Accident...

[rambotheshark]

I have not posted in a long time. Had no real reason too, but Monday on my trip out to watch a long weekend of car racing I had the dreaded accident.

I was cruising down a two lane road headed to the racetrack in Sebring, Florida and an elderly woman, age 85, pulled out from a side street right in front of me. I was able to slow down a little, not much though and got her rear quarter panel. Probably totaled her car as it look like he axle snapped.

She said she "did not see me".

Lucky I got her there and not the passenger side door or else she would have been injured. All her air bags went off in the Hyundai and she walked away. Shook up, but no injuries.

My truck took some damage, but the airbag did not deploy. Nothing important seemed loose under the front end and nothing was leaking so I made it the last four miles (yes, I was that close) I had left to go to my destination and had some fun. I also made it back home today.

Now the insurance fun begins...

[Sport45]

Looks really nice, but I think it's been proven the driver and occupants are better off letting the vehicle parts crumple to absorb the collision forces.

I'd rather sacrifice my bumper than my face. It's just too handsome to take chances with. 🙂

Now if the bumper was turned up like a boat prow so you'd ride over whatever obstacle was in the way...

[Cummins12V98]

Op you may want to get a RoadArmor bumper installed. Someone pulled out in front of my Son recently and he decided to add some BEEF to the front end and also rear end.

[laknox]

rambotheshark wrote:

rhagfo wrote:

Campinfan wrote:
I could see how she did not see that little truck of yours and that mini trailer on the back. Glad no one was hurt.

Just a point of curiosity, did you have your headlights on???

Also glad all walked away OK.

Did you check your hitch for damage?

Headlights were not on.

Yes, I checked for hitch damage. It looks minor. There is some though. One of the rails that bolts to the truck is bent a bit although still solidly bolted down. I am not sure if it is an indication of a major issue like any potential frame damage to the truck, but it is definitely something that will need to be checked out. Also the bolts in the kingpin look to have shifted a few millimeters. This stuff is all on my list of things to get inspected and fixed if need be. I fully understand that small hairline fracture or the like that the untrained eye misses can become a huge dangerous problem later on with just regular travel stress.

Magnaflux will spot any small cracks...

Lyle

[laknox]

2oldman wrote:

rambotheshark wrote:
..I tried my best to slow down as much as I could without making the situation worse for everyone. Locking the brakes up, potentially jackknifing, and going headfirst into oncoming traffic in the next lane seemed like much, much, much worse alternative.

You did right. Panic reactions can and do make situations much worse - like swerving into oncoming traffic trying to avoid hitting an animal.

Just try and get someone to =use= ABS instead of just locking their elbows and bracing for impact. When you =do=, it's really cool. Have had it go off in a couple different vehicles and I was able to drive around the situation while the ABS was chattering like a buzzsaw. 🙂

Lyle

[rhagfo]

Sport45 wrote:

rambotheshark wrote:

Ozlander wrote:

rambotheshark wrote:

I figured to keep from jackknifing or worse I could only do a real slow deceleration, even if only a few miles per hour before impact and just plow through it. Try to keep everything going straight and come to a controlled stop. Really not much you else can do.

You posted on a public forum that you didn't really try to stop.
What were you thinking?
Her lawyer could take you to the cleaners.

There was not a snowballs chance in hell I could have stopped my truck and fiver in less than three seconds or so. She literally pulled out right in front me. It would have been flat out impossible so I tried my best to slow down as much as I could without making the situation worse for everyone. Locking the brakes up, potentially jackknifing, and going headfirst into oncoming traffic in the next lane seemed like much, much, much worse alternative.

And she is lucky I was able to slow down even just a little as that allowed me to hit her rear passenger quarter panel area and not the dead center of the car.

Mashing the stop pedal to the floor is the quickest (and best) way to shed speed in a panic stop if everything is adjusted correctly. That, or mashing it just short of the point the anti-lock engages.

The truck's anti-lock brakes would have allowed steering and the trailer brakes aren't supposed to be adjusted hard enough to allow the tires to skid on a dry road. And from the picture it appears the road was dry. You won't jackknife if the trailer tires aren't sliding.

If your trailer skids in a panic stop the brakes are set up too aggressive.

X2, if only going 40 to 45 ish, you should not have an issue with mashing the whoa pedal, especially on a dry road!

rambotheshark wrote:

93Cobra2771 wrote:

To the OP, how fast were you going prior to the crash?

I was just coming off a standing start at a stoplight 1/4 mile or so back so until I started braking I was still accelerating. The speed limit is 45 right up to about that spot and then hits 55.

So I know I was not going over 45 when I started slowing down to limit impact. I would guess in the 40 mph range.

By the way try driving with your lights on, makes it much easier to be seen.

[colliehauler]

Bumpyroad wrote:
Yes, modern bumpers are made of tinfoil but from the looks of that mangled one,I certainly would want my airbag to inflate.
bumpy

You would have more injuries from the air bag then a low speed collision. Like others have said you have to reach a certain g-force before deployment.

[Sport45]

rambotheshark wrote:

Ozlander wrote:

rambotheshark wrote:

I figured to keep from jackknifing or worse I could only do a real slow deceleration, even if only a few miles per hour before impact and just plow through it. Try to keep everything going straight and come to a controlled stop. Really not much you else can do.

You posted on a public forum that you didn't really try to stop.
What were you thinking?
Her lawyer could take you to the cleaners.

There was not a snowballs chance in hell I could have stopped my truck and fiver in less than three seconds or so. She literally pulled out right in front me. It would have been flat out impossible so I tried my best to slow down as much as I could without making the situation worse for everyone. Locking the brakes up, potentially jackknifing, and going headfirst into oncoming traffic in the next lane seemed like much, much, much worse alternative.

And she is lucky I was able to slow down even just a little as that allowed me to hit her rear passenger quarter panel area and not the dead center of the car.

Mashing the stop pedal to the floor is the quickest (and best) way to shed speed in a panic stop if everything is adjusted correctly. That, or mashing it just short of the point the anti-lock engages.

The truck's anti-lock brakes would have allowed steering and the trailer brakes aren't supposed to be adjusted hard enough to allow the tires to skid on a dry road. And from the picture it appears the road was dry. You won't jackknife if the trailer tires aren't sliding.

If your trailer skids in a panic stop the brakes are set up too aggressive.

[Sport45]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I would insist on all new bolts that hold the kingpin to the frame also any bolts on the hitch, rails etc.

Indeed. I would replace every bolt associated with the hitch and kingpin including the ones that hold it to the truck frame.

[Veebyes]

Sooner or later everyone gets a turn. Glad all are well. Vehicular pool is seldom good. Not much can be done when somebody pulls out in front of you.

[Learjet]

I installed a dashcam yesterday...just for what you went through. Hope I don't need it on my upcoming 2000 mile trip.

[rambotheshark]

93Cobra2771 wrote:

To the OP, how fast were you going prior to the crash?

[{/quote]

I was just coming off a standing start at a stoplight 1/4 mile or so back so until I started braking I was still accelerating. The speed limit is 45 right up to about that spot and then hits 55.

So I know I was not going over 45 when I started slowing down to limit impact. I would guess in the 40 mph range.

[Bumpyroad]

Yes, modern bumpers are made of tinfoil but from the looks of that mangled one,I certainly would want my airbag to inflate.
bumpy

[93Cobra2771]

Guys - for the airbags to deploy, the sensors have to detect a certain amount of g-forces and be at a certain mph. It would seem that one or both of those factors weren't encountered. From the looks of the damage, I'm guessing the OP was slowed down considerably when the collision occurred.

To the OP, how fast were you going prior to the crash?

Glad everyone is OK, and what a nightmare for anyone pulling a camper.

[Cummins12V98]

I would insist on all new bolts that hold the kingpin to the frame also any bolts on the hitch, rails etc.