"jariten1781" (jariten1781)
02/06/2014 at 08:59 • Filed to: None
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"jariten1781" (jariten1781)
02/06/2014 at 08:59 • Filed to: None | 2
| 5 |
So, while bored waiting for the wrecker I decided to do a little reconstruction, replay the tape if you will, to think about what more I could have done to prevent my rear ending.
Previous story: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
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The scene:
So this is the outer loop of 495 in VA. Traffic flow was 55-65 mph and was slowing to ~50 mph due to the left lane being closed. Traffic was moderate for the belt way since it was ~9:30pm. Saab is accelerating to probably 70-80 to try to make some last second passes before he's going to cut across my lane to the exit lane. I'm already watching my rearview as I normally do when traffic is slowing just to try and avoid incidents like this.
The car in front lane 1 surprisingly gets on his brakes fairly heavy even though his lane is clear. I suppose he was frightened by the big flashing yellow arrow in the lane next to him. Escape route gone.
I had a pretty large amount of room in front of me and when I realized the Saab was closing way too fast, right blinker on, and shifting into my lane I get on the gas and close as much as I can to the car in front. Escape route used.
The car in the exit lane was significantly slower than traffic flow so it wasn't available. Additionally, I think if I had tried to go there it would have been even worse as I would have been heavy on the brakes and the hit would have been more square.
The results:
When I was hit I was still moving at 45-50 mph. He was probably slowed to 65-70. It was a pretty stout hit his front passenger airbag deployed (Aside, I didn't know that the driver and passenger airbags deployed independently). He seemed alright though and refused medical attention.
His excuse about his shoe falling apart and getting stuck on the accelerator may sound like BS, but I actually believe him (not that it absolves him from culpability for a number of dumb decisions). Evidence: 1, I saw the show and the sole had unglued all the way from the toe to about about 2/3s of the way back; 2: He cut pretty hard at the end and was nearly sideways when we collided which I wouldn't expect a normal driver to do when they are hard on the brakes.
I have no idea how the second car in the exit lane didn't get collected. I'm guessing he either cut left two lanes or went onto the shoulder. My situational awareness wasn't good enough to capture that.
The VA state police, and the state roadside assistance guys were great. The guy who hit me was a very nice guy and super apologetic so that helped diffuse my initial outrage.
So, while I don't see anything I did wrong per se, there are always lessons to be learned about how to do things better. The big one I see is to leave an EVEN BIGGER GAP in front. My wife already teases me about the gaps I leave in traffic because people constantly jump into them and that somehow bugs her. Well, this is the reason I leave them. If I had another 10-20 feet to accelerate into maybe he would have missed me and careened off into the ditch. What else did I miss?
McMike
> jariten1781
02/06/2014 at 09:11 |
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I always leave a bigger gap. I agree that it's frustrating, but fuck it, it's safer.
I can't tell you how many times I have had to brake hard with someone on my ass, and I was grateful that I had the extra space to I didn't have to brake that hard.
Signed - Life long NOVA driver
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jariten1781
> McMike
02/06/2014 at 09:21 |
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Yeah, I always leave one that my wife finds comically large. In the future they're going to be cosmically large.
PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
> jariten1781
02/06/2014 at 09:30 |
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Did you use your horn/ flashed your lights to alert those around you? maybe if you honked at the guy ahead of you, he would have accelerated?
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jariten1781
> PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
02/06/2014 at 09:37 |
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It unfolded so fast that I don't know if that would have helped... I doubt the guy in front was watching his mirrors well enough to know that we were in extremis (otherwise he probably would have already been off the brakes). It's a good thing to think about though.
puddler
> jariten1781
02/06/2014 at 10:32 |
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as someone who has liability only i make it a point to not let people hit me. it seems like you did what you could, but the snaab driver should have been executed. violently.