05 Prius vs. 18 Wheeler

Hope YOU are feeling OK! Cars can be fixed/replaced. So can people, I guess, but it's a rather calous attitude to think so

Did the truck stop? If not, did you get the tag number? Is their insurance covering this? Do you have pictures?

If it is hit and run, the driver is in a world of hurt. If their insurance is covering this, go for the maximum. Be sure to get them to cover a rental car for the duration of the fix. Go to your doctor to get checked to make sure you do not have muscle damage, and send them the bill. Attempt to collect for loss of value even if it is fixed perfectly (it will show up in a title search, which will lower the value to sell or trade the vehicle). If repair cost is anywhere near retail book value, work toward getting them to total it (if you so want - some people prefer their old car fixed, and if you owe more than they will pay it can be problematic). Don't sign ANY release until you are COMPLETELY satisfied with EVERYTHING. We never signed a release on the last rear-ender my wife was in (kept it open - eventually they will probably come back and want to be released, LOL).

Post pics if/when you can!

 

Glad you're ok.
The car will probably be written off. A 2005 isn't worth a lot, compared to the cost of repairing the damage to the body integrity. I'd be surprised if they tried to fix it. One thing that's good in this case is there is just about nothing expensive or critical back there, other than the traction battery.

 

That's exactly why everyone should have ZERO TOLERANCE for trucks
pulling that kind of nonsense in the first place. The dorks who
can't plan ahead any better than that need to not be at the helm
of 40-ton vehicles.
.
Glad you stayed [relatively] safe and got out of it, and I really
hope it all gets resolved to your satisfaction however you care
to define that.
.
_H*

 

I don't remember what the mileage was on your 2005, but I have an imaculate 2006 for sale if you want to take a vacation to Denver to pick it up

http://priuschat.com/forums/private-sales/76735-2006-prius-ii-leather-upgraded-stereo-in-denver.html

 

"Lots and lots of trucks have ridden" your bumper?

And when you are in slow lane? And they have to switch lanes to get around you?

That never happens to me. Typically trucks are slowest vehicles on the road. Usually other drivers are annoyed at trucks whenever they venture into the fast lane and clog up the fast lane.

Perhaps if "lots and lots" of trucks are riding your bumper that might be a sign that your speed isn't consistent with the other vehicles on the road -- even the slowest trucks.

Not driving within the speed range of most other cars on the road (either too fast or too slow) is itself unsafe. Clogging up lanes causes other vehicles to change lanes and drive around you. A safer speed would be a speed that minimizes the need for others to drive around you.

Of course it doesn't excuse someone else either intentionally or negligently hitting you, but driving too slow is itself negligent and unsafe.

 

Cars and trucks should have tolerance for each other on the roads. I have seen quite a few bad truck drivers on the road, but I have seen far more bad behavior from the little people. The trucker that hit sakai will probably lose his job.

 

I don't understand the point you are trying to make. If you are traveling 80 and the truck wants to travel 110, they will pass you. When I want to travel 65 I pass everyone going 50 also. Nothing wrong with that.

It is common sense that if all other traffic is moving at 75, someone that is going only 50 will be disrupting traffic and creating a risk to themselves and other drivers. People who want to drive 50 should get off the highway. They are clogging up the road and making the highway unsafe for themselves and others.


"Crash rates were lowest for drivers traveling near the mean speed, and increased with deviations above and below the mean"

"Low-speed drivers were more likely to be involved in crashes than relatively high speed drivers"

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/enforce/Speed_Forum_Presentations/Ferguson.pdf

 

I have plenty of tolerance for trucks. I give them lots of
space, and try to accomodate their needs [like slow down just a
touch when one passes me so he can get back in sooner]. *Until*
one gets right up my butt for no reason, and then it's a different
story because the weight/momentum differential is a flat-out threat
on my life. So is the last-minute swing-out, that's just stupid.
Truckers are supposed to *know* how to control their distance; look
at what well-established training programs like Smith System
set forth as some of the primary safety factors.
.
I also remember the days back in the eighties when truckers were
by and large quite professional and it was fun to yak with them on
the CB sometimes and talk about how we were all using the road.
They were the guys I trusted the most in traffic, especially on
nighttime runs. Now? Nobody really uses the CB anymore, there's
no avenue of communication, and there are far too many aggressive
cowboys out there holding steering wheels and getting paid by the
mile so they've got every incentive to speed and otherwise act up
in traffic. Calling them in is the ONLY way their dispatchers will
ever know what's going on. Get pictures of them snugged up against
someone else's bumper and offer to email it to the company, they'll
be glad to show the guy how easily he's been nailed.
.
_H*

 

I'm not buying it, and call BS. If those other drivers are doing 75, it's likely that it's a 65 zone. I've been doing 60 on I40 400 miles a week for about 2 years now, and I cannot recall the last time I caused "Pileups of DOOM!!" in my wake. People move over, and they and I go about our merry way. If it were truly something that would cause mass mayhem and panic, they wouldn't mandate that school buses limit their speed to 45 MPH on the highway.

But hey, that's just me. I never intentionally hold people up, and always allow incoming traffic the best opportunity to merge in... unlike the rest of this state and their territorial pissing about the 20ft of space of road that they "own".

 

Ophbalance,

I also drive ~ 400+ miles a week on I-40 (for 3 1/2 years now), and I can honestly say that driving in NC (at least on 40) is much nicer than the typical commute. I've lived in Northern VA and Maryland driving on 66, 495, 95 -- you name it -- and most folks in NC are very pleasant drivers on the highway. You really can drive slower without as much hassle and tailgating here. That's one thing that I've appreciated about living in this area. (In town, however, some don't know how to drive as well, but that's another matter).

 

Just to add my 2 cents....

I've been driving 55 mph for over 3 years now, mostly on 65 mph highways (trucks and auto pulling trailers are 55 mph max). I park my butt in the right lane and let everyone else have the "opportunity" to pass me on the 2 to 3 lanes to the left. While I've had my share of Jackholes who can't understand why someone would dare drive 55 mph when the could be going a perfectly reasonable 70 mph, I try not to let it bother me (jerks). No pileups, I've not been run off the road, no "Easy Does It" traffic jams.

People should expect that some percentage (3-10%) of the traffic SHOULD be driving 55 mph max (again trucks and cars pulling trailers).

BTW I would not do that on the 70 mph freeways (Highway 5 for Californians), I will speed up a bit for that (65 mph), there are only 2 lanes each direction and people "Fly" on that freeway.

 

Your eccentricity is dangerous. You are free to drive 50 MPH, but now you know what happens when you driver more slowly than expected by other drivers. Can you try driving 55 MPH for a while?

Obviously, the truck driver was at fault. But, do you want to attract more accidents of this sort? Think of the risk versus the reward (smugness and high fuel economy). I'm sorry for being a bit harsh, but you have to conform a bit more if you want to be safe.

 

I was just trying to get you to soften the hard line stance that you seem to have on truck drivers. "Everyone should have zero tolerance" from your last post does not leave any room tolerance. This post again slants toward the negative.

I feel bad for sakai and I am glad that he is ok. He got run into by one of the minority of bad truck drivers. Why punish the majority of good ones?

 

Good luck with the insurance company. I am going to give you the same advice I got on PC when dealing with a trucking company and their unruly insurance: save yourself the trouble and ask your insurance company to handle the situation.

I personally was confronted with extremely rude behavior from the driver and the insurance company (and I had a witness), so I would skip straight to your insurance company and let them handle the situation.

Yes it is very sad a few bad truckers spoil the reputation for the whole lot.

Glad you are ok, good luck with you new car search.

 

Which part exactly precisely are you "calling BS" about? Are you "calling BS" on the DOT study that said drivers driving at the mean speed had less accidents and those drivers driving significantly above AND SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW the mean speed are in MORE ACCIDENTS?

Driving with the speed of traffic is safer than driving significantly above or below the speed of traffic. Most people shouldn't need a study to tell them that.

Daily commuters, truck drivers, commuter bus drivers and cops all know that there are many roads where the posted speed is 55 but the average speed of traffic is greater than that. Everyone uses their common sense, drives at a similar speed and gets where they are going safely -- until they run into (sometimes literally) someone clogging up the highway going significantly slower than the rest of traffic, and causing a disruption because everyone else has to change lanes to go around them.

Traffic moves best and safest when people can pick a lane and stay with it and not have to change lanes to go around people clogging up the highway.

 

Here, the heaviest high speed traffic I encounter is on the 401 where the speed limit is 100 km/h and most people go 115-125 km/h. The big trucks, however, are required to have speed limiters now and seem to go about 105km/h. I usually drive behind one of these so I can go the slower speed without slowing anyone up. I wouldn't hesitate to drive even slower in very light traffic, but try not to do that in heavier traffic where lane changes become more dangerous.