Big vs. small street vehicles

[fishguy]

I remember guys here justifying the safety of small sports cars on the road vs. large vehicles out there, pick up trucks etc.

I saw a wreck today happen right before my eyes while sitting in traffic that made me think of the reading i have done here about people saying you are not safer in a larger vehicle, and how a smaller car can dodge stuff.

to you guys, you are wrong.

what i saw today was a 3/4 ton truck quadcab, make a left turn through an intersection and basically not look to see if it was clear with oncoming traffic.
I was sitting in the left hand turn lane waiting to go the opposite direction.

the truck just basically decided to go, and not hesitate to look if it was clear, and a honda ~ 2005 civic came through at about 45mph( the posted limit).I saw the truck going, and then glanced in my side view mirror and saw the honda coming, and bam!!!! big hit.
45mph doesnt sound that fast, but this was a big impact.
the honda got pancaked in front( the guy never even had time to hit the brakes), the truck had a very minor dent in the front bumper, and was dripping some water.

3 guys in the truck were fine(not a scratch or bump on them), the honda driver was on a big adrenaline rush, and was surpisingly uninjured, though i think that will change tomorrow when the joints feel that hit. he was shaking pretty badly as the scene set in.

I stayed as a witness so that the douchebag in the big truck could not make any claims that it was not his fault, it was clearly his fault, and i made sure to tell the cops verbally, and in writing in my statement.

It made me feel pretty safe in my large 3/4 ton truck with as much street driving as i do.
I wanted to remind you guys in your little toys to be careful, and be ready for the idiots out there who either dont care, or are just not paying attention.
if the honda driver was ready for the unexpected(not a bad thing at intersections) he could have avoided this blow i think.
had this been a Lotus instead of the honda, the front of the car would have gone under the front of the truck, and the driver would have been kissing the trucks bumper at 45 mph.

just reminding you guys to be careful on the streets, at least there are no intersections and trucks driving around at the tracks.

[shokwaves]

My buddy parked his Titan outside my house and we both pull out the driveway perpendicular to the truck in the Exige, his bumper was at his waist/shoulder height. I happened to just stop and point out that these two vehicles while in motion and in this position would almost be certain death for him (riding on the passenger seat). At 45 mph the truck would probably penetrate through and take me out as well. Smaller cars are just not safer, there is just not enough crumple zone. Even the hard shell Smart, yeah it stays together pretty well in a collision, but what's inside becomes mush. Drive the Lotus like a motorcyclist.

[MightyMike]

Good on you for sticking around as the idiot on the truck and his two friends would have pinned the blame on the Honda driver.

[xtn]

Originally Posted by fishguy

3 guys in the truck were fine(not a scratch or bump on them), the honda driver was on a big adrenaline rush, and was surpisingly uninjured,...

As a data point, your post shows only that the Civic is statistically as safe as a 3/4-ton truck.



Sorry for that. I agree with your position. Just wanted to play devil's advocate for a second there.

xtn

[Murix]

So it just tells me we need less big vehicles on the road. So you are just one person riding around in a big truck?

[RichS]

Originally Posted by fishguy

I saw a wreck today happen right before my eyes while sitting in traffic that made me think of the reading i have done here about people saying you are not safer in a larger vehicle, and how a smaller car can dodge stuff.

to you guys, you are wrong.

Situation 1: You go over a hill at 70 MPH (the posted limit in Texas). As you crest the hill you realize that someone has built a 400 ton brick wall in the middle of the road. To go around the wall (no time to brake) you will need to corner at .98 Gs. <--- I'll take a Lotus Exige over a 3/4 ton pickup thank you.

Situation 2: Collision as described in your post, I'd take a 3/4 ton pickup, although since I drive the Lotus like a motorcycle (I actually slow down when I approach ANY intersection [or at least cover my brake], no matter what color the light is and watch for other traffic doing stupid stuff) I'm not positive that the same result would have happened if the Civic driver was paying more attention...

Situation 3: You are boxed in in traffic at a light. 3/4 ton pickup, not paying attention runs into the back of you at 50 MPH. <--- I'll take the pickup.

Physics works both ways. The advantage that the 3/4 ton pickup has during a collision also means that it is more likely to get into a collision because it can't maneuver as well as a smaller car.

[Notorious L.R.G.]

Originally Posted by RichS

I'm not positive that the same result would have happened if the Civic driver was paying more attention...

I would have been watching the offending trucks wheels for movement and would have come to a complete stop.

You have to drive like every other car is a police car or idiot that WILL pull out without looking. Typically the no lookers are only going 1 block anyway. That's why they don't look. "What could happen in 1 block?"

[plastique999]

Originally Posted by fishguy

just reminding you guys to be careful on the streets, at least there are no intersections and trucks driving around at the tracks.

What do you mean no trucks on track?

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[fishguy]

Originally Posted by RichS

I drive the Lotus like a motorcycle (I actually slow down when I approach ANY intersection [or at least cover my brake], no matter what color the light is and watch for other traffic doing stupid stuff) I'm not positive that the same result would have happened if the Civic driver was paying more attention...

Good job RichS.
this was really the point of making my thread.
I road motorcycles on the street for many years, and did excatly this, I drove as though everyone was going to cut me off(many did), and also as though every guy who was sitting waiting to turn accross an interesection was just going to go.
I would also position myself so that i was not in blind spots, and always think ahead.


this is also how the Lotus should be treated IMO.


if the civic driver was doing this approach, the accident would have been avoided. i watched as the scene unfolded right before my eyes.
dummy (truck guy)is not checking oncoming before going, i glanced in my side view mirror( civic dude is just tooling along toward intersection).
1+1=2 it was just how hard was the impact going to be.

your approach RichS, would have prevented the truck drivers negligence from the wasting the other car.

I do the same approach even in my large, tall, heavy truck.

[fishguy]

Originally Posted by xtn

As a data point, your post shows only that the Civic is statistically as safe as a 3/4-ton truck.



Sorry for that. I agree with your position. Just wanted to play devil's advocate for a second there.

xtn

the 3 guys in the truck would be playing sports or something that same day.
the dude in the civic was slowly having "rigormortis" setting in as the adrenaline was wearing off. I was only at the scene for about 20 minutes after the wreck.

civic guy is going to be hurting for a while. his neck was sore already, as was his upper back............been there, done that.
not fun

[fishguy]

Originally Posted by Murix

So it just tells me we need less big vehicles on the road. So you are just one person riding around in a big truck?

yes,
me, and all of my work eqiupment.
But i do also use it as my DD when not working so i can save my other truck for heavy hauling.
if you dont like it, tough $h!t.

my other truck is a 1 ton dually quadcab with a 454 (7 -8 mpg).

[xtn]

Originally Posted by fishguy

the 3 guys in the truck would be playing sports or something that same day.
the dude in the civic was slowly having "rigormortis" setting in as the adrenaline was wearing off. I was only at the scene for about 20 minutes after the wreck.

civic guy is going to be hurting for a while. his neck was sore already, as was his upper back............been there, done that.
not fun

Sure, that's how we humans look at it, what with gray area and hundreds of factors going into the equation.

But black and white statistics never lie. Truck occupants still alive. Civic occupant still alive. They must be equally safe.

xtn