So I was in a car accident yesterday...

[RatedBlam]

Gladd yer okay.

Ah, the american insurance system.

They've been thinking about moving to the same system of the younger you are the higher you insurance is thing.

I hope that day will never come, and if it comes it can come after I'm out of the group that has to pay more.

@AlwaysFSX, seriously? Here I have to go to a big city and drive there for a good amount of time and even the smallest mistake like driving over a line fails the test.

That it after 20 driving lessons though. But it's at a massive cost of about 1500 euros.

[AlwaysFSX]

Learn from your mistake.  If you are close enough that the car in front of you taking evasive maneuvers(including maximum braking) causes you to hit them, you are entirely too close in the first place.

 

16 is not too young to drive.  I was racing cars and motorcycles earlier than that.  The training for drivers in the US is abysmal.  It's basically, here's the gas, there's the brake, turn this thing to steer.....ok you're good to go.  

Yeah I usually leave at least my truck's length as space in front of me because people here are insane... My driving test was a whole 5 minutes long to get my license. It literally was as you described.

[MegaDave91]

 

Depends on height and maturity. I agree with you for the most part though. These people around highschools are fucking insane when they drive.

Just four years prior, they're 12 year olds in middle school. You mentioned my concern, which is maturity level and I just don't feel it's developed enough at such a young age. Of course I shouldn't generalize, but those are my thoughts on it.  

[AlwaysFSX]

Just four years prior, they're 12 year olds in middle school. You mentioned my concern, which is maturity level and I just don't feel it's developed enough at such a young age. Of course I shouldn't generalize, but those are my thoughts on it.  

That's a scary thought. Especially if you look at middle schoolers now. Oh boy are they starting to be skanky.

[harrynowl]

Hammer it out. Get some filler and polish then wax it.

 

And replace the headlight

[AlwaysFSX]

@AlwaysFSX, seriously? Here I have to go to a big city and drive there for a good amount of time and even the smallest mistake like driving over a line fails the test.

That it after 20 driving lessons though. But it's at a massive cost of about 1500 euros.

Lol. I paid $11 for the test.

 

The lady check that I could turn on my turn signals, start the vehicle, I parallel parked (nailed it!), and we drove off. We went around the local neighborhood next to the DPS office, made a few turns, backed up a 100 feet (that bitch never drove a truck before, I know that much) and went back to the DPS and parked. 5 minutes. Not even joking.

[Trik'Stari]

This is why you don't drive corolla's and other "new" cars. All those "crumple zones" that supposedly keep you safe? yeah they're generally bullshit, they make the car easier to total and thus lower the life span of the car so that you have to buy a new one sooner. Planned obsolesence bears it's ugly head again. I had a head on collision with a neon in my 3000gt. the neon was actually totaled, my insurance company totaled mine because of the "cost" or whatever, but it was fixable, started back up after the impact and backed away from the neon.

[RatedBlam]

This is why you don't drive corolla's and other "new" cars. All those "crumple zones" that supposedly keep you safe? yeah they're generally bullshit, they make the car easier to total and thus lower the life span of the car so that you have to buy a new one sooner. Planned obsolesence bears it's ugly head again. I had a head on collision with a neon in my 3000gt. the neon was actually totaled, my insurance company totaled mine because of the "cost" or whatever, but it was fixable, started back up after the impact and backed away from the neon.

Older cars for the win, and as a plus I find old cars way better looking than the new crap. Though I'm from Europe so I haven't really seen what the americanized cars look like.

Lol. I paid $11 for the test.

 

The lady check that I could turn on my turn signals, start the vehicle, I parallel parked (nailed it!), and we drove off. We went around the local neighborhood next to the DPS office, made a few turns, backed up a 100 feet (that bitch never drove a truck before, I know that much) and went back to the DPS and parked. 5 minutes. Not even joking.

I have enough confidence in my driving skills that I wish I could take that test

[Trik'Stari]

I had to accumulate a certain number of hours driving with my parents or another licensed adult in the passenger seat, some of them at night. Then took a class (taught by this old bitch that CANNOT drive correctly, she literally thought your supposed to go 5 miles under the speed limit at all times, pfff) and then had to take a written test at the DMV and then I had my license.

 

What was really funny is when they brought a golf cart to school for health class to simulate drunk driving with those fatal vision goggles, my friend and I had been driving drunk on golf carts around our neighborhood (private roads, everyone had one or 2 golf carts to get around) for YEARS and we got on those things and didn't hit a single cone, the cops could not believe that it was possible, they were dumbfounded lol

[cae]

This is why you don't drive corolla's and other "new" cars. All those "crumple zones" that supposedly keep you safe? yeah they're generally bullshit, they make the car easier to total and thus lower the life span of the car so that you have to buy a new one sooner. Planned obsolesence bears it's ugly head again.

 

Supposedly? Come on, man.

 

[dalekphalm]

Yeah I usually leave at least my truck's length as space in front of me because people here are insane... My driving test was a whole 5 minutes long to get my license. It literally was as you described.

To be perfectly honest, a truck's length is still not enough, unless you're going quite slowly. At highway speeds (80-100 KM/h - about 50-60 MPH), if the person in front of you does a full on emergency break, there's no way you'd have the reaction time to break and stop, or even break and swerve to the side - unless you got luckly.

 

At "city" speeds, the normal speed limit here is about 60 KM/h, which is about 35-40 MPH, even then, one truck length is likely not enough reaction time. If you happened to be looking away at that second or checking your mirrors (Which hypothetically should be done every 10 seconds or so), you'd be boned. In city, I'd leave 2 lengths of room, unless you're driving in rush hour at under 25-30 MPH. For Highway driving you need to leave like 5 lengths of room, minimum.

 

But at least you leave some room

[Trik'Stari]

Supposedly? Come on, man.

 

-snip

Yes, supposedly, I used to work in around cars. Those tests are carried out in such a way that the older car always look worse off. It's not hard to design a "Test" to show the results you want.

 

I was riding with a friend one night, he was driving a 66 malibu. We were going along at about 45 mph on a back road. It had just stormed and as we came around a corner, there was a tree across the road, not a big one, about 2 or 3 inches thick. He gunned it, plowed right through the tree with almost no damage. If we had been in a "modern" car, we'd have probably totaled it, but instead we went right through and kept going.

 

A steel body and frame is always better as long as you have seatbelts and airbags. Those crumple zones don't do shit. Also that video is a moot point considering that bel air only has seatbelts at most. apples to oranges. I'm thinking along the lines of 80's-90's vehicles, back when they still made things out of steel instead of cheap plastic and pussy aluminium (metalurgists joke)

[Nineshadow]

That's a car accident?

 

It's just a bump.

[dalekphalm]

I had to accumulate a certain number of hours driving with my parents or another licensed adult in the passenger seat, some of them at night. Then took a class (taught by this old bitch that CANNOT drive correctly, she literally thought your supposed to go 5 miles under the speed limit at all times, pfff) and then had to take a written test at the DMV and then I had my license.

 

What was really funny is when they brought a golf cart to school for health class to simulate drunk driving with those fatal vision goggles, my friend and I had been driving drunk on golf carts around our neighborhood (private roads, everyone had one or 2 golf carts to get around) for YEARS and we got on those things and didn't hit a single cone, the cops could not believe that it was possible, they were dumbfounded lol

That's frightening... You and your little buddies were driving around in golf carts drunk - for years? I hope you realize how idiotic that makes you sound. Driving drunk - golf cart or real car - is no joke. In my opinion you should immediately lose your license for at least 5 years and face serious fines for driving drunk. No matter how well you performed on that simulated test, your reaction time and, more importantly, your judgment are both severely impaired while drunk.

 

Get drunk and stay at home, or take a cab. Driving drunk is for losers, and I hope you're not a loser.

[dalekphalm]

I was riding with a friend one night, he was driving a 66 malibu. We were going along at about 45 mph on a back road. It had just stormed and as we came around a corner, there was a tree across the road, not a big one, about 2 or 3 inches thick. He gunned it, plowed right through the tree with almost no damage. If we had been in a "modern" car, we'd have probably totaled it, but instead we went right through and kept going.

Holy shit you guys are lucky. And what if there was something under the tree, or other obstructions you couldn't see because of said tree? What if a powerline came down with it and was snaked in with the tree? That could have killed both of you easily. Plus, the car could have lost control, despite being undamaged, and you could have still been killed. I hope you told your friend he's a fucking moron for not stopping, like a sane person, and at least moving the tree out of the way.

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Remember guys, even at 60 mph, we're traveling 88 feet per second.  That's approximately  4 car lengths per second.  It takes approximately a quarter second just to get your foot from the gas to the brake, plus reaction time to realize that you need to take that action.

 

So yeah...1 car length per 10 mph is probably a better rule of thumb.

[cae]

Yes, supposedly, I used to work in around cars. Those tests are carried out in such a way that the older car always look worse off. It's not hard to design a "Test" to show the results you want.

 

I was riding with a friend one night, he was driving a 66 malibu. We were going along at about 45 mph on a back road. It had just stormed and as we came around a corner, there was a tree across the road, not a big one, about 2 or 3 inches thick. He gunned it, plowed right through the tree with almost no damage. If we had been in a "modern" car, we'd have probably totaled it, but instead we went right through and kept going.

 

A steel body and frame is always better as long as you have seatbelts and airbags. Those crumple zones don't do shit. Also that video is a moot point considering that bel air only has seatbelts at most. apples to oranges. I'm thinking along the lines of 80's-90's vehicles, back when they still made things out of steel instead of cheap plastic and pussy aluminium (metalurgists joke)

 

I show you a conducted test and you rebut with an anecdote? What do you think we're making cars out of? We've been using high-strength steel for a while now. Most body panels are not structural parts of the car, yet we still make them from steel.  :huh:

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Yes, supposedly, I used to work in around cars. Those tests are carried out in such a way that the older car always look worse off. It's not hard to design a "Test" to show the results you want.

 

I was riding with a friend one night, he was driving a 66 malibu. We were going along at about 45 mph on a back road. It had just stormed and as we came around a corner, there was a tree across the road, not a big one, about 2 or 3 inches thick. He gunned it, plowed right through the tree with almost no damage. If we had been in a "modern" car, we'd have probably totaled it, but instead we went right through and kept going.

 

A steel body and frame is always better as long as you have seatbelts and airbags. Those crumple zones don't do shit. Also that video is a moot point considering that bel air only has seatbelts at most. apples to oranges. I'm thinking along the lines of 80's-90's vehicles, back when they still made things out of steel instead of cheap plastic and pussy aluminium (metalurgists joke)

 

 

Actually, crumple zones increase the time over which the deceleration happens reducing g-force on the occupants body.  So yes, they do work, accelerometers don't lie.  Yes they cause the vehicle to be totalled easier, that's the point, the car is supposed to absorb the energy of the impact, not the occupants.

 

Think of it this way, would you rather run as fast as you can into a brick wall or a wall of foam?  Yeah, the brick wall is stronger and can withstand impact better than the padded wall without being damaged.  So why don't you choose the brick wall?

[dalekphalm]

I show you a conducted test and you rebut with an anecdote? What do you think we're making cars out of? We've been using high-strength steel for a while now. Most body panels are not structural parts of the car, yet we still make them from steel.  :huh:

Yeah I watched that video and it looked pretty damn realistic to me. Each car was coming head on, offset a bit to account for someone swerving out of their lane a bit.

 

Plus, Airbags would NOT have saved that Bel Air driver. The entire passenger compartment was fucked. He'd be dead or seriously injured no matter if there were airbags or not. Compare that to the newer Malibu, and the interior looks barely damaged.

 

Crumple zones are all about physics and the absorption of momentum and kinetic energy. I'd rather my car get totalled, then me breaking both legs and/or possibly dying in a car crash, thanks. Of course not every car is as safe as that Malibu, but plenty are even more safe. Just look at a Volvo or a VW, both tend to make extremely safe cars which always score highly on the independent testing.

 

Protecting the car itself is completely irrelevant. Crumple zones are about saving lives, not making sure the next owner that buys the car off auction from your dead-ass doesn't have to spend much to fix it.

[Real_PhillBert]

This is why you don't drive corolla's and other "new" cars. All those "crumple zones" that supposedly keep you safe? yeah they're generally bullshit

 

Your lack of understanding of basic physics is disturbing.

 

Sure crumple zones make it easier to total your car, but modern cars with crumple zones are orders of magnitude safer than cars without them. Its all about forces being transferred into your body. The more forces that the car absorbs deforming, the less forces your body has to absorb. 

[AlwaysFSX]

Older cars for the win, and as a plus I find old cars way better looking than the new crap. Though I'm from Europe so I haven't really seen what the americanized cars look like.

I have enough confidence in my driving skills that I wish I could take that test

I know I do and it was awesome. She took points off because I didn't look out the rear window when backing up. I argued with her because you can't see as much out the window as you can with towing mirrors on a truck.

 

This thing is just over 6 meters long. I need mirrors to see behind me.

[AlwaysFSX]

This is why you don't drive corolla's and other "new" cars. All those "crumple zones" that supposedly keep you safe? yeah they're generally bullshit, they make the car easier to total and thus lower the life span of the car so that you have to buy a new one sooner.

You know why the bed of my truck is a massive crumple zone? So the idiot behind me doesn't have the head sheared off when they drive right in to the bed. Making the deceleration of speed slower is what keeps people alive because you don't want a sudden deceleration. You don't know physics.

 

What was really funny is when they brought a golf cart to school for health class to simulate drunk driving with those fatal vision goggles, my friend and I had been driving drunk on golf carts around our neighborhood (private roads, everyone had one or 2 golf carts to get around) for YEARS and we got on those things and didn't hit a single cone, the cops could not believe that it was possible, they were dumbfounded lol

Omg those were so much fun. I could walk a straight line and grap things like a sober person. The instructor was like "You've been drunk before, haven't you?" Nope! Never before. :lol:

[AlwaysFSX]

To be perfectly honest, a truck's length is still not enough, unless you're going quite slowly. At highway speeds (80-100 KM/h - about 50-60 MPH), if the person in front of you does a full on emergency break, there's no way you'd have the reaction time to break and stop, or even break and swerve to the side - unless you got luckly.

 

At "city" speeds, the normal speed limit here is about 60 KM/h, which is about 35-40 MPH, even then, one truck length is likely not enough reaction time. If you happened to be looking away at that second or checking your mirrors (Which hypothetically should be done every 10 seconds or so), you'd be boned. In city, I'd leave 2 lengths of room, unless you're driving in rush hour at under 25-30 MPH. For Highway driving you need to leave like 5 lengths of room, minimum.

 

But at least you leave some room

Uh.. You do know not everyone slams their brakes, right? And my reaction times are enough that yeah, I can brake and move to the side because I've had to do it enough times because drivers here are beyond dumb. A lot of streets here are at 40 or 55 MPH, I still leave at least a truck length between (mind you I'm going by the size of my truck, 6 meters) and have enough room to brake. Especially if I slam on the brakes, it stops quick. Also, leaving 5 lengths of space between you and the vehicle in front of you makes you an asshole in traffic like here Leave space but not that much.

[Foxxer]

Legal driving age in USA is 16..

That makes sense.  It will be 21 soon here.  

[ttam]

That makes sense.  It will be 21 soon here.  

Based on my trips to Dubai.. It should be 55 lol