Oh the pain - the lost mpgs!

I am attempting to channel Spock, as mind-melded with rock creature....

That is how I feel, although I am in no physical discomfort at all. The analog of the rock creature is my Prius! Not even Dr. McCoy can help it now!

It was crushed from behind all the way up to the rear wheels and rammed into another car in front of me.

And if you were wondering what all those lights were under the Warrenville Road overpass on 355 on Thursday morning, now you know.....

I still have my license. The collision fault is all on the 2000 Chevy Suburban who plowed into me as I stopped for the lady who decided to stop rather than merge onto 355. The SUV driver could have easily driven to the right and over a few traffic cones and avoided the accident. I had my right rear window open for ventilation. So, I would have heard the tires squeel if they did. But I heard nothing...

Sorry, no on-scene pictures. I do not have a cell phone to take them with.


Oh Well...

What Should I get? A 2010 or a uncertain service history used Gen II ?

 

Hi davesrose,

Well, it was either keep my eye on the car in front of me coming to a stop, inches from 60 mph traffic on the main line of the interstate, rather than worry about the competence of anybody that might be behind me. I had too much to incompetence in front of me to worry about. And I did not hear a thing until the collission.

Hi Rokeby,

No damage to me from the accident. The seat collapsed backward, and then my car hit the car in front (while I was already in a laying position). With the two coupled cars, they were more massive than the SUV. So, the total impulse I experienced was apparently very small. The initial impulse taked by the seat, and the second impulse by but friction sheer and my legs.

After it was over and got out of the car, I just could not believe the impact was really that great based on what the rear of the car looked like.

Best advice - keep your headrest adjusted properly. That is probably the best reason why the accident had so little effect on me.

 

Hi Uart,

It really was not like that. I have on two other occaisions seen people stop there. The construction configuration of the merge requires an excellent driver to execute. It comes into the merge without any parrallel run, and with about a 20 degree angle. On other occaisions, I was not the car immediate behind the car that stopped, and just slowed down till I could dodge between the traffic cones.

One person has actually placed a yellow beacon light on their large Grey SUV. But still came to a stop even with the warning light flashing away.

Part of the problem is the construction people have put the yield sign on the ramp lane, rather than the thru lane. By the time you get to that point, any uncertainty, and the law requires you to stop. But the the consequences of stopping as we see is horrendous. It could have been allot worse. If the SUV have shoved the car in front of me out in front of oncomming traffic, that lady would be dead today, and possible up to a 10 car pileup (there is a blind curve on 355 just before this ramp). The Police just do not keep people from tailgating in the slow lane, and under 45 mph (this is a construction zone).


In the previous occaisions, once behind the cones, I just backed up until around the curve in the ramp, to give me vision of both around the ramp curve, and over the top of the hill that makes the blind curve on 355. I had my car angled to dart out between two cones. Then, when traffic was clear, I would just floor it and merge no problem.

There was no way I was going to proceed from stopped out into the main traffic lanes. That is just going to make any collision just plane deadly.

So, I was aware the car in head of me might stop, and was not following closely at all. Still, its a very dangerous situation, as she might jump out into traffic at a slow speed, and get plastered. And I would then have avoidance maneuver to do with any car(s) that might come between us to avoid the two cars that would be in collision.

 

Yep, you probably tensed for the collision. I had no warning, and apparently was relaxed at the time of the impact.

 

Hi Jimbo,

I am leaning toward the 2010 (and a sore knee). All it takes is for somebody to run the 2nd Gen out of gas a few times, and limp along on the traction battery for a good distance at speed, and the traction battery has allot shorter life. That never happened in my car. And without service records, I cannot be sure I am getting a car that that has not happened to. I am getting poor response from sales people about providing service records. Without service records, I am probably going to get a new car.

One car I looked at yesterday had concave ridged wear on the brakes at only 47 K miles. So, that indicates lots of high speed high power stops. The brakes were perfectly clean, but very rough when stopping.

That is another issue. How do I be made whole, when my car was driven at slow speeds, had the transmission fluid changed at 40 K, had the BT Tech plate, except for the break-in lube, had Mobil 1 in the engine, had the CHS pump replaced, had the engine water pump replaced, had Hydroedge Tires, block heater, new Yellow Top Optima battery (with adapter kit) and aerodynamic wiper blades? I could get one of these used cars and have to pay for those pump repairs myself (!) when it was already done on my car, have to put a new BT Tech plate and block heater on, have the 12 V battery fail have used TW 560 tires wear out by summer and then have the traction battery fail by abuse (at which time I am sure the service records will miraculousing appear indicating traction battery abuse). Let alone 45K or more miles on cheap engine oil, and driven at high speeds with cheap engine oil. People who trade cars in at 60K or less, treat their cars like crap.

The Insurance Company is not offering any bump up above NADA average retail price regarding the service and additional equipment status of my car. Hell, I have yet to see a 2006 with that low a mileage (57K) that is for sale. So, that means getting a 2007, which with the CHS pump repair, my 2006 was equivalent to. Actually, my 2006 was mechanically better, as it had a new engine water pump. From the priceing I have seen on a 2007 with similar mileage, they are offering $5K less than the average of those available cars.

SO, from my point of view, I could spend $8K to get into a used 2007 and cover maintenance and upgrades to get it to my level of my car, but with uncertain running equipment life above and beyond what the Insurance company is offering. Worse Case. When $10K will get me a new car.

 

Hi kgall,

No airbags. I was some distance from the car in front, when the SUV ramed me from behind. So, apparently, there was enough decelleration between the initial and secondary collisions to avoid air-bag deployment.

On the 2010, it has a larger engine, with more engine mass, and a worse shifter position. These things will result in probably less mileage for me. Although, the morning highway run would probably have beter mileage (warms up faster with the exhaust heat exchanger, more efficient highway cruising engine).

I am hoping they will come down $1000 on MSRP, and with the 1000 off on the financing thing they got going (.9 % or 1000 off) , I could be in a Package 3 for about $23K plus sales tax.

Yes, apparently there are like 13K unsold from the 2010 Prius production. So, no 2011s yet. They are motivated to sell.

 

Hi bisco, et al,

I have selected the replacement vehicle. I am going with a new car. A 2010 Trim Level III with Navi / Rearview camera (and all the other stuff that comes with it that I probably wont use). This option is MSRP $2030.

I was very interested in having a Rearview camera. Need to hook up an chirp radar to the rear of the car, and have it detect close approaching high speed vehicles, and snap the scree into rear view. That s the ticket!

It was under $26K with all fees. Toyota has a $1K rebate going on right now. And I am sure the dealarships want to get the 2010 allotments sold, so they can be the first to get the 2011's.

 

Hi tex...,

I was caged in by those large traffic cones with no where to go but slow down and stop. Then WAM! I could have gone to the right through a cone, but it would have snagged under the car and done some damage. At the time, I was not considering following traffic, as I was very concerned about a T-bone collision right in front of me. I had no problem coming down to a stop, if nobody whould have driven into the rear of my car....

Until they change that construction traffic pattern, these accidents will recure at that spot. Sooner or later, somebody is going to get T-boned dead....