An incident i witnessed yesterday...

[besiktas]

I was driving down on the highway, suddenly the left lane comes to a stop from 70-80mph. I saw tire marks running about 50-70 feet. at the end I saw a subaru with a crushed bonnet, and badly damaged front end, and next to the car was a giant 18 wheeler tire. Not a part of the tire, the entire thing!

What to do in those cases? Last year i ran to an SUV wheel+tire on left lane and damaged the car. but insurance blamed me for fault. (as if i placed that stuff in the middle of the road). Is there a way to protect ourselves from such events financially?

[Flying Ace]

If you have comprehensive, they SHOULD cover it no questions asked, but it'll still be your fault (unless you can track down the driver who left it there).

That's what comprehensive insurance is...if they can't find the liable 2nd party, then you'll still be covered, even if you're not at fault.

They have to assign fault to someone, and if the 2nd party can't be located, then it's you. Don't get mad about it, it's just how it works and what you pay for in premiums.


If you're asking about in the future whether you should hit road debris vs an alternative:

My view is, you'd rather run into the tire and pay for the damange than run yourself off the road or swerve and hit someone else.

The logic is, your liability amounts (and downside risk) would be much lower than if you hit someone else or if you ditch your car or flip it in a dangerous maneuver.

that's why they always said, if you're about to hit a deer and it's unavoidable, just hit it. It's much worst to swerve head on into the other lane where you can hurt another motorist, or if you do a crazy maneuver and flip your car and kill yourself. Then you'll be 100% liable and can get sued for damages you've caused.

make sense?

[1MOREMOD]

Natural response is usually to try and maneuver out of it. Just like pit lane exit in the mazda at laguna.

[Petros]

how about looking far ahead and not driving faster than your skill? If you hit a stationary object dead ahead, then you really have no one to blame but yourself for it.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by Petros

how about looking far ahead and not driving faster than your skill? If you hit a stationary object dead ahead, then you really have no one to blame but yourself for it.

Lame. Sometimes your boxed in and have no choice but to hit object or hit other cars or gaurdrail.

[Petros]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Lame. Sometimes your boxed in and have no choice but to hit object or hit other cars or gaurdrail.

There's also something called a brake pedal. Point is, if you're looking far enough ahead, which is what you should be doing anyway, you will spot the debris and have sufficient time to react. If you're driving the correct way, you should never be caught by surprise and find a big tire right ahead of your front bumper.

[Beemdog]

I disagree. On the freeway, sometimes the car in front of you (which was blocking your view ahead) will abruptly swerve to another lane to miss an object. For you, however, there is no opening to swerve into at times. You then are stuck in a path to collision with the object.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by Beemdog

I disagree. On the freeway, sometimes the car in front of you (which was blocking your view ahead) will abruptly swerve to another lane to miss an object. For you, however, there is no opening to swerve into at times. You then are stuck in a path to collision with the object.

I concur. No need to preach track technique to me sir I'm a junkie. Street is way different.

[Flying Ace]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Lame. Sometimes your boxed in and have no choice but to hit object or hit other cars or gaurdrail.

well in this case, you should just hit the object. If you hit other cars, you're liable and can be sued. If you hit the guardrail, you're also liable to pay for damages and could die.

[Sandye90m3]

I only swerve within my lane, and if I were to swerve severely, I have to be 100% sure that there are no cars around me. If none of those things work, just hit the shit dead on.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by Sandye90m3

I only swerve within my lane, and if I were to swerve severely, I have to be 100% sure that there are no cars around me. If none of those things work, just hit the shit dead on.

due to time on bikes in the past i always am thinking about my surroundings and an escape route if needed. can i swerve left, right, how much brake is too much for car behind me, is the shoulder clear and so on.

[sello]

I was driving one time and up ahead I saw crazy sparks so I slowed down well I happen to look to the right and somehow a tire smashed into the barrier and then decided to come right back into 4 lanes of highway I must have missed that tire by mere inches.. Sometimes u just can't be prepared

[crypticc]

Artic Lorry lost a tyre remould and then almost jack knifed beside me once. Luckily only covered the left lane and some and he recovered before taking my lane over on a permanent basis. I was only one car length or so behind and to the side. Was a relatively new driver too. Needles to say i shat my pants and stomped on the brake pedal screw what was happening behind.

Never saw what happened to that tyre tread.


Another car's wheel cap also once dismounted from it's owner and went careering across the road income of me at 65-70. I took that one on the chin ( or rather the car did).

Funnily enough 20 odd years later I'm still wary when passing cars with wobbly looking wheel caps but lorries are like, "meh".

[MTM]

The 2 second rule and staying aware of "escape routes" (as posted earlier) will help you avoid a huge majority of incidents.

[///M Power-Belgium]

She was out of luck and was killed by enormous wheels ,it happend about 3 miles from where I live,and I need to cross this crossroad twice a day for work !
RIP => http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=871697

[roastbeef]

most of the time, insurance companies will cover something that "flys" into your path. something stopped in the roadway will be your fault for following too closely. when something is "headed right for you" theres nothing you can do.

[jbeene]

Originally Posted by Sandye90m3

I only swerve within my lane, and if I were to swerve severely, I have to be 100% sure that there are no cars around me. If none of those things work, just hit the shit dead on.

The advice I got is that if its unavoidable hit it between the wheels. At least then you'll be more likely to maintain control…though this related to deer not semi truck wheels...

[Vanmarsenille]

Originally Posted by besiktas

I was driving down on the highway, suddenly the left lane comes to a stop from 70-80mph. I saw tire marks running about 50-70 feet. at the end I saw a subaru with a crushed bonnet, and badly damaged front end, and next to the car was a giant 18 wheeler tire. Not a part of the tire, the entire thing!

What to do in those cases? Last year i ran to an SUV wheel+tire on left lane and damaged the car. but insurance blamed me for fault. (as if i placed that stuff in the middle of the road). Is there a way to protect ourselves from such events financially?

I didn't have to read any further than the first sentence to know that you are in Houston. This fucking town...

[bradleyland]

If you're unable to react to stationary debris in the roadway because the car in front of you blocked your view, you're following too close. You can make all the excuses you want, but what the insurance company expects is that you'll make affordances for road debris.

A lot of people here aren't going to like that answer. You may not like that answer, but you asked the question: "Is there a way to protect ourselves from such events financially?" The only way to protect yourself financially is to not be involved in incidents as described. It is entirely possible to drive on the highway and not run in to stationary road debris, provided you are not following too closely.

[M3 Esq]

If you look up periodically from texting that should give you enough time to avoid hazards.

[Beemdog]

Originally Posted by bradleyland

If you're unable to react to stationary debris in the roadway because the car in front of you blocked your view, you're following too close. You can make all the excuses you want, but what the insurance company expects is that you'll make affordances for road debris.

A lot of people here aren't going to like that answer. You may not like that answer, but you asked the question: "Is there a way to protect ourselves from such events financially?" The only way to protect yourself financially is to not be involved in incidents as described. It is entirely possible to drive on the highway and not run in to stationary road debris, provided you are not following too closely.

Leave a 5-car gap on a busy California freeway and it will be filled. You can spend your day falling backwards, but I'm not going to do that. Whatever...

[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by Beemdog

Leave a 5-car gap on a busy California freeway and it will be filled. You can spend your day falling backwards, but I'm not going to do that. Whatever...

Like I said, you may not like it or feel that it's practical, but that's what they expect.