Was in a car crash friday night, i wasnt driving and it wasnt my car (phew)...

Turning right at an intersection on the orange, guy came straight through towards us and hit us. We then smacked a car (BA Falcon) waiting at the red of the street we were turning into.
A lady came out of her house nearby and said it sounded really big, lots of coolant and brake fluid all over the road too...

Just makes you realise the very fine line between fatal and no injuries - i was in a 2000 holden vectra in the back seat, and we were hit by a VS commo, No one was injured. One has to wonder how the Mini would have faired in the same situation without side impact beams, crumple zones and the like, whether the mini was in our place or the commodore's. For a day it made me think twice about driving MistyK so much... Then i drove her and realised... heck, if im gonna die, its a nice way to go

And thats my story

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dont forget cars these days are made out of plastic and 1mm thick steel minis are tanks compared to some new small cars.

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

and that is why our friend in the vectra was fine. The cars absorbed all of the energy, not his body. Tanks don't crumple, they just suddenly stop, and your body crumples instead

sad story, but never assume that because the light goes orange, that oncoming cars will stop. i ride a motorcycle, and as a result i think i am a much better driver. If you are aware of potential dangers and what you need to do to avoid them.

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

Yeah once saw a HK Kingswood hit a late model barina and it took the front end off literally. The HK was almost completely unharmed except for a leaking radiator radiator. And the 'wood wasn't going that fast!

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225hp atw on 14psi. 1/4 Mile no idea. Take one 1971 Mini Clubman, one Starlet GT Halfcut, Simmer over a warm MIG Welder, and Voila Minstar! www.mpdesign.id.au

Bottom line is, you just have to drive the mini like you ride motorcylces. Always anticipate others' mistakes, don't take unecessary risks, if it's dicey, don't...

Other than that you can't do much else cept sell and buy a BA falcon or something

The biggest asset that I have on the mini is the air horns. If they can't see you, they will hear you Won't save you from a head on but it will save your from 4wd's changing lanes at 80km/h without signalling...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

It looks like I'm on the road safety kick today but....

There is no such thing as "right of way" only the obligation to GIVE WAY and DRIVE WITH DUE CARE.

Any time you have an accident you are automatically guilty of failing to drive with due care. If you had taken due care the accident would not have happened.

Read carefully - ANY accident YOU have IS YOUR FAULT. Others might be involved but you cannot get away from the fact that your accident is your fault.

I agree - All mini drivers should hold a motocyle licence as well as a car licence - Riding gives the best practical lessons on applied physics [i.e. anticipating where all the other D*ckwits are going to be when you get to a given spot up the road]. The trick girls and boys is to study hard all your physics, vectors, trajectories and velocities so that you pilot your mini along a road ensuring your pride and joy is in a spot where all the other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, ducks and stobie poles are not.

what he said

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

now i know that according to the law folk that no matter who or where you are if you are involved in an accident you are deemed to be a percentage at fault just for being there

but.. theres always a but

when i was 19 i was parked at a set of lights about 4 cars back and cars lined up beside me..

a moron was too busy looking over his shoulder to change lanes to realise that the cars infront of him were stopped at the lights (good couple of minutes stopped mind you)

and he ran straight up the ass of my poor beetle (he was driving a kingswood at 60km/hr).. now the force he hit me with was enough to rip my seats out of the runners (they passed safety at licencing too only 6 months earlier)
and completely ruin my car (grandfather fixed it.. he works miracle with his welder)

what i dont undertsand.. other than 'get out of bed that morning' how could i have avoided that.. i was parked far enough back not to be thrown into the car infront (and i moved quite a bit i tell you)

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Expert in training

You could have been on a different road! [sorry - couldn't resist that one]

The technical answer to this senario is - you were standing sufficiently far back from the car in front so that when struck from behind you did not roll forward and collide with that vehicle - thus, by driving WITH due care you prevented that accident.

The practical answer is a little more challenging - Pull up with plenty of room in front. This gives you a bit of space to pull forward in this situation, because you are always alert and would have seen this twit coming up behind you way too fast. In the situation described it sounds like a few more feet is all that would have been required to avoid the incident completely. The trick here is if you can't see the bottom of the wheels on the car in fromt touching the road under their car - your too close.

[quote="WhoDat"]
The practical answer is a little more challenging - Pull up with plenty of room in front. This gives you a bit of space to pull forward in this situation, because you are always alert and would have seen this twit coming up behind you way too fast. quote]

Or you can just ride your motorcycle up onto the footpath, or up between the cars ahead I love riding a bike

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

hey try and drive a semi trailer round sydney melbourne or brisbane, with taxi drivers suicidle 4wd'ers. wankers who cut in front of you when you are coming to lights, dickheads in snotbox's who fly past just to get in front of you then jam the brakes on because they wanna turn left at the last second ,or even better people who drive at 90 kays on the hwy and as soon as you try and i do mean try to over take they decide they dont wanna be behind a truck cause it could slow them down so they speed up and stop you from going round them.....
or my fav doing 100kph along a country rd come across some wally doing 80 - 90 and you over take them as your rear axels on the trailer get next to them they speed up causing you to have to lock up cause there is oncoming traffic which you would have made safly if they were not being dick heads ....
yes i know there are truck drivers out there who should not hold a licence
but hey thats why you need good concentration allways expect the unecpected and just because a light has gone orange dont expect the other oncoming cars to stop cause there are some total maniac's out there
makka

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Anonymous moderation means the agro that is built up towards the mods isn't aimed at an individual (fewer "Makk" attacks). Less stress for mods means less moderator "retirements".

makka

i never envied your profession. i know i could not put up with it. i have the utmost respect for truck drivers for all the reasons you mention. as far as i am concerned might is right, and i give trucks all the room they need.

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

no might is not right responsable driveing is what it is all about mick and mantinance look what happend at mooney mooney last week because that cowboy was driveing a defective vehicle wiped out 10 or 15 cars and and killed a woman i would not have let that truck out of the yard ....
i got sacked because i refused point blkank to drive a dangerouse truck but there are 10 over dickheads out there that want to do it cause they think they are good enuff if they were good thet would not get in .....
and yes it is a hard profesion it is mentally straining my wife sez to me one day what could be so hard bout driveing a truck i took here away with me we went to brissy then melb and then back to sydney since she has not made comment on what i do for a job she has seen what we go through and it gave her a great respect for what we do i think every l plater should be sent out with a truck driver just so they can see what we do and give them a understanding so they can learn to drive around trucks in a safe manor
makka

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Anonymous moderation means the agro that is built up towards the mods isn't aimed at an individual (fewer "Makk" attacks). Less stress for mods means less moderator "retirements".

yeh ive already booked a coupla days with makka and his truck sometime ive got a coupla days and life insurance policy
wouldnt it be a great road trip!

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

I agree with makka. If everyone went for a ride in a truck it would open their eyes. After working in furniture removal ive always respected trucks on the road a lot more. People also have to remember that if you can see their mirrors they cant see you and also that trucks dont stop as quick as cars.
I find australian drivers generally (not all ofcourse) are too selfish and have no manners and thats what causes accidents. If you are polite and give way to someone (in the correct circumstance) you usually wont be in the wrong and u may even get a kind gesture. If you play mr king of the road and force your way through everywhere all u will get is road rage and very likely accident... its obvious which option is more logical.