Fatal Midget Accident

[spritenut]

I sure hope it was no one from this list.
Drunk driver in a Jeep crossed the median and slammed a Midget.
https://wbztv.com/local/wrong.way.crash.2.1392434.html

Be careful out there, it's always the "other guy" that you have to watch out for.

 

[tony barnhill]

Oh man, hope it's not one of us......& hope the driver makes it!

 

[RickB]

I watched the "raw video".

It's hard to believe anyone in the Midget lived through this "murder by SUV".
Makes me think seriously about arming my car.

(I was always a fan of the short story "Why Johnny can't speed")

 

[mrsprite]

Man.....that's very sad and disturbing. Unfortunately, this is the risk we take when we drive our cars. There is just no way to make them stand up to a 2-ton SUV.

 

[AngliaGT]

I hope that the Midget driver makes it through this.
On another note,I noticed that the Firefighters weren't
wearing SCBA's (air bottles & face masks).That's a big
no-no around here - just in case the car suddenly catches
fire.Better to be safe than sorry.

- Doug

 

[vagt6]

Murder by SUV, on the wrong side of the road! The poor Midget driver probably never saw it coming . . .

There aren't many cars that would save you in a head-on like that.

Be careful out there, guys.

 

[SilentUnicorn]

wow- not good..

m

 

[Jer]

How sad - good reminder for us all - I remember one time my neighbour (who drives a motor cycle) told me I was "crazy" to drive my Midget on the highway... I told him to take a few seconds to reflect on his comment, & remember what he drove on the highway... It's a risk we all take, nothing will protect us from a drunk driver, or any other idiot out there.

 

[vagt6]

Jer, what you said is true. But never forget that situational awareness, that is, being highly focused on driving the car and your surroundings, can and does save lives. We can <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">significantly</span></span> reduce the risk associated with driving on today's roads (that are lousy with distracted drivers and drunks) by practicing situational awareness while driving our LBCs. It's a huge factor, IMHO.

I ride a dual sport bike, commute to work often and ride a lot of mountain dirt roads. Many adventure riders in the motorcycle community discuss and practice situational awareness as if it's a religion. In some ways, it is!

Every single time you roll out of your driveway, practice situational awareness: utilize your peripheral vision; eyes on the road; hands on the controls; brain and psyche focused on driving, hazard identification and evasive manuvers, etc.

Approximately 50,000 deaths per year on U.S. roads, with a significant percentage attributable to drunk/impaired drivers. That's all the warning that I need.

Situational awareness works, and it can save your bacon.

 

[ecurie_ecosse]

Jer, what you said is true.
Situational awareness works, and it can save your bacon.

I agree.After all, you can only drive one vehicle at a time.And doing so,with awareness,is an absolute necessity.As is "Defensive Driving".

Stuart.

 

[startech47]

Why did they even bother to put on their turn out gear. They have not even fastened their coats and they are putting stay dry down on the leaking fluids in the video.

 

[SilentUnicorn]

My practice is to Drive as if i am "INVISIBLE". I simple figure that the soccer mom with the van full of screaming rug-rats and yakking on the cell phone, that just looked right at me...DID NOT SEE ME! and is about to turn left. It is amazing the things you can see that you normally might take for granted in a safer vehicle. Not the our little cars aren't safe, just a lot more vulnerable.

m

 

[CraigZ]

We are effectively invisible in our little cars. I had some bimbo in a Lexus SUV almost back over me last week at a traffic light. Even though I was 'hanging out' a little on the left, she only looked in her center mirror and just plain couldn't see me. What really graped my squildo was that she didn't hear my laying on the horn due to a damned cell phone jammed in her ear plus a couple of kids. I was lucky no one was behind me as I got into reverse and went backwards in a hurry... :madder:

Seen the Harleys with the "straight pipes save lives" stickers on them? Maybe we all need really loud mufflers...

 

[jvandyke]

As a former (and soon returning) motorcycle rider (I got one for Christmas!), the "assume your invisible but they want to kill you anyway" mantra is valid and wisely transferred to Spridget driving. When my Opel was wrecked I looked the lady (in oncoming traffic, waiting to turn left) right in the eye and she gunned it at the last second anyway. You can still do everything right and be killed. As for loud pipes, doesn't really help as most of the noise is behind you where it does little good as you move away from it. I think I was once told that a very high percentage of drivers on the road at the wee hours are drunk. Knowing that, I'm extremely leery of my fellow motorists if I'm out late/early.

 

[Mike]

It is very sad to see this. Thanks for sharing though, its definitely a sobering reminder of how careful we need to be in our little cars. I came off a motorcycle to my Sprite. Some days I think its a bit scarier. I'm lower than I was on my Harley and not as agile as on a bike.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

So... after a person has spent time for drunk driving, man slaughter, and had their driving license revoked what prevents them from doing it again?

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Mark, you nailed it, not to say that driver in this accident wasn't doing that. I'm a seasoned racer so I fully get what you are saying, you get the luxury of practicing diaster in racing, and the knowledge you gain there can help save your life on the public streets. I don't know what other to call it than "eyes wide open" always looking for anything that can take you out. An example when I riding beside a tall SUV on multi lane highway, I keep my eye on their front wheel, that will be my first clue, that they don't see me, and are getting ready to move over on me, and I do the same thing with eye contact as you, I'm real leary of someone who has not looked me. I have to admit I also drive these cars on the public roads very spirited, so I passing more than pass me, I somehow think being a bit more agressive in a sport car, just makes you more aware. I think it would great if folks could take a street survival course like the SCCA does for the young folks, car control exercises, wet skid pad, it arms the street driver with what they hardly can never get in the real world, car control situactions, if you know how to pull out a sideway skid, or how to panic brake and keep the car under control, your chances of avoiding a crash are greatly increased.

Jer, what you said is true. But never forget that situational awareness, that is, being highly focused on driving the car and your surroundings, can and does save lives. We can <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">significantly</span></span> reduce the risk associated with driving on today's roads (that are lousy with distracted drivers and drunks) by practicing situational awareness while driving our LBCs. It's a huge factor, IMHO.

I ride a dual sport bike, commute to work often and ride a lot of mountain dirt roads. Many adventure riders in the motorcycle community discuss and practice situational awareness as if it's a religion. In some ways, it is!

Every single time you roll out of your driveway, practice situational awareness: utilize your peripheral vision; eyes on the road; hands on the controls; brain and psyche focused on driving, hazard identification and evasive manuvers, etc.

Approximately 50,000 deaths per year on U.S. roads, with a significant percentage attributable to drunk/impaired drivers. That's all the warning that I need.

Situational awareness works, and it can save your bacon.

 

[Gray_Cat]

Here's link to a brief article regarding a driver arrested for his 18th DUI - yes the number is correct 18.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2009/12/29/106254.htm
The article states it has been 8 years since his last DUI but why someone like this is allowed on the road at all is beyond me...
Roy

 

[mightymidget]

This story is not suppose to happen, but seems to all the time

 

[Hap Waldrop]

And even with laws, people without license will still get behind the wheel, and drive drunk.