Saw SUVs Crashing infront of me today - GreenHybrid

CamelFilters · #1 (**permalink**) 03-25-2006, 06:11 PM

I was driving today in the highway and i noticed this Silver BMW X5 was following behind; we were in the farthest left lane; This was a regular street (60km/hr) which had just turned into a highway(100km/hr). I was going 110km/hr. For some reason i noticed then it looked like he wanted to show how fast his SUV was and immediately sped up doing a fly by right past me probably going 160km/hr or more; must have been the 4.4i X5. The thing was, i also saw another SUV, looked like some kind of GMC Yukon (anyway it's the really big one, bigger than the trailblazer) to the far right lane making a lane change to the middle and the woman who was driving apparently didnt look at her blind spot and hit a blue SAAB; that SAAB went out control and hit the speeding BMW. All three cars went out control infront of me with the BMW and the SAAB spinning right into the left guard rail; i was about 50 feet just behind everything. Freaked me out good, i litterally had to make almost a complete stop in the highway or else suffer some damage; my car is only 3 weeks old. I drove by slowly looking at all of them after; they all looked okay. So I called the cops and told them everything.

just thought i wanted to share.
thanks for reading.

happy safe driving out there.

bwilson4web · #2 (**permalink**) 03-25-2006, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CamelFilters

I was driving today in the highway and . . . i was about 50 feet just behind everything. Freaked me out good, i litterally had to make almost a complete stop in the highway or else suffer some damage; my car is only 3 weeks old. I drove by slowly looking at all of them after; they all looked okay. So I called the cops and told them everything. . . .

Hypermiling tends to lead to being passed, even facilitating being passed. I'm glad you were a witness and not a participant. But blind spots exist also with the Prius and that bothers me a lot.

Bob Wilson

philmcneal · #3 (**permalink**) 03-25-2006, 08:53 PM

if one configs their mirrors properly, you will never have to shoulder check let alone worry about any blind spots.

bwilson4web · #4 (**permalink**) 03-25-2006, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philmcneal

if one configs their mirrors properly, you will never have to shoulder check let alone worry about any blind spots.

Excellent, I look forward to seeing your photos and instructions showing how you adjust your Prius mirrors. The map of areas covered will be very helpful. BTW, which model will it be, the NHW11 or NHW20?

Bob Wilson

foo monkey · #5 (**permalink**) 03-25-2006, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philmcneal

if one configs their mirrors properly, you will never have to shoulder check let alone worry about any blind spots.

No.
No.
No.

asaca · #6 (**permalink**) 03-26-2006, 04:01 AM

Sigh......these SUV drivers!

CamelFilters · #7 (**permalink**) 03-26-2006, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asaca

Sigh......these SUV drivers!

Yeah

When i drove past the GMC SUV i saw a petit looking woman inside; i thought to myself, out of all cars to choose from at your size! Her head just barely reaches over the side window. furthermore, i think i finally recognize that SUV she was driving: I'm sure it was a GMC Suburban (Assault vehicle/enormous tanker polluter)

I'm going to wash my car today and make it look new again and forget about this whole thing.

About the blind spot on the prius; yeah it exists it took me a while to get used to; when i check my blind spot i have to lean forward towards the steering wheel and look back to do it. I think i'll pick up some of those circular fish-eyed panaromic side mirror accessory today to aid my vision.

brick · #8 (**permalink**) 03-26-2006, 06:39 AM

This story reminds me of a rainy day about a year ago when I was riding shotgun with my girlfriend on one errand or another. We were driving in the center lane of a nice, straight three-lane interstate at 55-60 in light traffic and following a Saturn Vue at 8-12 carlengths. For absolutely no reason that I could discern, the Vue's brake lights came on and the driver lost control of the vehicle. He or she spun 180 degrees, narrowly avoiding right-lane traffic and ended up backwards on the hard shoulder. My best guess is that something happened in front of the Vue, the driver panicked by swerving and braking sumultaneously, and from there on out it was just a matter of hanging on until the vehicle stopped. Might have been a novice driver since there was no attempt to countersteer whatsoever. It's lucky they didn't hit anything!

CamelFilters · #9 (**permalink**) 03-26-2006, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brick

This story reminds me of a rainy day about a year ago when I was riding shotgun with my girlfriend on one errand or another. We were driving in the center lane of a nice, straight three-lane interstate at 55-60 in light traffic and following a Saturn Vue at 8-12 carlengths. For absolutely no reason that I could discern, the Vue's brake lights came on and the driver lost control of the vehicle. He or she spun 180 degrees, narrowly avoiding right-lane traffic and ended up backwards on the hard shoulder. My best guess is that something happened in front of the Vue, the driver panicked by swerving and braking sumultaneously, and from there on out it was just a matter of hanging on until the vehicle stopped. Might have been a novice driver since there was no attempt to countersteer whatsoever. It's lucky they didn't hit anything!

that's another problem with those SUVS: they roll over. Luckily you and your girlfriend were not involved, that's very close though, 8-12 carlengths.