I've seen two and a half accidents. The half is when a tire flow over the short jersey barrier as I was driving to the airport in Frankfurt, Germany in 1998. Since I didn't see the impact, I'll call it a half. The tire was just in my sight for a fraction of a second and then everyone slammed on their brakes. I was about 7 or 8 cars back.

It turns out, the tire landed in someone's front seat and it was a really bad day. We all got to sit in our cars for 2 hours and think about how fast life can be over.

This one happened out in the county several years ago, no real casualties......
There was a gas station in the middle of a fork in the road. The mens bathroom door faced the main incoming road. There was a customer in one of the stalls taking care of business when a passing semi lost one of the trailers tires. It crashed through the bathroom door and landed in the next stall.
I think the man was in the appropriate place to avoid soiling his britches.

 

I have only been in a single accident in the past 20 years, and I wasn't even driving at that time. I have witnessed (including that accident) maybe 2 or three, and even then they were nothing serious. Just fender-benders. But the one I was involved in took the entire front off my car....

Anyway, I don't think it's something you can really calculate the statistics for, as it varies from person to person, environment to environment, changes with the weather and other driving conditions, etc.

This has just been my experience though, Not sure about anyone else....

Matt

 

I'm just glad your ok, I was 1 + 3 three. The cars took the damage.

Not my fault, but I'm ok, but the rear end damaged to my neck for the rest of my life.

Only when I sleep wrong or to long on the computer.

kv

 

I've been in one accident that was my fault (driving a defective vehicle -- brake failure) and a second "accident" that was a one-car incident in which my car just caught fire and I was able to get off to the side of the road and clear the vehicle in a calm manner (on my way to the airport, so I even got my luggage out of the back seat and had given myself enough time that I actually made my flight!) before it became fully engulfed.

Then I've killed two deer and one dog (and I'm sure the occasional much smaller critter). The first deer tore the fog lights off my bumber and I had to track her down and finish her, the second one was immediately disassembled and did over $5000 damage to my truck. But I've never seen another vehicle hit an animal (that I know of).

I've been sideswiped once and rear ended at stop signs or stop lights about five time -- all very minor with reports only filed once and no repair costs to any vehicle.

I have witnessed one more airplane crash than I have been in -- and hoping to keep it that way.

Getting to Strantor's original question, part of the key is in the premise you set up.

You said that on a packet highway you guessed you had 20 cars in your field of view. Has all of your driving been on packed highways? No. Not even close. Most of your driving has been in much more isolated situations, including the significant amount of time that you spend on roads in which there is no one in your field of view. Yet if you were to be involved in an accident with the only other vehicle in view, you will experience that accident. Thus you need to weight things to take that into account.

 

No, not seen airplane crash or crash's. I've seen and been apart of more than I can account or want to remember, things.

There is many things most of the world will never personally see or need to remember.

Good for them.

kv

Edit: Yes, I'm so glad you are doing ok. I can't say it any better or clear.

Thank you. (TUFYLAE) Thank you for you life and energy

 

It's surprisingly hard to remember all the accidents I've either had or witnessed. I would guess I've actually seen more then I've had.

First was when I was cut off by someone running a stop sigh; I T-boned her and can still remember the little O her moth formed as I came on. Only other major accidents (parking lot dings need not apply) was when I stopped for a cop making a silly turn and the guy behind me rear ended me; he saw a green light and gunned it while I saw a cop and slowed.

He back talked the cop and almost got arrested. My license was expired and the cop didn't say jack.

Been rear ended at stop signs so many time I now only fully stop when no one is behind me.

Seen quite a few accidents. First was helping a friend move: small car pulling a big trailer on a wet street and he rear ended someone. Caused one (sorta) in stop and go traffic and I misjudged and had to bail into the grass divider: woman I stopped next to was starting at me until SHE rear ended the car in front of her.

Last year driving across Pennsylvania when it began to snow heavily, and we had a few miles to go before we could find a hotel. I was actually looking at the traffic coming the other way down a slight hill when the lead car slowly turned sideways on ice. Apparently cars going sideways have more friction on ice then cars skidding forward as he slowed down fast; car behind him hit his read side, spun him backwards the other way... then he slid off the far side of the road and down an embankment... and we were past and that's all I saw.

This spring coming to an intersection a woman in a white SUV turned left in front of me and got T boned. I didn't see the car that hit her, I saw her car lurch backwards, then roll at me 1 1/4 turns. I was one of dozens of people who stopped to help; she was unresponsive but appeared to be breathing when I tried to talk to her. I almost got into a fist fight with some guy who starting kicking her windshield so he could turn her car off because "it was going to catch fire."

Mind you, we were standing not 30 feet from the local fire house.

What I learned there was just witnessing a severe accident can send you into shock... my reactions were just off as I was driving away.

 

Ok, Ernie. I will tell 3 survival accidents, I was personally involved in, and were not my fault.

But, you must alway's remember, defensive driving courses alway's say, if you happen to be unfortunate to be in an accident, that very fact makes you 50% responsible.

If you were not on the road, you would have never been in one. :WINK:

I don't have time right now, later.

Cheers,
kv

Edit: Going fishing today, I haven't been all summer, about time. Wish me luck.

 

I've been in several accidents, but most (!) were not my fault.

However, just last week, I witnessed a horrible accident, one which I was not involved in due to driving at a safe driving distance!

A truck to the right lane of me decided he missed the left hand exit and tried to cut across three lanes of traffic. A driver in the high speed lane then t-boned the truck. I don't know the extent of injuries, but it as definitely an air bag crash. All I could do was pull over and call 911....

 

Well we talked about crashes this week, and I was in the second one of my life today. Just a little fender bender, actually my bumper, his fender. He made a left turn from the right lane, I nailed his front fender.
It actually saved me some future grief, I hit the brake pedal soo hard the rear metal brake line broke. It was rusted from one end to the other, glad it broke at 10 mph instead of 55

 

I had a rear ender, which my dad who gave me the Truck, backed into a pole. I hated the dent.

But, then a beauty of a girl, rear end ended the Truck. The hit was exact to the point to pop the bumper out and fix the dent.

She was so sad. Her radiator was leaking and I had a fixed bumper?

What I said to the question, statement.

She said: I'm sorry, but I have no insurance, I don't know what to do.

I said, I used to have a dent in the bumper. Now, I don't.

I don't see a problem, she said really? I said, it's ok, so I'm going to leave now.

All the while she was calling people to help her.

 

Is car insurance mandatory by now in the US?

 

Is car insurance mandatory by now in the US?

It's a state-level issue, but every state requires the demonstration of some minimum level of ability to meet financial obligations resulting from an accident. All but two states require a minimum level of liability insurance, generally in order to register a vehicle which basically translates into being able to operate a vehicle legally on public roads. The remaining states (New Hampshire and Virginia) require that drivers demonstrate the ability to pay, such as posting a bond or cash. I think Mississippu allows an alternative like this as well.

Compulsory insurance requirements started in the mid 1920s and by sometime in the 1970s it was pretty much compulsory across the nation. The level of coverage varies quite a bit from state to state -- about a factor of five from high to low.

The limits are generally in the form of three limits. In Colorado, they are 25/50/15. This means that each person injured in an accident (except the driver) is covered for personal injury to a limit of $25k with a per-accident cap of $50k. The limit for property damage is $15k per accident.

Most people carry just the minimum liability, which can be fairly expensive. Interestingly, the cost to increase that to 2x, 3x, or 4x is quite minimal as it turns out that very few people that carry more than the minimum ever cost the insurance company any significant money. The premise is that people that are sufficiently prudent to carry several times the minimum coverage also tend to be more prudent in their driving habits. Sounds reasonable, but is it actually the case? I don't know.

 

So I just checked with my insurance company and the minimum coverage for us would cost

25/50/15: For four vehicles
25/50: $37.86/mo
15: $41.71/mo

At the levels we presently carry:
300/500/100: For four vehicles
300/500: $58.20/mo (for four vehicles)
100: $45.72/mo

So for a 30% increase in the insurance premium (per vehicle of just $6/mo), we get basically 10x the coverage.

The medical coverage is also dirt cheap. This is optional coverage for medical costs for the insured and their passengers. My company offers coverage ranging from $5k to $100k. The premium for $5k is $6.12/mo (covers all vehicles) and the cost for $50k is $12.57/mo.

When my wife rolled her car and ended up in the hospital overnight the original medical bills came to $32k. Wishing we had had more than the $5k at that time! We do now!

Most people decline this coverage because they have health insurance, but the nice thing about the auto medical insurance is that there are NO deductibles and it covers things that are frequently not covered or have low coverage and/or high copays under normal health insurance, such as ambulance and emergency room treatment.

 

Is car insurance mandatory by now in the US?

In TN it's mandatory to have the insurance, and proof of it in the vehicle at all times. If you cannot show proof, you will be issued a citation to court. When you show it to the judge, the citation will be dismissed.
If you don't show it, you have 30 days to get it. If you don't get it after 30 days, your license is suspended until you get proof.They call it "Failure to show financial responsibility"

 

TN, is like Ohio. Got stopped for burned out tail light, didn't have insurance card with me. Had to appear in court to show the card. So it cost me a half days pay to go to court, and just a warning for the light.

 

In Colorado, the citation isn't for not having insurance, it's for failing to show proof of insurance. Some jurisdictions won't dismiss by showing insurance (but will suspend your license if you don't) and so it costs you $106 (last time I heard the specific fine). But most will dismiss if you just drop by the county court and show the clerk your proof of insurance (and it has to be proof that you had insurance in effect at the time the citation was issued).