... There seems to be a regular trend in the USA of Insights being rear-ended, why?
... Are reaction times slower? are drivers preoccupied? Do Insights stop quicker?
Probably all three but this is a constant problem that appears on this forum.
DGate
I've been noticing that to, i.e., "a regular trend in the USA ... being rer-ended." That reaction times are slower, that the following driver is preoccupied or that the Insight will stop quicker, these I for one don't believe are the answer(s) - it's tail-gating, being followed too closely by an individual whose license to drive should be revoked.
The Silver Bullet was rearended the other month by an elderly woman driving a red Ford. The old woman was waiting at a "T" intersection to get into the Westbound lane of a two lane road and apparently not willing to wait any longer, she forced the issue and drive across the Westbound lane, into the Eastbound lane - pulling in right behind me. At the moment I didn't see that as II was paying attention to the driver right ahead of me, whose brake lights came on (he was about five car lenghts in front of me) and while I was doing about 40 MPH at the time, as I pressed my brake peddle the old woman hit me at almost the same instant. And yes, she did damage, about $1,500 worth - that I know of so far. At the time I wanted to ram my boot up the idiot's hind end but there were too many witnesses around.
Since I've had the Silver Bullet I've come close to being rear-ended several times by individuals who could best be described per the current "buzz word" as- aggressive drivers; once by some macho wacko in a black Hummer who was so close to my rear end that I couldn't see his front bumper in either of the rear windows via the rear view mirror. Due to road conditions, pulling over to let the Hummer pass was not an option, anymore than the insanity of stepping on the brakes would have been - so we both ended up slowing down, slowly slowing down until I was doing about 5 MPH, by which time Mr. Macho realized he was about to get into a fight but seeing an opening in the on-comming traffic lane, he took it and shot off like a bullet.
There was a report in this forum the other year where a truck driver intentionally rammed an Insight owner into the intersection, backed up and rammed him again, several times! The Insight was destroyed but at least the owner walked away from the accident, shaken and I'm sure, very angry. Just what happened to the *** driving the truck, I don't know - but as experience is showing me, there appears to be growing "...trend" or the like regarding Insights and being rear-ended - or at least coming close to it by aggressive drivers of much larger road vehicles.
Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"