How to avoid rearend accident?

[Ms_Jam]

The bad news is that last night another car rearended me.

I was stationary, about three cars back from traffic lights, in the right lane with a median strip on my right. The lights had turned green, but the cars in front did not move. In my rearvision mirror, I could see a car coming up fast, too fast, behind me. I expected it to hit me, and in a couple of seconds it did.

My question of the wiser heads here is what could I have done to avoid the accident. My WS Fiesta Zetec has nice big tail lights, with a horizontal tail light on the spoiler. Would brighter bulbs have helped? The current ones I got from Repco (their in-house brand). Someone this morning suggested Narva lights.

Second, I could have slammed my car into first gear and tried to get onto the median strip. But I wonder whether I would have had time.

Third, I suppose I could have hit the emergency lights switch. Might have got a flash or two off before impact.

Fourth, would a loud horn have helped? One of the very few criticisms I have of the Fiesta is its polite little horn. Otherwise it is an outstanding vehicle IMHO.

Anyway, the good news is that not much damage was done. There were a few scratches on the paint. And the large plastic apron (if that's the term) on the back was partly dislodged. I suspect some of the metal is slightly bent. But I'm fine. The front of the car that went into me, on the other hand, was not in good shape at all.

Fortunately I always leave more than a bit of space between my car and the one in front.

So does anyone have any better ideas on how to avoid a rear ender when you can see one coming?

[Fordman]

Theres just not to much you can do. I have seen a car coming before, and took my foot off the brake (i was the first car at the lights) as a result the contact was a little lighter as my car just sought of got bumped forward, yet it was still damaged, just less.

Very frustrating though when you always do the right thing and end up being the victim.

[Powdered Toast Man]

I think in that situation you did all you really could, hold on and wait for impact. I have had a similar traffic light rear end incident myself.

Really it was the fault of the driver that hit you. They weren't paying attention properly, probably distracted or half in a day dream, saw the green light and just kept going without paying attention to the traffic flow. Brighter lights wouldnt have helped, all that will do is annoy people following you.

[xisled]

Well good news is that you are ok, to bad for the car.

The truth of the matter is, that you have no control over what the other car has done. Even having the brightest brakes lights would not stop someone running into teh back of your car.

[b0son]

the only rear enders you can avoid are when you're moving. when you're a sitting duck, all you can do is wait for the crunch.

[Trevor 57]

You give yourself a bigger gap in front if you are mobile, if you are stationary, then there isn't much you can do

[Yellow_Festiva]

Pull the handbrake up and pump the brakes so the lights flash.

Other than that, not much else.

[2011G6E]

As they say in the Navy: "Brace brace brace!!!"

Seriously, in a situation like that with cars in front of you and nowhere to go, there's nothing you could have done. Keep the foot off the brake so the impact is slightly lessened, face straight ahead and sit deep in the seat with your head against the headrest, hands on the steering wheel in the normal "driving" position just in cast the airbag goes off...they're designed to allow for your hands being there instead of flopping around. Don't brace too hard with the shoulders either as a very hard shunt will damage them as the shock goes up your arms.

But if there's no one in front of you, and traffic is clear, have no hestitation about steering anywhere at all to get out of his way. I once practically smoked the tyres and turned to the right across an intersection on a red light when a taxi was quite obviously not going to stop behind me. He screetched to a halt halfway across the intersection, and the whole scene was witnessed by a policeman standing nearby. I had stopped and the cop walked over and after asking if I was OK, told me I was right to continue on my way. I imagine he said something else to the taxi driver...

But in reality, by the time you see them coming, it's usually too late...however, long years riding motorbikes means I now automatically watch my mirrors when I'm sitting at a stop sign or traffic lights...just in case.

The shortest piece of advice you could follow is "don't stand on the brakes, and brace yourself".

One other little tip they used to tell us in a defensive driving course I once did was that when you are sitting on a main road, stopped waiting to turn across oncoming traffic to enter a side road, keep your wheels straight ahead so that if someone drives you from behind, they don't push you in front of the oncoming cars...

[kypez]

I ride a motorbike and was always taught to leave enough room in front such that if you see a car coming up too fast, that you can move forward a bit or have an escape path planned (ie, go between cars or something such). Sometimes all it takes to avoid an accident is a few meters.

Bit harder in a car, but give yourself some extra room in front and if you see the car come at you quick, maybe move forward and get closer to the car in front of you. The downside being that if they do still hit, you might have front and back damage, but this has severed me thus far.

[Gaz]

don't try and drive over the median strip, if you damage your car and he missed you then your footing the bill!

[MAV50L]

A sure fire way to avoid being rear ended is to not drive! Leave the car in the garage.
Really what a question..........................................

[GULL]

Originally Posted by MAV50L

A sure fire way to avoid being rear ended is to not drive! Leave the car in the garage.
Really what a question..........................................

REALLY WHAT AN ASWER TO A QUESTION !!

[Mitch89]

I had a guy nearly hit me in traffic on the motorway, completely locked up his brakes. Fortunately I had been keeping an eye on him in the rear view mirror (he was tailgating me, my XR6T was no match for a plater with VTEC), and had enough room to move forward about a metre.

After he'd stopped and the cloud of tyre smoke had wafted over my car, I got out to take a look, he was less than a metre off my bumper. Lucky day.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by Ms_Jam

The lights had turned green, but the cars in front did not move.............................................. .......

I could have slammed my car into first gear and tried to get onto the median strip.

Why werent you already in first and ready to go?
By your own accounts, the lights were already green.

[Ms_Jam]

Well, frankly I'm not sure whether I was in first already or not.

I could see it coming, but it was still a bit of a shock. As I said, I was a few cars back from the lights.

Many thanks to everyone for the replies so far.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Ms_Jam

I was stationary, about three cars back from traffic lights, in the right lane with a median strip on my right. The lights had turned green, but the cars in front did not move.

Always love these people who are too busy playing with their gadgets to actually do what they need to in a car....you know like driving. You should have been on the horn. I rarely use it (as I actually don't like the thing) but this increase in people not actually paying attention is getting annoying. Mind you it ain't gonna get any better as cars get more and more of the useless gadgets.

[svo supporter]

You did all you could do. Wait for the hit, which unfortunately happened.

It's also pointless thinking about what you could have done, after the fact. If we all knew what was going to happen in the future, we'd be to scared to fenture out the door.

The main thing is you're ok. The car don't worry about. They're replaceable.

[dave351cid]

the only way to never get hit from behind is to never stop or slow down, if you going faster then everyone behind you then they cant hit you. lol.


but in the real world i dont think there was much you could have done.
possibly pumping the brakes so that the brake lights flashed might have caught the other guys attention that you were not moving yet, but would there have been time ??????

[93EB_SXR6]

I was also taught to have my wheels facing forwards when waiting to turn right in an intersection, otherwise I'd agree with the rest when they say prepare for the worst.

[StrokedXT]

Originally Posted by Big Trev

You give yourself a bigger gap in front if you are mobile,

How does that stop someone hitting you from behind?

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by kypez

I ride a motorbike and was always taught to leave enough room in front such that if you see a car coming up too fast, that you can move forward a bit or have an escape path planned (ie, go between cars or something such). Sometimes all it takes to avoid an accident is a few meters.

im the same, especially after my ghia got rear ended a month ago, and now im having to use my bike until its fixed. i always stop in a position where i can shoot either between the cars or across the centre line (on coming traffic withstanding of course)

theres one intersection on the way home where its quite narrow, and my only exit would be to dump the bike and try and use the concrete barrier as a safety zone. dodgy

[mik]

i`d say there`s nothing you could have done in reality, perhaps as others have said pump the pedal and blow the horn and hope for the best.
the driver was obviously distracted somehow, if you where to stage it in first gear jumping the median strip chances are you may have ended worse off who knows, a most unpleasant experience, i was hit while stationery many years ago , the impact was hard enough to crease the roof, it made me a bit more cautious while actually driving on the road, even if the bloke in front of me is a good distance away, even if he slows slightly and i can see he is gonna speed up again....... i give a tap on the brake pedal to let the bloke behind me know that he may have to brake, being predictable and communicating with other drivers is a big part keeping safe imo, but again i think you where stuffed in this instance..........maybe if you had one of these..........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjyUfV3W5zk

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by davway

Why werent you already in first and ready to go?
By your own accounts, the lights were already green.

The OP can't go move if the cars in front haven't moved so what is the point

Unless you have eyes in the back of your head there is very little you can do.

Best thing is leave a gap in front to reduce the likelihood of you hitting the car in front when the knob nails you from behind.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

The OP can't go move if the cars in front haven't moved so what is the point

What a stupid post - honestly.
Regardless of if the cars in front have moved or not, you should be in first and ready to by the time the light turns green - which it had already.
The only is you.

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by davway

What a stupid post - honestly.
Regardless of if the cars in front have moved or not, you should be in first and ready to by the time the light turns green - which it had already.
The only is you.

So when you get hit from behind your in 1st with the clutch in

Good Luck

[Franco Cozzo]

Best to be able to roll around freely in an impact, reduces the effects of it a fair bit.

Unless you're first in line and the impact pushes you into a busy intersection.

[No.6]

Nothing you can do. DO NOT even ATTEMPT to get out of the guys way. If u try an evasive move to the left lane you could end up getting t boned or side swiped by another car, which would mean your at fault. If you try to get over the median strip, potential head on collision - again your fault.

Basically, if u are about to be rear ended, brace for impact and let it happen. In the end it'll be the other drivers fault, not yours. The only thing you will have to pay is your own time to get the car fixed.

Bottom line, the aim of being rear ended is to make sure the other guy is at fault so you can sue them for whiplash, emotional stress, loss of pay/time off work and whatever else you can get out of the useless sob. If you can get in close to the car in front, even better. The impact of your car getting hit and damaging the car in front of you will make the bill even higher for the guy that rear ended you in the first place. :P

I got rear ended at a red light once. I was sitting there waiting for the green and this silly commowhore driver plowed into the back of my car. Got his licence off him and he sped off never to be seen again. Reported him to the cops and gave them his licence but never heard anything after that.

[THE CADBURY KID]

There will always be people who dont pay enough attention whilst driving and they will always be the one who slams up your ****,and they will always be the one at fault.
I have had this happen to me and the missus at least 3 or 4 times,the first time my eb fairmont was written off
Theres nothing like knowing that split second before and then whooshka,what could i have done,could i have avoided it???
Dont let it keep you awake at night,theres nothing you could have done because if you could have done something you would have done it on the day.
Accidents arent just accidents they almost always have a proven cause and to steer clear of "accidents" in the future you must be more aware of what other drivers are doing to protect yourself

[FgNewbie]

I was also taught to keep wheels ahead. On my Ls I was taught, as a minimum, if I couldn't see the rear tyres (of the car in front) touching the ground I was definitely too close.

I was stationary, about three cars back from traffic lights, in the right lane with a median strip on my right. The lights had turned green, but the cars in front did not move. In my rearvision mirror, I could see a car coming up fast, too fast, behind me. I expected it to hit me, and in a couple of seconds it did.

In a similar situation I drove up a (wide & flat) median strip. The car behind slid to a stop where my rear passenger door had been.

Seeing as I'm odd man out, I expect to get flamed.

In my experience as a towie, pumping the brake can cause problems too. Same principle as a false start where someone gets nudged in slow tight traffic.

[dylancox]

Why hasn't anybody mentioned BIG DIRTY TOWBAR