Model A fatal accident

[Richard Lichtfel]

There are a great many people in hospitals and cemeteries that had the right of way.

I was beginning to worry but I am glad to see that the drivers are just as bad in your area as they are here.

What will it be like in the future?

[Guest Skyking]

This about sums it up!

Having been rear ended in a modern car 3 times in the past 4 years while driving to work on the interstate, one realizes driving as we knew it will never be the same.

There's one way to solve three problems......................Reduce the speed limit to 55 nationally.

1. SAVE LIVES

2. SAVE GAS

3. PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEFICIT IN FIVE YEARS WITH FINES.

[Ron Green]

There's one way to solve three problems......................Reduce the speed limit to 55 nationally.

1. SAVE LIVES

2. SAVE GAS

3. PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEFICIT IN FIVE YEARS WITH FINES.

We will never see (or enforce) 55 MPH again. No knock on the police but rarely do I see anyone pulled over. Interstate 81 & 83: 10 years ago maybe 5 accidents a month, now typically 2 to 4 per day. Many drivers are just plain rude!

1<SUP>st</SUP> accident had the car repaired and when leaving the body shop got nailed 5 blocks away on the way home. Turned around and dropped it back off. Told the shop they missed a few spots.

3<SUP>rd</SUP> accident a semi rear ended me when a car in front of me cut someone off making everyone jam on the brakes. I immediately looked in the mirror to see where the semi was, no problem he had plenty of room, relaxed then wham! A semi rear ended him which pushed him into me.

[oldcarfudd]

Four years ago my hat blew off while I was driving a single-cylinder Cadillac on an HCCA tour in Ocala, Florida. I pulled all the way off the road onto the shoulder so I could walk back and get my hat. A delightful young gentleman, driving a big SUV while yapping on a cell phone, veered off the road and sent my Cadillac 30 feet. Now my hats have stampede straps so that, if they blow off my head, they don't go anywhere and I don't have to stop.

All this reminds me of an old Burma Shave ad:

He was right - dead right - as he sped along.

But he was just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

Be careful out there!

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

[trimacar]

Gil, remember reading about that accident and the subsequent restoration of the car.

I'm sure you've thought of the fact that fate may have blown the hat off your head, as he may have run into you from the rear as you putted down the lane, and had much worse problems than fixing iron and wood......

[Guest Skyking]

We will never see (or enforce) 55 MPH again. No knock on the police but rarely do I see anyone pulled over. Interstate 81 & 83: 10 years ago maybe 5 accidents a month, now typically 2 to 4 per day. Many drivers are just plain rude!

This cannot be enforced by the police, I agree.............

Special cameras stationed throughout the interstate. It's the only way. The money that states are saving on not lighting up the highways will pay for the cameras. Too many innocent people are dying daily because of idiots.

[Guest windjamer]

Skyking you are so right. I have said hundreds of times, (give me the auth. to write tickets for speeding and talking on the phone and pay me 10% of the fine and the local budget will be in the black.)

[1937-44]

I think it is a case of [iMPATIENCE]. I sometimes drive a tractor on the road, unfortunately a State Road for 1 mile. The speed limit is 45 I have a slow moving vehicle sign on the back and I have been passed by cars and semis on a double yellow section of the road in the middle of a S curve. Frequently people are in a hurry and don't think.

I feel bad for the people in the A, but things happen. Try and be careful, but accept the fact Things Happen.

[Guest Dave Boyer]

Here's some pictures of a members car over at maverick.to, he slowed down to allow someone to cross the road, and a "texter" rearended him in a brand new car, that wasn't hers...

Hopefully, this is considered off topic.

[John_Maine]

I've related this story more than once but not sure if I have on this forum. I was on I93 in northern NH a few years ago with my cruise set on 70. The limit is 65 on that stretch; I came down a long hill and got stopped at the bottom by a NH trooper who said he clocked me at 74. I told him my cruise was on 70, but he gave me the "you probably ought to set it on 65 so you only hit 70 down hill" talk. Anyway, he gave me a warning but before we parted, I asked him why they were enforcing 65 on a stretch of highway with no traffic when 100 miles south in the Nashua/Manchester area, traffic moves bumper to bumper at 80 or better with no one getting stopped. He said it was too dangerous for the trooper and the person stopped on the shoulder so unless someone was doing something to call attention to themselves - weaving, changing lanes, obviously going faster than traffic flow, they made no effort to stop anyone for speeding. Seems rather incongruous to me.

[MCHinson]

I realize that statistics don't bring anybody back and they don't make any loss of life any less important. In any case check out the following link if you are interested in some statistics on fatal traffic crashes:

FARS Encyclopedia

The most telling stats are at the bottom of the chart. We have more drivers driving more vehicles for more miles and still the fatal traffic crash numbers are trending downward.

[Ron Green]

Here are a few pictures of a club members Amphicar after being rear ended. He was taking his amphi out for one of his 1<SUP>st</SUP> drives. As he states “The guy who hit us said he was looking at his buddy's house and did not see us until it was too late.”

The car is now restored but according to the restorer should have probably been totaled due to lots of unseen damage. For more details check out:

www.garminthedog.com/amphicar.php <O:p></O:p>

[Pete O]

I almost ran into a guy in a '49 Buick Super who didn't seem to be able to get it past 45 or so, I'd followed him a bit and passed him on a 2-lane state road, then he must have got on the interstate the exit before I did because I come flying up on him again after I got on - and I'm barely doing the posted 65 myself. Had the cat along in the car, but afraid to push it to speeds I know the car was more than capable of doing. Which is fine, but if you can't make at least 55 you don't belong on an interstate. No one expects to come up on a car going that slow. And people will commonly do as much as 80 in a 65.

I couldn't let this post go by without commenting. It is incumbent upon the driver of a car to pay attention to what's ahead of him. There's no excuse for almost running into a guy who's going 45 or any speed for that matter. If you keep your eyes on the road, and don't distract yourself with cell phones and the like, drive a speed that's safe for the conditions, and you won't find yourself flying up on anyone. Pontiac59- without a doubt, you are at fault here!

[Pete O]

This cannot be enforced by the police, I agree.............

Special cameras stationed throughout the interstate. It's the only way. The money that states are saving on not lighting up the highways will pay for the cameras. Too many innocent people are dying daily because of idiots.

Right, that's what we need- more of big brother watching us! Let's put a camera in every house to catch the wife beaters too while we're at it.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Matt and Pete, thanks for bringing some sanity to this subject. I realize this is an open forum and folks are free to voice their opinon, BUT rearending some one is always the fault of the one who does the rearending. Regardless of the speed.

Skyking, if you are serious, remind me to not vote for you when you run for office.;)

Ben

[Guest Skyking]

Right, that's what we need- more of big brother watching us! Let's put a camera in every house to catch the wife beaters too while we're at it.

If it's going to save my families lives from some reckless fool, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited October 14, 2011 by Skyking (see edit history)

[Guest DagoRed]

2 Killed In Upstate Motorcycle Crash

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Two people were killed in a motorcycle crash early Saturday in Spartanburg County.

Police said a motorcycle and another vehicle were traveling down SC 417 when the vehicle hit the motorcycle from behind at about 12:15 a.m., throwing two victims from the motorcycle. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

(it's not just antique cars .... )

[Steve Jelf- southern KS]

Yep, I had a scare recently when I almost hit a cycle that was coming up from behind in my blind spot. I signaled and looked before I changed lanes, and didn't see him. If you're riding one of those it's smart to assume people don't see you, because sometimes they don't.

[Richard1]

Here we have lots of not too old, but very beat-up cars and trucks (80's vintage) that can barely climb the mountains. I constantly have to gauge the speed difference, whether in my Corvair or Grand Cherokee. Some worn-out minivans climb the mountain at 10 mph or less with 12 people squeezed in, while traffic moves at 60.

[Guest 36chev]

I couldn't let this post go by without commenting. It is incumbent upon the driver of a car to pay attention to what's ahead of him. There's no excuse for almost running into a guy who's going 45 or any speed for that matter. If you keep your eyes on the road, and don't distract yourself with cell phones and the like, drive a speed that's safe for the conditions, and you won't find yourself flying up on anyone. Pontiac59- without a doubt, you are at fault here!

I agree--it is up the driver to pay attention what's going on in front of them.

There's one way to solve three problems......................Reduce the speed limit to 55 nationally.

1. SAVE LIVES

2. SAVE GAS

3. PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEFICIT IN FIVE YEARS WITH FINES.

Skyking, I agree. It would of course cut the speed differential if an old car is driven on the interstate, but more importantly, I get tremendously better gas mileage at 55 (or less) than at 65 or above with a Ranger pickup. It may not make as much difference with modern, wind-tunnel tested, wind-cheating cars, but still, if as a nation, we want to conserve fuel, this would be one way. It may be hard to enforce as other's have noted--but it did work once upon a time.

Edited October 25, 2011 by 36chev (see edit history)