The Retromobile Creamed a Mercedes

[Goal15]

Originally Posted by Mike Leary

Ditto, if I percieve traffic slowing down, on go the four-ways. I also put my arm out the window to warn idiots that are not paying attention.

On the way back from the piney woods rally we came across two horses that were loose and one good samaritan was trying to round them up just yards from 65 mph highway. I put on my flashers and tried the arm wave.nearly lost my arm. I was amazed at how oblivious drivers were to their surroundings

[Aage]

Dunno what the general outlook is where you were, but here the rule of thumb is that if you were following, and managed to hit a vehicle in front of you, you are at fault. (See Road Ruler's comments in post #39)

Of course, then you get involved in our so-called "no fault" insurance, which to this day I have not been able to really get a grip on what that really means.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, the way I see it, it was an accident, but you will be blamed for it. I was driving on a freeway, at freeway speeds, there were two cars in front of me and we were all going about 65 MPH. All of a sudden one car swerved left and the other car swerved right. Until both cars had changed lanes rapidly, I couldn't tell why they did it. There was a muffler and tail pipe in the middle of the lane. I'm not a panic driver so I just ran over it. Lots of noise, but no visible damage to my Ranger pickup. Had I decided to swerve too, my tires would have gone over the muffler and tailpipe and I could have lost control. I was too close to make that move. In California you can't keep a safe distance unless you stop in a parking lot or something. If you leave a safe distance here, at least three vehicles will move in. Unless you actually have mechanical problems with your setup, I wouldn't change anything. These type accidents can and will happen even if you really could stop on a dime. As for the comments on hydroplaning, there are too many factors to list, but the most common would be from lack of tread depth, or bald tires. You were just a victim of circumstances and you did what you could. Glad no-one was hurt.

[perryg114]

Most drivers are sheep, BAAH!!!!. They don't know or care about their surroundings. Especially in this age where everyone is on the cell phone. The more traffic the worse it gets. The ones that are paying attention get hostile and try to stir up trouble. I have found that getting an early start is the best insurance against problems. Get on the road and out of idiot prone areas like anywhere in FL or CA. Get off the road before dark or earlier if you can. You might have noticed that MAD MAX did not drive an SUV towing a trailer. Rush hour in big cities like Birmingham and Atlanta are not some place you want to be at rush hour pulling a trailer. I have found that drivers from Birmingham to Huntsville, AL are the worst most inconsiderate drivers in the south. They will cut you off, try to run you off the road, and try to chase you down and kill you because you are breathing and happen to be on the same road they are. It does not hurt to carry a gun.

Perry

Originally Posted by Goal15

On the way back from the piney woods rally we came across two horses that were loose and one good samaritan was trying to round them up just yards from 65 mph highway. I put on my flashers and tried the arm wave.nearly lost my arm. I was amazed at how oblivious drivers were to their surroundings

[Eaglemate]

Perry, you just hit the nail on the head for me.

We have had our airstream three months. In three months, we've taken three trips. The first one landed me in Knoxville rush hour.
The second one landed me in Nashville rush hour - twice in two days.
And this third one resulted in Atlanta rush hour, ugly weather and an accident.

I am starting to see a pattern emerge.

That kind of driving is just not what I expected in the "fun" component, and am recognizing that drivers really do not understand the environment around them.

What I have gotten out of this post is

a) avoid nasty weather
b) put flashers on no matter what
c) exit if traffic starts backing up
d) keep more than 2 car lengths
e) crawl

I get it. Thanks everyone. All your comments are helpful. I'll be driving to Florida a few days after Christmas, and having a new policy helps.

[perryg114]

Stay off I-75 if you can. From Atlanta on down it is a Zoo. I stopped going that route about 10 yrs ago. I go down I-65 to Montgomery then take I-85 to 271 and that takes you to 231 and bypasses a lot of traffic. Traffic can get bad in Troy and Dothan but you are not on the interstate. I take 231 to I-10 and then I-10 to I-75 and I stay on I-75 as little as possible. The folks live near Orlando. If you are not on the interstate 100% of the time finding gas stations is much easier. There is a Chevron just south of where you get off 271 to 231. It has crappy bathrooms but it is easy to get in and out of. There is another Chevron in Dothan at the corner of 231 and the 231 bypass going south. It is good when you are headed south but not when you are coming back. I guess you would go down I-22 to Bham and then down. You miss all the fun from Huntsville to Bham on I-65. Weekends are best travel days especially if you get going early before folks have gotten over their hangovers. Idiots seem to cluster after 3PM or so. There are fewer trucks on the weekends. The trucks are not as bad as the cars as far as passing my rig but your miliage may differ.

Perry

[Goal15]

I try to limit my Interstate exposure to less than 60 miles whenever possible. I can stand it for about an hour but after that, I want to be able to tow at 50-55 without being buffeted by 18 wheelers constantly and having tailgaters play hide and seek from my mirrors while following the AS so closely that the only way I know they are back there is that i can see the shadow of their vehicle in passenger side mirror depending on the angle of the sun.

[Condoluminum]

Eaglemate-
I'm an active aircraft pilot as well, and just read accident report of charter jet running off wet 5,000' runway, with FAA suggestion that stopping distance on wet runway (brakes alone..) is 3x stopping distance on dry runway.. That was eye-opener... Hydroplaning can also occur at slower speeds, depending on water depth and tire tread patterns and depth.. (NASCAR vehicles slide off a race track into infield at 15 mph in heavy rain...). There was famous Southwest Air crash in Burbank when B-737 landed long and fast on wet runway, and slid energetically into Chevron gas station across street from the airport a few years ago...

Probably tired of commentary and critiques, and I tire quickly watching Bozo's pull around me from tailgate position into unsafe distance in front, solely for joy of being "ahead of that trailer..".. <Though there is a case to be made for improving forward visibility..>. Using button or slider to apply trailer brakes manually (not same as adjusting braking action with thumbwheel) might help unless wheels locked and sliding on wet pavement, in which case manual trailer braking is redundant...

Again, sorry to hear about accident, and hope lessons here can benefit others.. It isn't just about the speed, it is really all about what is in range of your slide after wheels stop turning.. Anything inside that distance is a threat if it isn't moving with you..