Has anyone got rear ended while on the highway?

[kennyd63]

while on the 295 standing to merge on to the 95 in Florida. Here comes Mr. speedy and Bam!! rear ends my T.T. what a way to start your vacation, with only 2 more hours to arrive to my destination. Has anyone ever experience an incident like this while traveling?:M

[Adam_H]

Lynnmor wrote:

Jframpey wrote:
My pickup truck had no damage... That I could see - 6 months later the rear differential ate a bearing... And I found a broken snap ring from the limited slip clutch pack that was the culprit. I guess the impact was a little harder than I thought! Their insurance couldn't be convinced to buy me a new differential!

Joe

Years ago, I was waiting to make a left turn in large Oldsmobile when an idiot slammed my rear. That was the good old days when cars had truck-like frames. Months after the car was "fixed" the steering box dropped off the cracked frame. I went up the bank and once again had damage. Insurance was useless. That slam was hard enough that it caused unseen damage that far front. If I ever again have severe damage, I will get rid of the vehicle as soon as it comes out of the shop.

That is common with the 70's - late 80's GM frames. Fatigue causes the subframes to crack at the box... Seen a few

[Nvr2loud]

It really does not matter if the OP was stopped or moving, right or wrong, forwards or backwards.... another driver ran into him. That is the other drivers fault, period.

[Tequila]

I had a guy in an airstream back into me, sort of the same thing, did a nice crumple job on it, hardly scratched my truck. (an older Ford at the time)

[Lynnmor]

Jframpey wrote:
My pickup truck had no damage... That I could see - 6 months later the rear differential ate a bearing... And I found a broken snap ring from the limited slip clutch pack that was the culprit. I guess the impact was a little harder than I thought! Their insurance couldn't be convinced to buy me a new differential!

Joe

Years ago, I was waiting to make a left turn in large Oldsmobile when an idiot slammed my rear. That was the good old days when cars had truck-like frames. Months after the car was "fixed" the steering box dropped off the cracked frame. I went up the bank and once again had damage. Insurance was useless. That slam was hard enough that it caused unseen damage that far front. If I ever again have severe damage, I will get rid of the vehicle as soon as it comes out of the shop.

[Jframpey]

10 years ago I was towing my 28' coachman to myrtle beach... Typical summer Friday afternoon on a busy hwy 30 miles from the beach. I was traveling at 45 mph in solid traffic when some jerk from the left lane veered into my lane (because I had left a proper cushion in front). Just then all the brake lights in front lit up and everyone was panic stopping. I jammed my brakes - did that quick mental calculation... And realized I was good - I had room to stop. (That's a good feeling)

Whew - then I remembered the tractor trailer combo behind me! I glanced into my mirror and did another calculation - and told my wife to brace! The truck shortened my trailer 4'. He rode over the bumper and frame and just crushed the back wall - rolling up the sides. The impact wasn't severe rather a shove.

The trailer was totaled - the truckers insurance paid for a hotel and all was good. My pickup truck had no damage... That I could see - 6 months later the rear differential ate a bearing... And I found a broken snap ring from the limited slip clutch pack that was the culprit. I guess the impact was a little harder than I thought! Their insurance couldn't be convinced to buy me a new differential!

Joe

[Redterpos3]

cbshoestring wrote:

Redterpos3 wrote:


Still can't figure out why anyone would stop in the middle of that ramp. It is just not a place to stop, ever!

Stopping in the middle of a ramp still gives you room to get up to speed to "merge" with traffic

Well, not so much on the ramp in the location I am describing. The individual stopped about 100 yards in, and still couldn't even see the traffic to merge onto, so your description doesn't fit. He didn't stop in preparation to merge, but to drive in to work at the construction site. He should have pulled over to the side of the road so as not to cause the problem he did. It was just a weird place to stop on a major roadway.

[msalyer]

Coming north through Chicago a couple years ago on I75 I got my TT "front ended". I was changing one lane to the right when a kind soul backed off to allow me room BUT someone a lane to the right of him saw an opportunity to jump in front of him.
The guy that hit me told me and the police officer he saw my truck go by but didn't see my 34' trailer. He messed up the whole side of his car but damaged just the front corner fiberglass of my trailer. Not bad at all. I was quite surprised by how little.
It was just strange how it never touched my truck but got the front corner of the trailer.

[rhagfo]

Terryallan wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
I also want to know. were you sitting still on the ramp? If so. Why? I have seen traffic so bad you couldn't merge, but run along the medium till I find a hole. I always try to hit the bottom of the ramp at the speed limit of the interstate. Gives you more options.

Don't quite understand why anyone would go full speed into an impossible situation. Expecting all the traffic on thru lanes to get out of your way is not the definition of yield.

Anyway, I had to stop on a short ramp while pulling a snowmobile trailer due to solid thru traffic. The no stop, full speed ahead, idiot behind me slammed the trailer causing the hitch and coupler to be destroyed. The genius cop gave me rats for not towing the trailer to the next exit, because it was obvious to him that the damage was not a problem. The coupler was off the ball and pinched between the ball and bumper.

Because that is the only way to merge. You can't merge from a stop. At the same speed of the traffic. You have a much better chance to merge. If at the VERY END of the merging lane you can't get in, then you slow. Other than that, Only IF traffic is stopped on the interstate, do you stop. It is your responsibility to merge with the flow, with out disrupting the flow, and you can't do that sitting still.

However. IF the guy in front of you on the ramp stops. Then you have no choice but to stop as well. Have to look ahead, and to the side at the same time.

I guess in this case it depends on what Lynnmor means by the phrase "solid thru traffic"! If it means the highway was stopped then yes stopping is the only option, if traffic is just heavy, then you need to get to speed and show intention to merge.
As to me I assess the speed and flow of traffic a the top of the on ramp, if traffic is moving well I pick a bumper to slide in behind, hasn't failed me yet..

I also don't follow a slow to accelerate vehicle down a ramp closely they may stop at the end, I want to get up to speed even if they can't.

[Terryallan]

Lynnmor wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
I also want to know. were you sitting still on the ramp? If so. Why? I have seen traffic so bad you couldn't merge, but run along the medium till I find a hole. I always try to hit the bottom of the ramp at the speed limit of the interstate. Gives you more options.

Don't quite understand why anyone would go full speed into an impossible situation. Expecting all the traffic on thru lanes to get out of your way is not the definition of yield.

Anyway, I had to stop on a short ramp while pulling a snowmobile trailer due to solid thru traffic. The no stop, full speed ahead, idiot behind me slammed the trailer causing the hitch and coupler to be destroyed. The genius cop gave me rats for not towing the trailer to the next exit, because it was obvious to him that the damage was not a problem. The coupler was off the ball and pinched between the ball and bumper.

Because that is the only way to merge. You can't merge from a stop. At the same speed of the traffic. You have a much better chance to merge. If at the VERY END of the merging lane you can't get in, then you slow. Other than that, Only IF traffic is stopped on the interstate, do you stop. It is your responsibility to merge with the flow, with out disrupting the flow, and you can't do that sitting still.

However. IF the guy in front of you on the ramp stops. Then you have no choice but to stop as well. Have to look ahead, and to the side at the same time.

[Houston_Remodel]

Thanks Lynnmor

[Lynnmor]

Steeljag wrote:

lanerd wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

lanerd wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:



The genius cop gave me rats for not towing the trailer to the next exit, because it was obvious to him that the damage was not a problem.

He gave you rats??? :h

You're from the left end of the country, so you wouldn't understand. 🙂

Please enlighten me. Some day I just may go over to the right side of the country...never know.:)

Ron

Lol.....Never heard that term......I have no idea what that means!

rats

[wecamp04]

Got hit in the side few years ago from a guy coming out of mcdonalds drive thru no one hurt but totalled our year old FW said he didn't see us, state trooper asked him how the he** he didn't see something that big

[Tom_Trostel]

12 years ago I was towing a rental 16' Casita on I635 (loop around Dallas) and exiting onto I30 eastbound. Due to construction on I30, traffic was stopped on the ramp and backed up into the right lane. We were waiting to move forward when all hell broke loose. The trailer was hit by a heavy duty pickup towing a trenching machine on a flat bed. The truck belonged to a lawn irrigation company and had a rack on top full of 1" x 16' PVC pipe. The impact pushed the trailer tongue through the trunk of our tow vehicle till it touched the back seat. The rear window shattered and spears of PVC shot over our car and covered the highway in front of us. The Mesquite cop said the trailer may have saved us by deflecting the pipe over us. We were not hurt. The Casita was totaled by its owner, the US Navy. Our car required $12,000 to fix. Luck was with us. 🙂

[westernrvparkow]

amandasgramma wrote:
Question....was that one of the on ramps that has a stop light???? If not, why were you sitting? We've had some pretty darn close incidents at merge lanes, both while in the lane and while on the freeways. People just aren't paying attention and some have never been taught the right way to merge. (rear ending someone is NOT the right way!!!!) Hope everyone is okay!

I have had my share of close calls on the other end of the OP's problem as well. Accelerating to merge into the 70+ MPH traffic and the vehicle ahead decides to stop and wait until rush hour is over. It is unexpected and when you are merging into traffic you are spending more time looking at the oncoming traffic you are merging into than you are the vehicle in front of you that you fully expect will be merging into that traffic as well. While the driver that re-ends the vehicle in front is always at fault, the other driver can be the practical, if not the legal, party at fault.