Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100 · August 2016

oldfarmer50 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!

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!

Unless the traffic laws are different in Canada there is no way you can be held responsible in any shape or form. If you rear end another vehicle you are 100% responsible. It doesn't matter what you "thought" the other driver was doing you are responsible for your vehicle. The person you hit is not. A commercial driver is held to a higher standard than a regular motorist. The trucker should not have been so close.

I don't get the cop's attitude. Even if you were jumping around like Donald Duck throwing a fit the law is the law.

Maybe the truck driver was a relative. If you could prove that relationship he would be in trouble with his department.

Oldfarmer, I believe the police report definitely shows, the truck driver is at fault. His side of the form is outlined in black meaning he is at fault, I am in green and that is the one not at fault.

I really believe he didn't want the truck driver to pay even more for insurance, or lose his license. By not charging him it becomes an accident, which is treated much lighter.

My guess is the cop made up this stuff about stopping too fast so he would have a way out of charging the truck driver.

I was very calm and spoke in a very rational way considering what happened, I didn't want to appear to be a hot head. My very pretty wife and I were nicely dressed meeting people for dinner. We were like the perfect couple. That reminds me, he also said he wasn't going to charge the guy because he couldn't find a witness. We have the name and number of a teenager who was in a car waiting at the light, who saw the whole thing....funny, we found a witness and he didn't. There was at least 3 or 4 people who offered us bottles of water, let us go to their home if we needed anything, offered help. They all knew exactly what happened.

driver100 · August 2016

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

ab348 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.

I would be very upset with this. What if your insurer says that you contributed to the crash based on that?

I had a situation where I was a witness to a accident between a coworkers car and and an oncoming truck.
That is one fortunate thing......since he is at fault I should not be penalized in any way. Not charging him just makes it a lot less serious for him.

But I am pretty upset, one reason is there is no way I would have gone through that light....even if it happened again tomorrow....I don't ever want to hit a pedestrian if that can be avoided......but also, there is a principle at stake and there is also a cop with a problem - and he should be trained properly.

I am tempted to write to his boss or the collision report people and tell them in a nice way they have an incompetent cop working the traffic beat. If I was a visible minority this could be a major problem for them. Maybe driving a Mercedes qualifies me!

Like I said in my previous post, sit tight until this is all settled. Why give them a chance to fudge something just because you upset them. Although filing an amended report that contradicts the original would raise a lot of questions in a court room why take the chance since you seem to have the upper hand now.

As for the cop not liking you because he is biased against MB owners, I don't buy that. I think he is trying not to put all the blame on the truck driver because he knows that could affect his job and since he knows the drivers insurance will cover the damages he figures no one will care.

I could be wrong about ALL of this but I don't think I am.

jmonroe

I basically agree. I do think if I protested their report they would have trouble changing it to be even more against me. It is really one of these bureaucratic matters, the report gets filed, we have no fault insurance so my insurance company will collect the money from the truck drivers insurance company, we will be compensated for my wife's physio and massages, we will get a new car, the truck driver will be at fault but he will not be hit as hard as he could have been. Unfortunately the incompetent cop will get away with it. The person who writes up the report will file it and in another week no one will care.....and the circle of life continues.

My best guess is the cop just wants to save the guy from being charged. It bothers me but then again...it's just part of the game.

berri · August 2016

I kind of see the whole write up a one big red herring. Whether you stopped on the yellow or not, most yellow lights aren't long enough for a second vehicle, especially a large truck, to get through before the light turns red. But I guess both insurance companies have lawyers to haggle it all out.

PS - was the garbage truck run by the city where the cop and incident took place?

stickguy · August 2016

Driver, just focus on the only 2 important things here.

most important, you guys are OK.

but you also get a new car, which is always nice.

berri · August 2016

Very true

fintail · August 2016

Get a dashcam system for the new car. They aren't terribly expensive, and would be good peace of mind for something like this.

henryn · August 2016

stever said:

jmonroe said:
It says in part "looks nice from 10 feet, but obvious imperfections up close".

It might be worth looking into what it will take to get rid of some of those imperfections. jmonroe
I take that language to be "collector's code" - ten footers are in great shape yet you still don't mind driving them, unlike something you're going to take to shows in a box trailer.

May be best to omit that for the craigslist crowd though.

Around here, the collector crowd talks about a "30 footer". I haven't heard anyone use the term "10 footer", but I have heard "30 footer" any number of times.

stever · August 2016

I've heard Shifty and a couple of others use ten footer. Shifty has higher standards than the collector crowd you hang with, lol.

oldfarmer50 · September 2016

driver100 said:

fintail said:
You could make it a media storm, go on social media and contact some local papers and TV and see if they will make it a third section special interest story. Some outlets love to expose incompetent police work, and there's sadly often no shortage of stories.

It definitely sounds like the one with the badge was put off by you.

driver100 said:
I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron

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!

I agree 100% - I have thought about that. I think it would be an interesting story for the newspaper. I have concerns though, going away for 2 weeks next Tuesday, my wife will never agree to me doing it, it could result in some kind of lawsuit against me, every cop around will be watching for me....and lots more!

It would be like if someone slams you in the head, and the cop says it wouldn't have happened if you got your head out of the way.

Once the shock of the accident wears off it's natural to have a sense of outrage about what happened. It's a mild form of PTSD and you find yourself playing the scenario over and over in your mind. Your mind wants "justice". If there was some real unfairness like with the cop's attitude it just makes it worse.

The other posters are correct, trying to go after the cop will just result in you being on their watch list and it won't make you feel better. Give it some time and continue to consult with the Cars & Conversations counselors. Eventually the emotional side of this will catch up with what you already know intellectually---you were not in any way to blame.

driver100 · September 2016

berri said:
I kind of see the whole write up a one big red herring. Whether you stopped on the yellow or not, most yellow lights aren't long enough for a second vehicle, especially a large truck, to get through before the light turns red. But I guess both insurance companies have lawyers to haggle it all out.

PS - was the garbage truck run by the city where the cop and incident took place?

With no fault insurance I don't think the lawyers haggle, the accident report has a pretty picture and states who is at fault....this saves a lot of money using lawyers. This also means my insurance company deals with his insurance company, so I don't have to do that.

The waste pick up truck, one of those giant kind, is owned by a large private company, probably donates to the policeman's ball or something. I don't know if the driver of the truck spoke English or what, his son who was in the truck did all the talking from what I could see. The truck driver's supervisor was on the spot immediately and was talking and laughing with the cop a lot of the time....makes me a bit suspicious of what that was all about.

driver100 · September 2016

stickguy said:
Driver, just focus on the only 2 important things here.

most important, you guys are OK.

but you also get a new car, which is always nice.

I know that is what I should do.
I am just mad that the cop is getting away with it....and that the truck driver isn't properly penalized, he is a danger to others and could do serious damage one day.

driver100 · September 2016

fintail said:
Get a dashcam system for the new car. They aren't terribly expensive, and would be good peace of mind for something like this.

Good idea....I don't like the idea of having a dash cam sitting on the instrument panel....would like it if it was built in. That would have saved me a lot of pain though.

driver100 · September 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:
You could make it a media storm, go on social media and contact some local papers and TV and see if they will make it a third section special interest story. Some outlets love to expose incompetent police work, and there's sadly often no shortage of stories.

It definitely sounds like the one with the badge was put off by you.

driver100 said:
I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron

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!

I agree 100% - I have thought about that. I think it would be an interesting story for the newspaper. I have concerns though, going away for 2 weeks next Tuesday, my wife will never agree to me doing it, it could result in some kind of lawsuit against me, every cop around will be watching for me....and lots more!

It would be like if someone slams you in the head, and the cop says it wouldn't have happened if you got your head out of the way.
Once the shock of the accident wears off it's natural to have a sense of outrage about what happened. It's a mild form of PTSD and you find yourself playing the scenario over and over in your mind. Your mind wants "justice". If there was some real unfairness like with the cop's attitude it just makes it worse.

The other posters are correct, trying to go after the cop will just result in you being on their watch list and it won't make you feel better. Give it some time and continue to consult with the Cars & Conversations counselors. Eventually the emotional side of this will catch up with what you already know intellectually---you were not in any way to blame.

Very well said oldfarmer.....especially about the PTSD affect, and the need for "justice". People say getting angry and seeking revenge just hurts the person seeking the revenge, it doesn't bother the other person at all. That is true in this case, everyone else will carry on, but, I won't feel right unless I attempt to do something....but, I probably won't, it will just take more energy out of me than the truck driver or the cop. If I go to the higher ups at the police station they would just sweep it under the carpet anyway.

I sometimes think though....if the truck driver really hurts someone one day it is because of an incompetent system.

snakeweasel · September 2016

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
Cruze is kind of weird, not much room, the console storage is way back between and behind the seats...break my arm trying to open it. Not nearly as well laid out as the Fusion, but, feels better put together.
The Cruze is a smaller class than the Fusion. The front seat has lots of room, perhaps smaller than premium car, but the rear seat is tight as expected in a compact car.

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more forward.

I drove about 15 miles in it tonight, and I found quite a few good things to report....the console is actually so far back, it is behind the front seat back.
The road handling is superb. Nice suspension, actually absorbs the bumps, and the steering is pretty firm, tracks really well. Really easy to maneuver in traffic. Steering wheel is nicely leather wrapped, and inside though minimal is fairly tasteful. I like the vision out....can see in all directions nicely....and it has big windows. Feels really solid. Engine is pretty good considering, especially at cruising speed. Pick up is a bit weak, especially when it changes gears, I wonder if it will stall out.

The Fusion was more comfortable with more content. But, not as solid. Suspension not as smooth, steering and everything is just a bit flimsy. For a car in this class, it has quite a bit compared to similar class of cars from the past. I like the extra room inside, and it feels like there is more to it, but the Cruze seems built and engineered better.

Tell me how do you like the transmission? I had one as a loaner and while I thought it was a pretty good car for it's price point I didn't like how it shifted. It seemed to downshift in the lower gears quite aggressively. It seemed to downshift into 3rd and then into 2nd way to early giving high engine revs and a lot of engine braking. On the occasional upshift it almost seemed like it went into neutral for an second before engaging the next gear. I am wondering if it is how the transmission works or if it was just the car I was driving.

snakeweasel · September 2016

houdini1 said:

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:
This boggles my mind. Between things like this and the disasterous Focus transmissions how does Ford avoid a public black eye? Teflon?
Seems like toyota's runaway acceleration and Honda's trannies and others. If this were GM car...

I read somewhere what it is that's going wrong in the Fusion but can't recall right now. Friends bought a Fusion a few months ago, but I'm reluctant to tell them that this stalling is likely to happen to them.

I think Toyota got bruised by the falsified runaway acceleration fictional stories. I've yet to see of one proven case where it wasn't driver error. Honda apparently has suffered from the V6 transmission debacle, as apparently, you, I, and others haven't forgot about it when considering new vehicles. At least that one is legit. I just think for every burned Honda transmission owner there are probably 100 Chrysler transmissions in the scrap heap.
IIRC Toyota did admit that there was an issue and even found that the gas pedal had a tendency to stick in a depressed position and hid that from the public and regulators. Didn't they pay a billion dollar plus fine over that?
Due to floor mats getting tangled with accelerator?

IIRC it was doing it on it's own, no floor mat assistance.

snakeweasel · September 2016

stever said:
Wikipedia has a good summary of the Toyota SUA mess, the $1.2 billion payment in lieu of prosecution, and talks about the mats, the pedal height, and those infamous tin whiskers. The $1.2 billion fine was different from the $1.2 billion class action settlement.

Since anyone can edit Wikipedia I would take anything there with a grain of salt.

snakeweasel · September 2016

stickguy said:
I think that joke goes all the way back to WC fields.

And he likely stole it from someone else.

fintail · September 2016

Mine mounts under the rear view mirror, and the rear one is quite small, at the top of the rear windshield. Both are pretty subtle. Aside from not having 100% trust in local drivers nor LEO investigations, they can be a nice record of scenic drives.

driver100 said:

Good idea....I don't like the idea of having a dash cam sitting on the instrument panel....would like it if it was built in. That would have saved me a lot of pain though.

driver100 · September 2016

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
Cruze is kind of weird, not much room, the console storage is way back between and behind the seats...break my arm trying to open it. Not nearly as well laid out as the Fusion, but, feels better put together.
The Cruze is a smaller class than the Fusion. The front seat has lots of room, perhaps smaller than premium car, but the rear seat is tight as expected in a compact car.

The armrest? I can't figure out why it's so far back. Ours has leather and power seats, but I'd expect the elbow rest to be a little more forward.

I drove about 15 miles in it tonight, and I found quite a few good things to report....the console is actually so far back, it is behind the front seat back.
The road handling is superb. Nice suspension, actually absorbs the bumps, and the steering is pretty firm, tracks really well. Really easy to maneuver in traffic. Steering wheel is nicely leather wrapped, and inside though minimal is fairly tasteful. I like the vision out....can see in all directions nicely....and it has big windows. Feels really solid. Engine is pretty good considering, especially at cruising speed. Pick up is a bit weak, especially when it changes gears, I wonder if it will stall out.

The Fusion was more comfortable with more content. But, not as solid. Suspension not as smooth, steering and everything is just a bit flimsy. For a car in this class, it has quite a bit compared to similar class of cars from the past. I like the extra room inside, and it feels like there is more to it, but the Cruze seems built and engineered better.
Tell me how do you like the transmission? I had one as a loaner and while I thought it was a pretty good car for it's price point I didn't like how it shifted. It seemed to downshift in the lower gears quite aggressively. It seemed to downshift into 3rd and then into 2nd way to early giving high engine revs and a lot of engine braking. On the occasional upshift it almost seemed like it went into neutral for an second before engaging the next gear. I am wondering if it is how the transmission works or if it was just the car I was driving.

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.

driver100 · September 2016

fintail said:
Mine mounts under the rear view mirror, and the rear one is quite small, at the top of the rear windshield. Both are pretty subtle. Aside from not having 100% trust in local drivers nor LEO investigations, they can be a nice record of scenic drives.

driver100 said:

Good idea....I don't like the idea of having a dash cam sitting on the instrument panel....would like it if it was built in. That would have saved me a lot of pain though.

No wires showing! Just wondering, what do you do if you were the cause of the accident? Personally, I think I would risk it, because I come across more people who cause accidents than myself.

fintail · September 2016

They are hardwired in, no visible wires, all hidden under trim.

I am usually a pretty mellow driver, often irritated by the local driving talent (I swear licenses are for sale here), but not aggressive about it - and I am not involved in distracted driving. I'll risk it.

driver100 said:

No wires showing! Just wondering, what do you do if you were the cause of the accident? Personally, I think I would risk it, because I come across more people who cause accidents than myself.

imidazol97 · September 2016

Has anyone else upgraded to Windows 10 Anniversary version 1607 via the automatic updates on their computers? Mine failed last night. Then I started it again this morning. It's been almost 3 hrs since the retry started. It did finally get everything set up but seemed to take a long time processing the files. Now it's been doing the actually installation after the restart for 30 minutes and it's up to 21%.

My son's taking this laptop to LA on business next week and I wanted it have this month old upgrade out of the way so it didn't gum up the laptop. He has a final exact for his graduate class to take online while he's at the workshop. After the Tuesday rollout last month some people had real problems with the upgrade damaging their computer.

imidazol97 · September 2016

driver100 said:

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.

Sounds like it was lost between gears not knowing what gear to give you based on speed and input. I wonder how much the learning pattern affects the computer's control of the transmission... i.e., if you've been driving the car in a spirited manner for a while it has learned your demands for downshifts. I wonder if it has learned "old man gentle driving" as the typical pattern for the shifts and got confused when hard acceleration requiring downshifting more than one step was called for.

I know my Malibu learned my driving pattern for the shifts after I started driving it with more spirit.

stickguy · September 2016

If people just drove manual trannys, would not have these problems.

stever · September 2016

snakeweasel said:
Since anyone can edit Wikipedia I would take anything there with a grain of salt.

I think the edit function is a strength, since anyone can call out someone else for bias, unlike a writer of a Britannia article. And you can always look at the cites.

Of course the more you know, the less you know....

verdugo · September 2016

imidazol97 said:
Has anyone else upgraded to Windows 10 Anniversary version 1607 via the automatic updates on their computers? Mine failed last night. Then I started it again this morning. It's been almost 3 hrs since the retry started. It did finally get everything set up but seemed to take a long time processing the files. Now it's been doing the actually installation after the restart for 30 minutes and it's up to 21%.

My son's taking this laptop to LA on business next week and I wanted it have this month old upgrade out of the way so it didn't gum up the laptop. He has a final exact for his graduate class to take online while he's at the workshop. After the Tuesday rollout last month some people had real problems with the upgrade damaging their computer.

My work laptop got it and I didn't have any problems with it.

My two personal machines (PC and a laptop) haven't gotten it yet.

stickguy · September 2016

First I even heard about it.

iluvmysephia1 · September 2016

If people just drove manual trannys, would not have these problems.

Si - si - si.

jmonroe · September 2016

driver100 said:

fintail said:
Mine mounts under the rear view mirror, and the rear one is quite small, at the top of the rear windshield. Both are pretty subtle. Aside from not having 100% trust in local drivers nor LEO investigations, they can be a nice record of scenic drives.

driver100 said:

Good idea....I don't like the idea of having a dash cam sitting on the instrument panel....would like it if it was built in. That would have saved me a lot of pain though.

No wires showing! Just wondering, what do you do if you were the cause of the accident? Personally, I think I would risk it, because I come across more people who cause accidents than myself.

Well, if you are the cause of the accident you wouldn't bring it to anyone's attention would you? I know you are honest but you ain't stupid, right?

If you had one of these gizmos and it would show you are the fault of the accident, even if the police were to ask about it, you should say that it is a dummy system or it doesn't work anymore. I doubt that the police could force you to incriminate yourself but if they tried, I think they would need a court order like a search warrant or something like that. Of course I don't know if any of what I just said is factual but it seems to make sense to a non-country lawyer. However, you could always ask our resident judge though (@roadburner).

jmonroe

andres3 · September 2016

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:
Oh, I think Ford has many black eyes. Huge black eye. There are those groups that Hate Ford because they are a GM man, and vice versa, (and same with MOPAR), and then there are those that lump all of the Big 3 into 1 category.

Ford does get some brownie points for not requiring a massive bailout at tax payer expense and loss. They've also shown sparks of effort (at least for a few years) of at least trying to make reliable durable vehicles.

Of course, there is the customer service story my older cousin told me about his Ford Truck. Still, I like the looks of the new Mustang.
If I stayed away from every make that someone I know had a customer service issue with I would be driving around in either a Lamborghini, Ferrari or a Bently and that's only because I don't know anyone who owned on.

Since you drive an Audi I can put you in touch with people that had issues with them.

I wouldn't mind hearing or reading about the Audi stories; as long as they don't pre-date the 60 Minutes stories about runaway acceleration.

andres3 · September 2016

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:
This boggles my mind. Between things like this and the disasterous Focus transmissions how does Ford avoid a public black eye? Teflon?
Seems like toyota's runaway acceleration and Honda's trannies and others. If this were GM car...

I read somewhere what it is that's going wrong in the Fusion but can't recall right now. Friends bought a Fusion a few months ago, but I'm reluctant to tell them that this stalling is likely to happen to them.

I think Toyota got bruised by the falsified runaway acceleration fictional stories. I've yet to see of one proven case where it wasn't driver error. Honda apparently has suffered from the V6 transmission debacle, as apparently, you, I, and others haven't forgot about it when considering new vehicles. At least that one is legit. I just think for every burned Honda transmission owner there are probably 100 Chrysler transmissions in the scrap heap.
IIRC Toyota did admit that there was an issue and even found that the gas pedal had a tendency to stick in a depressed position and hid that from the public and regulators. Didn't they pay a billion dollar plus fine over that?

I suppose they did payout some settlements to avoid the court room. Stuck pedal I'll concede; I think that was in my HS driver's ED class on what to do when the gas pedal gets stuck.

bwia · September 2016

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.

andres3 · September 2016

ab348 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.

I would be very upset with this. What if your insurer says that you contributed to the crash based on that?

I had a situation where I was a witness to a accident between a coworkers car and and an oncoming truck. She was first in line at an advanced flashing green light that is for left turns, and I was right behind her. The was a car stopped at the opposing left lane but the right lane was clear. I saw a large box truck coming toward us in the right lane and it was obvious he was not slowing down for the red light facing him. She began her left turn and suddenly I had that sinking feeling he wasn't going to stop. She did, partway through her turn, he swerved to the right and took out her front bumper along with other damage to the front end of her car. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

When the accident report was written the cops took the truck drivers word that the light he saw was green, which was impossible. I had contacted the cops to give a statement but they never called me. I had to actively track the cop down and make him take my statement which exonerated her. Otherwise she would have been deemed to be at fault. I don't think they care very much about the facts in these sorts of situations.

First, you can't know the truck driver's light was red since you didn't see it. You are providing hear-say-like testimony based on the assumption the traffic lights were working properly. Very likely they were working properly, but you don't know for a certain fact his light wasn't green or was red, all you know is the ladies light was green as that was in your view.

Just mentioning this because of a pet peeve that I don't want LEO's writing tickets for red lights based on assumptions rather than direct eye-witness knowledge. They can testify their light was green but they can't testify my light was red unless they could directly see it from their position or viewpoint.

As to the insurer saying you ( @driver100 ) contributed to a rear-end accident, I can't see that argument being legitimately made, or at least not in a way that would hold up in court. You are to drive at a following distance that allows you stop if the car in front of you stops, no matter how forcefully they stop. If you rear-end somebody, you are at fault; there is just no way around it unless they swerved in front of you at the last second.

If you have lousy brakes you best allow more room when you are behind a sports car that can stop quickly.

berri · September 2016

Driver, you just got to put the whole thing in that sh** happens category. You can't control it, I think it is time for some quality brandy and a cigar.

Fin, maybe it isn't really the Seattle drivers, but the legal mary jane behind the wheel. My limited experience there is that drivers are actually rather polite compared to most places, so maybe they are just very laid back. Now some of the road, intersection and signage layouts, that's gotta be either controlled substance or bribery effects

andres3 · September 2016

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

ab348 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.

I would be very upset with this. What if your insurer says that you contributed to the crash based on that?

I had a situation where I was a witness to a accident between a coworkers car and and an oncoming truck.
That is one fortunate thing......since he is at fault I should not be penalized in any way. Not charging him just makes it a lot less serious for him.

But I am pretty upset, one reason is there is no way I would have gone through that light....even if it happened again tomorrow....I don't ever want to hit a pedestrian if that can be avoided......but also, there is a principle at stake and there is also a cop with a problem - and he should be trained properly.

I am tempted to write to his boss or the collision report people and tell them in a nice way they have an incompetent cop working the traffic beat. If I was a visible minority this could be a major problem for them. Maybe driving a Mercedes qualifies me!

Like I said in my previous post, sit tight until this is all settled. Why give them a chance to fudge something just because you upset them. Although filing an amended report that contradicts the original would raise a lot of questions in a court room why take the chance since you seem to have the upper hand now.

As for the cop not liking you because he is biased against MB owners, I don't buy that. I think he is trying not to put all the blame on the truck driver because he knows that could affect his job and since he knows the drivers insurance will cover the damages he figures no one will care.

I could be wrong about ALL of this but I don't think I am.

jmonroe

Nope, you may be right, but you are far too lenient. The cop is clearly falsifying an official report; he should be put in Prison with the key thrown away.

There is no excuse for falsifying an official report done by an official paid by tax payer dollars. @driver100 should absolutely file a complaint with the officer's superior. It will likely lead to no action, but perhaps just go on the record as one more complaint against the cop. I think it is a moral duty to do so though.

That way, when/if this cop ever gets out of line and unjustifiably shoots/kills someone, there is a long trail and record of complaints, rather than just an isolated incident.

andres3 · September 2016

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.

I don't think the Insurance company will make that argument because they like black and white open shut cases, and nothing is more 100% open and shut than a rear-end collision.

If they do however, it is all the more reason traffic laws should be changed to allow people to "break" the law when no hazard or safety violation is caused. This way you can move past the limit lines despite the light being red, and avoid the collision, and also avoid the ticket. The way traffic enforcement and laws are currently, you have to pick one or the other.

Red-light camera intersections where accident rates routinely go up present this issue. More accidents = less tickets, more tickets = less accidents.

berri · September 2016

...and more tickets mean more revenue

andres3 · September 2016

driver100 said:

ab348 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.

I would be very upset with this. What if your insurer says that you contributed to the crash based on that?

I had a situation where I was a witness to a accident between a coworkers car and and an oncoming truck.
That is one fortunate thing......since he is at fault I should not be penalized in any way. Not charging him just makes it a lot less serious for him.

But I am pretty upset, one reason is there is no way I would have gone through that light....even if it happened again tomorrow....I don't ever want to hit a pedestrian if that can be avoided......but also, there is a principle at stake and there is also a cop with a problem - and he should be trained properly.

I am tempted to write to his boss or the collision report people and tell them in a nice way they have an incompetent cop working the traffic beat. If I was a visible minority this could be a major problem for them. Maybe driving a Mercedes qualifies me!

I phoned in a complaint against one CHP officer once upon a time. I talked to the Sergeant about the officer going way above and beyond outrageous in order for me to even make the phone call to him, as I knew he'd view me as a biased complainer (having rec'd a BS ticket). I doubt my phone call went anywhere or caused him to take any action. However, if this Sergeant gets a phone call every few months about this loser cop, while his other officer's under him only generate a phone call once every few years, it might ring a bell that something is rotten.

stickguy · September 2016

Will also get a nice little note on your record too I bet.

imidazol97 · September 2016

verdugo said:
My work laptop got it and I didn't have any problems with it.
My two personal machines (PC and a laptop) haven't gotten it yet.

My first laptop did finish doing the install and rebooted to a startup window while I was at Chick Fil A. 4.5 hours to do the upgrade--not counting the failed attempt last night. No problems with it so my son can take it with him. Thanks for responding.

Second laptop now doesn't even recognize it's eligible.

tjc78 · September 2016

Yeah, I wouldn't dare call an officer's superior. I have to say I guess I've been lucky in the Police area. Anytime I was pulled over I was certainly in the wrong and in almost every case the officer was cool and didn't give me the "full" ticket. The one time the full ticket was written I went to court and in true "Let's Make a Deal" fashion it was reduced to a no-point BS violation that just happened to carry a higher fine.

andres3 · September 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:
You could make it a media storm, go on social media and contact some local papers and TV and see if they will make it a third section special interest story. Some outlets love to expose incompetent police work, and there's sadly often no shortage of stories.

It definitely sounds like the one with the badge was put off by you.

driver100 said:
I got the police report from the insurance company and the moron

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!

I agree 100% - I have thought about that. I think it would be an interesting story for the newspaper. I have concerns though, going away for 2 weeks next Tuesday, my wife will never agree to me doing it, it could result in some kind of lawsuit against me, every cop around will be watching for me....and lots more!

It would be like if someone slams you in the head, and the cop says it wouldn't have happened if you got your head out of the way.
Once the shock of the accident wears off it's natural to have a sense of outrage about what happened. It's a mild form of PTSD and you find yourself playing the scenario over and over in your mind. Your mind wants "justice". If there was some real unfairness like with the cop's attitude it just makes it worse.

The other posters are correct, trying to go after the cop will just result in you being on their watch list and it won't make you feel better. Give it some time and continue to consult with the Cars & Conversations counselors. Eventually the emotional side of this will catch up with what you already know intellectually---you were not in any way to blame.

I get a little bit of PTSD every time I'm written a traffic ticket. I get it again when the letter in the mail comes and the fine is some outrageous amount. Just got the red light ticket, something very close to $550! Yes, that's worth fighting; we will both take times out our day to meet in court if he wants the City to collect that amount.

If they want less people to contest the tickets, they should lower the fines like NV does. I think a speeding ticket there was only $135.

andres3 · September 2016

stickguy said:
Will also get a nice little note on your record too I bet.

I'm already highly suspicious that the Police use some sort of "this guy fights his tickets" record so that they know they should write a ticket when they pull you over. Since I feel I'm already a marked man, it doesn't hurt to make more marks.

It is why I haven't got around to installing my license plate yet. Heard the time limit is 90 days on that. What if the DMW or Post Office loses your order though?

fintail · September 2016

Sadly, iffy driving here predates legalization. Not that I think it has helped, but I don't see a real impact. Plenty of zombies out there walking and driving with texts and games, hard to tell. The societal breakdown predicted by those who profit most from a dopey war on drugs hasn't happened here yet.

Seattle is kind of passive-aggressive in multiple ways, on the road being one of them. Add to that a large population who are either new to the area, new to driving, or both, and ineptitude will reign. Polite to a point, but slow.

berri said:
Driver, you just got to put the whole thing in that sh** happens category. You can't control it, I think it is time for some quality brandy and a cigar.

Fin, maybe it isn't really the Seattle drivers, but the legal mary jane behind the wheel. My limited experience there is that drivers are actually rather polite compared to most places, so maybe they are just very laid back. Now some of the road, intersection and signage layouts, that's gotta be either controlled substance or bribery effects

fintail · September 2016

And with autonomous cars, that gigantic revenue stream should evaporate. We'll see how that pans out.

berri said:
...and more tickets mean more revenue

andres3 · September 2016

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe
At least the Cruze is black! I was lucky to get this beast....the only car they had.
Damn, when you're "lucky" to get a Cruze things have gotta be bad.

@imidazol97, stay outta this, OK.

jmonroe
lol....about lucky to get a Cruze........I gave you an official lol, at least I think it was an lol.

Cruze is kind of weird, not much room, the console storage is way back between and behind the seats...break my arm trying to open it. Not nearly as well laid out as the Fusion, but, feels better put together. I am glad the Cruze will be for a very limited time....I hand it back Friday and won't need a car until Sept 17 when we get back from Switzerland.

P.S. I will keep you posted on any news about Mikes.
How long will your insurance pay for a rental. I'd figure they'd get antsy that you don't just pick one off the lot and are ordering a car which takes longer.

andres3 · September 2016

fintail said:
And with autonomous cars, that gigantic revenue stream should evaporate. We'll see how that pans out.

berri said:
...and more tickets mean more revenue

How do you pull over an autonomous car? Resisting and evading arrest are probably big fines.

andres3 · September 2016

Since being ticketed for a Red I have found myself stopping for yellow lights more; not risking it. However, every extra second I spend on the roadway sitting still I know my risk of being rear-ended is much higher.

graphicguy · September 2016

imid....I know how you really like Malibus. I just returned from a conference in Vegas. No rental cars, given mostly I go from my hotel, to the confereces, all on the strip. I do taxis.

Taxi from hotel to conference in the a.m.; one taxi from the day's conference events to the hotel at night, and to and from dinner every night. So, at least 3 cab rides/day.

Every taxi, save one (which was inexplicably in a newer Accord) were Malibus. All had 100K+ miles. One driver said his had over 250K miles. All of them chugging along in the NV heat, 24/7.

Pretty impressive.

imidazol97 · September 2016

graphicguy said:
imid....I know how you really like Malibus. I just returned from a conference in Vegas. No rental cars, given mostly I go from my hotel, to the confereces, all on the strip. I do taxis.

Taxi from hotel to conference in the a.m.; one taxi from the day's conference events to the hotel at night, and to and from dinner every night. So, at least 3 cab rides/day.

Every taxi, save one (which was inexplicably in a newer Accord) were Malibus. All had 100K+ miles. One driver said his had over 250K miles. All of them chugging along in the NV heat, 24/7.

Pretty impressive.

Good to hear. Interesting.

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