Friend's mom killed in car crash last night - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jbach36 · #1 02-13-2010, 01:27 PM

A friend's mom in a car crash, was in critical condition but died last night. It wasn't a Mercedes, but for what it's worth, some driving safety tips are in order.

After being in 3 crashes myself, I take every advantage I can get.

First, I prepare for a crash before I even drive a car. This means getting the seat back away from the steering wheel as comfortably as possible. People's ribs and midsections have been crushed by steering wheels during crashes.

Next, I have my headrest set to the right height so if my head snaps back, my neck won't go back too far. You won't believe how many people have their head rest way too low. In a crash, you're going to have serious neck snap back, and serious neck problems.

Check your car for projectiles. One guy was killed in a crash when the kleenex box he had on the rear deck hit him in the back of the head. In a crash, this could be a 40 mph projectile.

Your seatbelt is adjustable up or down on the door strut for a reason. Adjust it to where it's proper for you.

When I drive, I have my lights on, day or night.

Laugh as you may, but I stop at all stop signs or red lights. I see a lot of the teenagers give stop signs nothing but lip service, as they touch their brakes a bit and cruise through residential stop signs. Major mistake, and bad, very bad habit. Eventually, they're going to cruise through a stop sign, where oncoming traffic is moving faster than residential. Deadly mistake.

I'll leave you with what has tricked me both times, and caused 2 crashes. When you come up to a stop sign, you can see it, and you stop in time, right? Well, it's hard to explain in a text message, but I'll try to draw you a picture...

I was driving along a 4 lane road, 2 lanes in each direction. Cars were moving at 45mph, traffic wasn't thick, but brisk. I came up over a small hill, where the road in front of me then goes down and curves to the right. Some idiot further ahead, with cars coming at him at 45mph, had stopped his van to talk to a friend of his walking on the sidewalk.

I thought, surely this guy is going to move. I couldn't get over into the left because traffic was there, though I was looking for an opening in my driver's side mirror as I was getting closer and closer to this clown in the van. Surely he was going to move. As I got closer, I laid on my horn, no opening was available for me to go left, and to my amazement, this idiot was NOT going to move!!! I hit my brakes, got rear ended, and pushed into the van. Bottom line, the whole thing is a bit of an illusion. You don't expect someone to stop to talk to someone on a highway. It's as though you thought the stop sign, was going to move further out, but the guy didn't move.

Drive like you're going to be in a crash, guys.

Biodiesel300TD · #2 02-13-2010, 01:40 PM

Sorry to hear about the loss. It's never easy. Driving is definitely one of the most dangerous things we do on a daily basis, and I think most of us forget how dangerous it is.

One thing I might ad is caution when driving long distance and sleeping driving. I drive long distances for work a lot, and I can personally say I've come WAY to close to falling asleep while driving. It's no laughing matter. Pulling over and getting a breath of fresh air and stretching my legs often helps as do snacks.

Also driving under the influence is something that has affected my family personally. I have a family member whose in jail for many years because of it. It's no joke. I know it's fun to hit the bar at happy hour and have a few drinks then head home. It's only a few miles home right. You won't feel that way when you've killed someone else because of it.

H-townbenzoboy · #3 02-13-2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbach36

Next, I have my headrest set to the right height so if my head snaps back, my neck won't go back too far. You won't believe how many people have their head rest way too low. In a crash, you're going to have serious neck snap back, and serious neck problems.

Sorry to hear about your friend's loss.

I like how the headrests are designed in our cars to have 4 way movement (up, down, tilt forward, tilt back). A lot of American cars didn't follow suit by switching from the old, skinny, 2 way up and down function only headrests until the late 90s/early 00s at the latest. MB had headrests with this function as standard by the early 70s.

tangofox007 · #4 02-13-2010, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbach36

You don't expect someone to stop to talk to someone on a highway.

The same could be said about posting "Open Discussion" topics in the "Diesel Discussion."

fruitcakesa · #5 02-13-2010, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangofox007

The same could be said about posting "Open Discussion" topics in the "Diesel Discussion."

Except when posting in the DD you will only get flamed and maybe moved.
jbach: Sorry to hear about your friends mom. It is always a tragedy.

raymr · #6 02-13-2010, 03:31 PM

Also don't drive with your window half down. Consider what happens if you get side swiped.

HuskyMan · #7 02-13-2010, 03:40 PM

sorry to hear of the loss. and yes, one cannot be too careful. safety is the
number one reason I got into mercedes years ago. but, as the drivers manual states, they can build the safest car in the world but it is up to the driver to operate the car in a safe manner. I hope the idiot in the Van was ticketed/paid you for damages, etc etc.

lately, I've experienced young teenage/20's girls driving Mazdas who like
to tailgate while texting or cell phoning. after they rear end someone and
the victim's attorney subpoenas their cell phone/texting records they might
experience an attitude change. this actually happened to someone I know, so it appears some personal injury lawyers are getting more aggressive towards drivers who act irresponsibly. in otherwords, time to HANG UP
and drive.

The Clk Man · #8 02-13-2010, 05:53 PM

Our thoughts and Prayers go out to your friends Family.

babymog · #9 02-13-2010, 07:19 PM

The kleenex box myth has been disproven many times. Good story though.

Sorry to hear about the loss.

Skid Row Joe · #10 02-13-2010, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

The kleenex box myth has been disproven many times. Good story though.

I've never heard of it.

I call BS too.

layback40 · #11 02-14-2010, 08:13 AM

Sorry to hear of the death.

Just after finishing high school nearly 40 years ago, I had an idiot run a red light. There was a Biology book "The Web of Life' on the rear shelf of the car, a book bigger than a Bible. It gave me 3 broken ribs. I dont think a tissue box would cause major damage, but anything small and heavy could be fatal.

We have an expression down here that the teenagers dont know how to drive until they have been in at least 1 decent accident !! Harsh but oh so true !!

Too many play computer car games and dont realize that on the road they are playing for keeps!!! You cant just press game over & try again later.

Sorry to rave on, I think I may be "preaching to the converted on here!!"

G-Benz · #12 02-15-2010, 12:02 PM

Or...

...when the drivers occupying two of the three lanes mutually agree to let someone make an unprotected left turn in front of them...but the driver of the third lane a 1/4 mile back didn't get the e-mail...

LUVMBDiesels · #13 02-15-2010, 02:59 PM

I am sorry for your friend.

I have been lucky to have been in only three accidents in all my years driving and all of them I walked away from. All of them involved slick road conditions and two of them were other cars hitting me. The third was the time I rolled the Suburban on its side in an ice storm...

Having a car go from convenient transportation to death trap can happen in an instant.