X greater, than the chance of a big truck hitting the rear of my car.

I might have mentioned how years ago I was driving a small bus and per school district policy I stopped rather quickly for a yellow and was clipped by a woman in a mini van.

She got a ticket for following too close. Case closed.

I think my wife put this accident thing into perspective for me, let me know what you think,

Many years ago my wife was teaching our daughter how to drive. They were on a two lane highway, speed limit 60 mph, in a pick up truck. It was dark, evening hours.

They stopped to turn left into a gas station, no turning lane. The truck following behind swerved around them on to the gravel shoulder....but, the large truck behind that truck didn't know there was a stopped vehicle, and had no time to go around. Hit the pick up pretty hard.

A few hours later the cop came to the door of the house, he said the accident was caused by the truck driver - obviously, but, he apologized that he wasn't going to charge him.....classed as an accident. My wife was satisfied and she understood, the truck driver didn't do something intentionally, in a way, it was a human error.

The main difference in my case is the cop gave me this bogus excuse for not laying a charge....that I stopped too quickly for an amber light. If he had said to me look, the other driver is at fault, but, it was an accident, I don't want to lay a charge on the poor slob...he is a working guy with kids to support, let's leave it at that I would probably be OK with that.

My wife said it is probably a good thing the police show some humanity. That the truck driver doesn't lose his license or his job because of this incident. It could happen to me or to you or anyone...a moment of stupidity, and maybe it is a good thing there is some leniency shown.

I was going to try to get an appointment at the police station this morning, but, now all the fight has been taken out of me.

Any thoughts?

"Accidents" happen all the time, but they are usually caused by someone's carelessness. If I am driving down the road fiddling with my radio, texting, or some other foolishness, and rear end someone, certainly I did not intend to cause harm, but cause it I did. What if someone was killed or seriously injured in your accident? Does the guy still get off because of the flimsy excuse that you stopped because the light was turning red? Give me a break !!

jmonroe

stever said:

This might be a situation where a dash cam gets you off the hook for rear-ending someone who cuts in front of you.

That's a good idea but it will probably cost me. I'll have to weigh that cost against wearing out the carpet in the dining room which probably only has about another 70 laps left in it. OK, I'm done putting a dollar amount to this. Losing the race and having to confront her left hook just convinced me. She has almost found a way to combat my rope-a-dope maneuver.

jmonroe

jmonroe

nyccarguy said:

@jmonroe - my biggest gripe I have with my 4cyl Legacy is that it's underpowered.

We have had this discussion before. If you ever come to the Burgh you can take Mrs. j's 6 cylinder 2012 Legacy for a test drive. Just don't cry all over me wanting to make a trade when you come back.

jmonroe

stickguy

all this talk about people stopping short in front of you is why CR at least is on a crusade to get auto braking mandatory. can certainly make the difference when you are slightly distracted just for a second, and won't react as quickly as the car.

that, I like. Randomly slamming on the brakes on an empty highway, that I can live without.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

I guess I should get a lifted truck so I can have a bird's eye view. While your statement is correct about following distance accounting for slammed brakes, the problem is a good chunk of drivers don't allow that following distance, and someone slamming on their brakes for no reason is so unexpected it could catch someone off-guard.

I remember the last time it was done to me, and they were probably surprised how good my A3's brakes were as I didn't hit them. That must of been their intent. Some people lack IQ.

My guess is that people slamming on their brakes for no reason is an extremely rare occurrence and one that is usually reserved for tailgaters (an action that I wouldn't advise). When I see someone slamming on their brakes there is usually a good reason and one I usually see about the same time the other person sees it.

snakeweasel

henryn said:

The problem is, if you do NOT allow that "safe following distance", and you rear end someone, you are at fault.

In today's modern high speed urban traffic (freeways), it is almost impossible to leave a good cushion between yourself and the car you are following. If you try to leave 2 or 3 car lengths in front of you, 4 or 5 cars immediately cram into that space. The only thing you can do is pay close attention, be prepared to react, and drive a car with really good brakes.

I usually find that to be the case in rush hour traffic and no so much in normal traffic. And in rush hour traffic moves so much slower that it limits the issue of following to close.