Driving habits of rural folk

[Jstpssng]

I think that probably depends on the year of the vehicle.

My wife got in an accident with our 93 chevy G20 conversion van. When we got it back from the body shop, the anti-lock brake warning light was on, and half the dashboard lights were hanging under the dash. The force of the impact knocked them out of their sockets, and the ABS system got damaged. The insurance company refused to fix the anti-lock brakes. They said the impact of the accident could not have caused it, and the guy actually said he thought I was trying to get them to pay for something that was broken before the accident. I assured him I was not. He said he'd been investigating accidents with this specific vehicle for years, he's an expert on the subject, and could pull the data logging computer from the van and prove that the ABS system was broken before hand and I'm not telling the truth. I told him to go ahead and do it. He came back saying it would cost something like $800 to do that and they weren't going to pay for it. So I came back and said tell you what, you pull it and analyze it. If it shows I'm lying, I'll pay for the diagnostics. If it doesn't, you'll fix the brakes. He told me I'd be sorry.

Called me back an hour later and said that year van doesn't have a data logging computer. Unfortunately, that's when I said something about him being a %^&$@#!!! expert, yeah buddy. Well, they never paid for the ABS. And as soon as the accident cleared off the insurance I dumped them. My agent asked why, and I told him it was for several reasons. 1, my agent never went to bat for me. 2. I don't like being called a liar by a liar. 3. KMA and another choice acronym.

I got another ABS module from the junkyard and repaired it myself for a couple hundred.

Anyhow, data logging doesn't exist on many older cars.

I don't know if they could tell from burnt filaments if your brake lights were on or not when you go hit. That would be an interesting subject to discuss.

I'd heard about this years ago, and am finally learning not to make a statement on TBN which I can't back up.
From this site Vehicle Inspection and Analysis an explanation of how/why they can tell.

Turn signals, headlights and brake lights can be examined to determine whether or not they were on or off during the car crash.

The filaments within the light bulb get extremely hot when on and are cold when off.
Since the filament is very thin, significant impacts to a vehicle can often cause these filaments to deform greatly and get tangled up.
This phenomenon is called hot shock.
If a great enough impact occurs and the filament is cold, a phenomenon known as cold shock can occur. This looks significantly different in that the filament is usually the same shape as an intact filament but broken. No significant deformation or tangling occurs. Other considerations must be taken into account when analyzing these bulbs, but these are the most basic two situations.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Also, when there痴 no oncoming traffic, drift to the left lane and block the passing lane before you get to the turn so they don稚 think that slowing down means 滴ey, this is when I should pass.納/QUOTE]

I do this even when I'm not in a tractor to let them go by in their lane, and appreciate it when others do the same, although I'm sure the LEO's wouldn't.

 

[MossRoad]

I've been on the other side of the situation and I always back off. If that person feels I am tailgating, I try to respect that. Likewise, I have no problem if I or someone flashes their high beams to pass. Is that aggressive???

Depends I guess. All situations are different. You flash your brights on someone around here to indicate that you want them to move over, they'll either flip you off, hammer their brakes, or drive even slower. Hence, you just pass them on the right and continue on your way because they're never gonna move over ever.

 

[MossRoad]

You are probably right on seeing eye to eye and that's fine... but flashing one's brake lights or high beams to me is not aggressive... it is a way of communicating civily (at least in my mind). Too bad some immediately are immediately offended.

I found your words from earlier post to be interesting on how to handle something that becomes escalated. Why did you decide to take the 'woods road'? Was that on your path? The last thing I would do is go to an isolated place. Seems nothing good will come of that.

However I knew that I was coming up on a woods road that was plowed, and started gathering things together as I drove; my flashlight, compass, heavy coat, shotgun & shells, cell phone... My plan was to turn onto the woods road, and if he followed me I would try get ahead enough to jump out, grab my snowshoes from the back

Truly I am not trying to be an azz and pick a fight here. Just respectfully trying to understand where you are coming from?

Because once you get someone into your territory, you have the tactical advantage. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I'd heard about this years ago, and am finally learning not to make a statement on TBN which I can't back up.
From this site Vehicle Inspection and Analysis an explanation of how/why they can tell.

:thumbsup:

 

[fidowanttobe]

Years ago I was stopped at a red light and got sidetracked tuning my radio and didn't notice the light turn green right away. I always look for oncoming traffic before going on the green but since I was about a second late in going I just started to take off. I hadn't moved 3 feet when I heard a loud horn honk and immediately realized I had not looked for oncoming traffic and thought I was going to get t-boned and jammed on my brakes.

Then I felt a slight crash as the guy behind me hit me. Only then did I realize he was the one honking at me for not moving immediately as the light turned green. My truck had no damage as my trailer hitch went through his grill doing hundreds of dollars of damage. When he asked me why I hit my brakes I explained that someone blew their horn just as I started to move and I thought I was going to get t-boned, then I said I wish I knew who the ahole was who blew that horn. He scratched his head, looked at the damage to his car, saw I had no damage to mine and asked if we could just drive off and forget about it. I agreed and he went on his way. Maybe he won't be so quick to blow his horn next time.

I had a conversation with a LEO and he said it's a common accident when someone leaves a green light or stop sign and the re-stops and gets rear-ended. And it is STILL the back guys fault! I don't agree with this, as this is almost a brake check in my opinion. Especially at a stop sign where the guy in back watches the front car leave, then pulls up looking both ways to find out they re-stopped and now its his fault?? No. Not right.

 

[MossRoad]

I've got the 3 strikes rule at stop lights. Light turns green and the car in front of me doesn't move I say outloud slowly while looking around to make sure there aren't emergency vehicles or a funeral, etc...
"The light is green"
"The light is green"
"The light is green"

HONK!! MOVE YOU DUMB %*(^&^#^!!!!! :laughing:

I did toot my horn at a guy once because he wasn't moving and he put it in park and got out. I drove around him and left him standing there in the street with no one to argue with.

Again, in all seriousness, sometimes you get real impatient when someone in front of you doesn't move. Then they put their flashers on and their car is dead and you feel kinda stupid for yelling at them at that point.

This happened to me a little over a year ago. I was in a left turn lane waiting at a light. The green arrow came on and my Suburban DIED! Just quit. I'd crank it and nothing. Cars start honking, I hear people behind me yelling etc.... nothing I could do at that point but put on my flashers and call the cops, as I was at a very busy intersection. It was, fortunately, a dual turn lane, so cars could go around me, but I was surprised how many came up right behind me with me sitting there with no lights and just flashers on. And the amount of people yelling at me and giving me the finger, etc.... even after a cop showed up and parked behind me with his lights on and his arrows on top indicating for traffic to pass him on the right, people would pull up right behind the cop car and just sit there waiting to turn. It was a real eye-opener as to the oblivion so many drivers are in.

Turned out to be a bad distributor. Had to get it towed.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
Years ago coworker who had moved up from Massachusetts told about a couple of his buddies down there. Just as the light turned green they both got out, popped the hood, and pretended to be fiddling with the engine. They got back in just as it turned yellow and drove off. He/they seemed to think that it was funny, but I was scratching my head trying to find the humor. It seemed like a good way to get into a confrontation.

 

[Ford850]

For the most part, I'm pretty forgiving, drive defensively, and have empathy for slow drivers ahead of me. I especially try to be 'good' when sharing the road with equipment, machinery, and truckers as long as they aren't reckless. But then some days I act like a Pediatrician since I have very little patients (patience?) and blow off some steam at poor drivers.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Pretty sure bet these days when someone doesn't proceed at green is they are messing with their phone. I do it. Not habitually though.

I enjoy driving with no one in front of me. Not having to maintain split second reaction is a huge plus. Why would you subject yourself to that unnecessarily, and CONSTANTLY?

As far as checking bulb filaments for knowing their state at a crash, I think that is more in aviation. Or was.