Rear ended for second time in 4 months, need some advice

[buttershrimp]

Not sure I agree with jail as everyone looses. But impounding the vehicle is a quick resolution.

I love Norway... I had an opportunity to visit years ago, two things are true, Norwegians are incapable of having ugly offspring... but we also have a long way to go in getting folks to benefit from jail as they do in Norway.

Think of it like my high school experience in suburbia... it felt like a jail term, but in retrospect, I guess I did learn something... not the same as going to San Quentin for a year where I would certainly learn my lesson on not texting and driving, but I would also learn how to keister a shiv while driving my tesla so the po po wouldn't be able to pin a charge on me for texting and driving.

I'm not going to have time to learn that while studying for my advanced degree classes and massage therapy in Trondheim Jail and University

 

[Olle]

Really sucks but quick question - accident not your fault so are you sure your insurance can go up if you make the claim? Thought that was illegal.

That would be nice. I'm trying to research but can't find anything to that effect. My adjustor told me that FL doesn't have any law that requires insurance coverage against uninsured motorist, so if you get hit by one, you are on your own. Maybe we should just get one of these and stop worrying... until we get hit by someone who drives a tank for the same reason

 

[dhrivnak]

Why does everyone loose if you put criminals in jail?

Because most are poor trying to get by. When in jail they can't work and then we have to pay for rather expensive jail time. When you take their car they will be hurt but they can still work and the tax payers save money.

 

[Olle]

Because most are poor trying to get by. When in jail they can't work and then we have to pay for rather expensive jail time. When you take their car they will be hurt but they can still work and the tax payers save money.

If the reason truly is that they work and cannot afford insurance, fine. People who text and drive do however belong in jail, IMO. I have been victim of and witnessed too many texting accidents, including a car that ran over bicyclist.

 

[kort677]

That would be nice. I'm trying to research but can't find anything to that effect. My adjustor told me that FL doesn't have any law that requires insurance coverage against uninsured motorist, so if you get hit by one, you are on your own.

it may not be a requirement but it is always offered when you buy coverage.
if you are aware of the high incidence of people driving without insurance why wouldn't you buy the coverage? it isn't very expensive and I certainly would never go without it.

 

[Olle]

it may not be a requirement but it is always offered when you buy coverage.
if you are aware of the high incidence of people driving without insurance why wouldn't you buy the coverage? it isn't very expensive and I certainly would never go without it.

I already have it, the problem seems to be that it counts against my deductible and rate every time.

 

[kort677]

I already have it, the problem seems to be that it counts against my deductible and rate every time.

I can't speak to that because fortunately I've never had to use it.

 

[Shock-On-T]

I got rear-ended while driving a mini-van in Seoul.
That was a complicated one...

 

[Olle]

I usually turn on the lights while driving. Don't remember to do it every time though. Have never been rear ended with lights on, knock on wood.
Here is an idea for Tesla actually. Keep the tail lights on when the car is on. I know many people have nagged them about this but it needs to be repeated. And please don't say it takes too much range. At 6W they could stay on for over a year 24/7 before depleting the battery...

 

[Sir Guacamolaf]

Sorry what is the issue with tail lights?

 

[Yggdrasill]

I like the Swedish solution. If your insurance coverage lapses, you're automatically covered through the state insurance fund. And then you're billed something like $10/day, until you can arrange for other insurance coverage.

 

[Doug_G]

I'm curious... as I know there are numerous discussions on regenerative braking and brake lights... but I am curious if anyone has any weird theories that Teslas may be less seen by distracted drivers because of various factors such as:

1) color of Tesla and time of day,
2) lower Cd (not specifically wind resistance but the fact that there is less frontal and rear surface area to reflect) ,
3) use of range mode dimming running lights ,
4) the driver keeping the accelerator pedal engaged enough to only use very small amounts of regenerative braking to keep rolling slowly but inadvertently keeping the brake lights off,
5) the game Angry birds.... I mean, has anyone done a study on the number of rear end collisions and the release of Angry Birds?

All jokes aside, these other theories are making me want to install stick on reflectors like those that you might see on a city work truck

Range mode does NOT dim the running lights.

People have very misleading ideas about power consumption. Dimming the running lights probably wouldn't save you 10 watts. It takes around 20,000 watts to move the car at highway speeds. Saving 10 watts would increase the range of the vehicle by only about 500 feet on a long trip. Not even worth bothering with. Slowing down 1 mph will actually make a substantial improvement.

 

[Olle]

Sorry what is the issue with tail lights?

That if they are on by default, it may lower risk of rear endings

 

[Sir Guacamolaf]

That if they are on by default, it may lower risk of rear endings

Hmm .. sorry for being thick, so are you saying that,

- Normal car, on by default, brightens up (or more lights come on) when brakes are hit
- Tesla, off by default, and on when brakes come on?

... Hard for me to tell as I'm in the driver seat

 

[Doug_G]

The lights are visible in the image of your car on the dashboard. Yes the lights "work". Look at it and tap your brakes.

 

[Olle]

Hmm .. sorry for being thick, so are you saying that,

- Normal car, on by default, brightens up (or more lights come on) when brakes are hit
- Tesla, off by default, and on when brakes come on?

... Hard for me to tell as I'm in the driver seat

• Yes, brake lights are much brighter than taillights.
• Normal cars are not on by default, only Volvo and maybe some other safety conscious brands are on in daylight
• Tesla off by default daytime. On by default nighttime

 

[kort677]

if you want the brake lights to remain on while stopped engage the hold feature, the car will be stopped and the brake lights will remain on until you press the accelerator.

 

[seclinton]

I'm really curious why so many of us get rear ended when we are at slow speed from behind. I have a theory.

When we let up on the pedal, the brake light comes on as it slows.
- When speed drops to <10mph, the light turns off.

Theory:
- Even mildly distracted, the offending driver perceives the brake light turning off means start to accelerate, then bam.

I know it's still a distracted driver concept, but is that 10mph limit for the brake light contributing?

 

[jelloslug]

Cars are, or can be, cheap; insurance is expensive. You can easily get a car for $500 that will last for years. Insurance is likely to cost them way more than that per year.

The price of the the car is not the only financial part of owning a car. If you cannot pay for all aspects of owning a car (purchase price, licensing, insurance, maintenance, and fuel) then you cannot afford to own a car.

 

[jelloslug]

I'm really curious why so many of us get rear ended when we are at slow speed from behind. I have a theory.

When we let up on the pedal, the brake light comes on as it slows.
- When speed drops to <10mph, the light turns off.

Theory:
- Even mildly distracted, the offending driver perceives the brake light turning off means start to accelerate, then bam.

I know it's still a distracted driver concept, but is that 10mph limit for the brake light contributing?

The person that rear ended me in my i3 at a stop light, after we were both stopped for the duration of the red light was looking at her radio/phone/nav unit when she hit me. My brake lights did nothing.