Been in an accident? - Any lessons learnt?

FiestaST

Honorary Master
Joined
Aug 9, 2009
Messages
120,131
ABS should be standard equipment in all cars. I can stop a lot of accidents from happening and also reduce the number of write-offs insurance companies have to deal with.

Maybe 1 day the Datsun GO will have the ABS...
 

thestaggy

Honorary Master
Joined
May 11, 2011
Messages
21,147
Still drive rather aggressively, but now switch to ultra cautious mode the second things look even vaguely wet.

In both instances you sound like the kind of driver that makes my blood boil

Ultra cautious in the wet is just as dangerous as going fast in the wet. Last thing people need on a wet road is a jittery road user.

No accidents yet for me other than scraping the side of a bus when I wasn't paying full attention and thought I could squeeze by. I've also aquaplaned due to shoddy tyres, so always make sure your tyres are in good shape and decelerate before you hit a patch of road that is saturated. Don't brake in or before the heavy water.
 

Foxhound5366

Executive Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2014
Messages
9,135
Ok, so here's another lesson learned ... Outsurance accepted the quote from their approved panelbeater, for a nifty R24 000 repair bill.

Seriously, from the outside my car hardly looks damaged, but the rear-impact apparently stuffed around the reinforcing at the rear which needs to be replaced (up to and including all the namebadges on the outside - although I think that's a side-effect of the panelbeating itself).

Oh, here's another cool mini-lesson from that: the tiny little square of plastic that covers my car's rear-bumper tow-hook port costs R109 all by itself.

This is how Citroen stays in business!

Thank goodness it's not my bill to pay (although having the clock reset on my Outsurance bonus does sting).
 

InternetSwag

Expert Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
3,747
A bakkie crashed into me while i was parked in my own drive way.

moral? you are ****ed either way
 

creeper

Executive Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
5,463
Nearly had a someone rear-ending me this afternoon. I had to slam on brakes to allow an ambulance to cross an intersection.
 

Sonic2k

Executive Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2011
Messages
7,637
Tailgaters! Why they do it, ill never know....
I can provide some of the answer.
A lot of the time its someone who thinks they are really kief because they have this "awesome car" and they honestly believe they own the road. I am seeing this now a lot from female drivers of SUVs they seem to see the vehicle as either a penis or a horse they can ride and they want you to f--- off out of their way
 

Jet-Fighter7700

Honorary Master
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
31,697
I can provide some of the answer.
A lot of the time its someone who thinks they are really kief because they have this "awesome car" and they honestly believe they own the road. I am seeing this now a lot from female drivers of SUVs they seem to see the vehicle as either a penis or a horse they can ride and they want you to f--- off out of their way

Ive been tailgated by a atoz and a original mini before, its like being followed by a small insect.

Bm drivers i get, taxis i get, suvs well yeah i get, still think its stupid.

Wish there was a bumper sticker that made people keep distance....
 

Claymore

Executive Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
8,342
For the average driver, ABS absolutely decreases stopping distances. Unless you think that the average driver can modulate the brakes as effectively as ABS

Dude, just Google videos. Half the stopping distance or less at speed, easy, with ABS.

Datsun Go thinks it's not necessary.

From https://www.aaafoundation.org/faqs-anti-lock-braking-system-abs#stop
"Do cars with ABS stop more quickly than cars without it?

Under most conditions, a vehicle with a good anti-lock brake system can stop in a slightly shorter distance than an average driver could accomplish in the same vehicle without ABS; however, that is not the main purpose of ABS, and the difference is generally not great enough to notice or be of any real use. ABS certainly doesn't improve your stopping distance nearly enough to justify driving faster or following more closely!

ABS can actually lengthen stopping distances on some surfaces, such as loose snow, dirt, or gravel, because of effects that occur during locked-wheel skidding that are unique to those surfaces.

The importance of ABS to you as a driver is that it helps you to retain control of your vehicle during a maximal braking effort. Without ABS, if you brake hard enough to lock your wheels, you will not be able to steer the vehicle, and the vehicle may skid sideways or spin around. Two-wheel ABS will prevent the vehicle from spinning out of control, and four-wheel ABS will actually allow you to retain the ability to steer your vehicle while you're still braking."


Stats have also shown that there's virtually no difference in accident rates between ABS and non-ABS cars; that might be because drivers assume that ABS makes them safer, so they drive more aggressively.

Understand, I'm not knocking ABS; just don't overstate the benefits of ABS on its own. The major benefit, in my opinion, is that ABS makes electronic stability possible, and that's the biggest lifesaver after seatbelts.

(Car & Driver compiled safety stats a few years ago, and analysed the actual statistical benefits of safety aids. Top was seatbelts, with about a 50% reduction in fatalities, electronic stability was next, airbags came in at about 2%, and ABS was about zero).
 

Rouxenator

Dank meme lord
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Oct 31, 2007
Messages
44,088
4-wheel ABS with yaw sensor input is pretty much CBC (cornering brake control).
 

Wall

Sports Addict
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Mar 12, 2009
Messages
30,841
lesson learnt? drunk drivers are dicks!
 
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Solarion

Honorary Master
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Nov 14, 2012
Messages
21,919
- Bad smash in Kempton Park. Guy skipped red light. Both vehicles written off. Myself and girlfriend ok but he and his girlfriend injured.
Lesson? Always look left and right when driving through an intersection. Texting on cell phone

- Rear collision between myself and bakkie in the wet in Germiston. He pulled out into oncoming traffic and his car stalled. Both written off. He suffered whiplash.
Lesson? Your stopping distance in the wet is huge compared to the dry. I hit the brakes about a 100 meters back but the car just would not stop.

- Side on collision. Me in Audi A6. Lady in Golf 4. She didn't stop at a side road and drive right out trying to cross a main road. Taking a chance.
Lesson? Be aware of little side roads onto a main. ****ing Cell Phone Again!!!!

- Pedestrian killed in 4 ways. He ran straight through a traffic jam in the other lane, straight into oncoming traffic and I hit him doing about 100.
Lesson? Stay your pedestrian ass off of main roads. I hit you it's your fault.
 
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Archer

Honorary Master
Joined
Jan 7, 2010
Messages
22,423

Did anyone say having ABS justifies driving faster? No
Did anyone say it justifies being able to drive closer to the car in front? No
Are the general public driving on gravel, dirt or snow? No

So what exactly is the point you are trying to make? I've seen stats that show ABS vehicles have a 20% reduction in injury, and 40% reduction in fatality. And even your link says "the average driver will stop quicker with ABS." :confused: What are you even arguing?
 

Claymore

Executive Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
8,342
Did anyone say having ABS justifies driving faster? No
Did anyone say it justifies being able to drive closer to the car in front? No
Are the general public driving on gravel, dirt or snow? No

So what exactly is the point you are trying to make? I've seen stats that show ABS vehicles have a 20% reduction in injury, and 40% reduction in fatality. And even your link says "the average driver will stop quicker with ABS." :confused: What are you even arguing?

Basically, just because your car has ABS doesn't mean you can drive closer to others. It's not a silver bullet.
 
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