What to do if going to be rear-ended?

[campbeam]

In my email messages, I received the following question and answer post. I had been thinking about this scenario recently particularly about putting the transmission in neutral and a foot hard on the brake pedal and pushing back into the seat as the default option. 

https://www.quora.com/What-should-you-do-if-you-are-about-to-be-rear-ended-by-a-car-approaching-at-high-speed-while-stopped-behind-another-car-Should-you-jam-down-on-the-brakes-as-hard-as-you-can-Hold-brakes-lightly-Release-brakes 

Interesting comments because I usually stop with enough gap so I can see the car in front's rear tyres on the road surface so I can possibly go around if they break down etc.

Fortunately, I have only had one incident where I started to move into the oncoming lane; still got impacted but not too bad and no damage to me.

 

[Darui]

Try to relax in such cases. I used such thing like self psychology  Right before you do something that you feel nervous about, try a visualization exercise in which you replay a previous experience where you had an optimal level of energy, focus and achievement.

Edited June 24, 2022 by Darui

[ZZT86]

I've heard that if you see it about to happen, the body naturally tenses up to prevent whiplash etc, if relaxed then more bodily harm could be done.

My current thoughts on this are if a collision is inevitable, letting the car absorb the full impact means leaving your foot off the brakes & letting it roll forward = softer collision. If you can't see the tyres of the car in front then most likely a second impact will occur.

An impact at 100km/h would most likely be a write-off.

 

[Tony Prodigy]

23 hours ago, ZZT86 said:

I've heard that if you see it about to happen, the body naturally tenses up to prevent whiplash etc, if relaxed then more bodily harm could be done.

I tend to agree with that and it makes sense too. But the natural reaction would be to tense up. Presence of mind is a valuable thing in instances like this, especially if you see it coming. Generally the accidents you don't see coming, often have you limbered up and in most cases very minimal injuries occur depending on speed and place of impact, of course and airbags play a vital role in injury prevention.

We are lucky to have these 5 star ratings in the modern era. Modern cars are so much safer than those of yesteryear, that's for sure.

On 6/23/2022 at 12:32 PM, ZZT86 said:

letting the car absorb the full impact means leaving your foot off the brakes & letting it roll forward = softer collision.

I totally agree with that. The car will suffer both frontal and rear damage if pushed into the preceding car, which is why insurance is good to have in case the jackass who hit you hasn't any.

[Castellan]

I remember being in my big brothers HQ Holden 6 on board and wet road, coming up a crest of a hill doing 60MPH was looking down smokes ? and i called out, look out, we were in the middle of the HWY well he snaped the wheel directly and we went around and around ant-clock ways and clock ways and backwards ! we were heading for the cutout of the hill in reverse ! I was thinking hear comes Hospital boys ! but then he got it under control ! i looked at the speedo and it was doing 60mph ! hows that haha ! the start of the crest to the point over the crest we went out of control !  I thought what to do ? was protect my neck ! was the main thing copping it from the rear. 

 

But also i have seen spots that cars have come to a stop and some clown had just reacted behind with a big tyre lock up ! I look back in the mirror and think what could i do ! Flatten it and just find a way by pushing other cars out of my way ? So i do not cop a say 100KM/H hit up the rear, people could be in the back seat ? to try and save them ! 

So i said i would maybe do such a thing if i was sure to be sure i was going to be hit like that ! You have to keep your wits on regardless ! 

 

I was driving behind an old Lowloader years ago in the wet at 100KM/H and coming around a big sweeper bend and the tail of that lowloader was drifting out wide ! the full width all the way out to the guide post like ! 😲 lucky no one came the other way ! I thought what if that was me coming the other way ? what to do ! well number one is Trees do not move and with Trucks never get hit by one regardless, that's the Law ! my Law ! So what to do, brake and get off the road ! or if you can not go then brake and try the otherside of the lane ? maybe ! because even if you are stoped and hit by a Truck, you are dead regardless ! 

I have thought of such things, because you have to be so quick to react ! 

 

Like i started Judo from age 7 and that is what it's about !

I ride dirt bikes and that's what it's all about riding way out in the bush, your ready to deal with what comes up and make a call directly or else !  But most people would be just sitting ducks in fact pondering what to do !    

[campbeam]

Interesting timing because I had viewed a news video this morning about a fatal crash where an interstate bus had rear ended a semi-trailer at 3AM today on the Hume Highway.

Opportunity to look at my post back in 2017 and others. Certainly revising whether I would be applying the brakes when I could not maneuver out of the way. As ZZT86 advised let the vehicle absorb the impact of the collision. In most accident scenarios, my 2006 Aurion will be an insurance write-off and why I have a standby [unregistered] Aurion.

Just remembered that I could have been rear ended on a local highway one Sunday morning. I drive with precision to be in the middle of my lane. Fortunately there was a decent paved shoulder and the truck was able to brake and come to rest in that area.