All I have read are these care being rear-ended, never T-boned or clipped. Are they prone to this?

 

Either that or the T boned MINI owners don't post anymore after their accidents.

 

we can manuver out of getting broadsided, but getting rearended while
stopped is kinda hard to avoid...

 

i once saw a MINI who was crushed on the side by a semi that didn't see the MINI along side of it while it was changing lanes

that gave me chills.

 

I felt much more vulnerable in my old Miata than I do in my Mini. I had numerous incidents of SUVs trying to change lanes right into me (worse thing about the Miata was that wimpy horn), being rear ended at a red light, and having one woman crease my door in a parking lot because she didn't see me parked next to her Suburban when she backed out.
A Mini stands out a tad stronger and - the best thing I found out about this car by far - it has a real horn!
I remember a cartoon on a Miata site; it was a soccer mom in her SUV with 2 or 3 kids in the back. A kid at the passenger window is looking out behind the vehicle and is yelling to his mom, "Hey mom! that wasn't a bump you hit, that was a Miata!" Behind the cartoon SUV is a squashed Miata.

 

Well I read a post today about someone who got clipped in the mirror by a drun driver, but these cars can manuver around almost anything. Its a short car so much harder to T-bone and I know most MINI owners don't like to stay sitting in an intesection very long so its simply harder on the gas. As far as the rear ending goies, I know the MINI is very prone to being tailgated esp. by some SUV or truck that fills up your entire rearview mirror b/c you're behaving in the slow lane and the passing lane is empty and they can't see cause the cell phone is in the way, also we have good brakes and low mass which give those following us little chance to brake if they're tailgating.
Sorry for the rant but its happened to me at least a dozen times in the past week although once it was a civic showing off to his girlfriend that he could follow a MINI.

 

I KNOW that by installing those jumpers to enhance my brake lights has really saved me from some crunches. It seems as if the brake lights are just not all that noticeable until you enhance them some.

 

Statistically, probably no more than any other car. People are just idiots out there, that's all.

I do think MINI owners tend to be more traumatized by these occurances though, because seeing one's baby all smushed is very depressing.

 

It did sound like a lot were getting the rear end deal.

And seems like a lot of people get closer to me in this car than the others I drive.

I installed one of the 3rd light flashers and it really helps

 

I don't think the MINI is necessarily a rear-end accident magnet, I think it's just a fact that there are a TON of idiot drivers on the roads that DON'T pay attention in traffic.

I know I look in my rear view mirror while stopped a whole lot more than I used to... especially since moving to So Cal..half the drivers out here don't speak English and don't have car insurance!!

Donna

 

I thought it was just me but I think you're onto something. I've been motoring in JoeGreen around here and most of the rest of the country for the past three years and I definitely think the tailgating habit has gotten worse. That, of course, could lead to more rear-end smashes.

I've gotten so rabid about it on two-lane roads that I keep reducing speed with the cruise control until the offender passes. And, I've been known to pull over, let them pass, and then proceed safely behind them only to watch them tailgate the next car ahead. I think some folks just do not have confidence to pass especially in the dark or rainy weather.

Thanks for reminding me to get that brake light mod done!

 

There have been a few times I'v almost stopped in the middle lnae point to the two empty lanes on ethier side of me cause the unattentive person behind me won't pass but I gradually slowed, if I had to slam on my brakes for one of the many local deer, forget they wouldn't have noticed until the airbag put the phone away. I've driven across much of the country and feel taht the further from cities I am, where nobody can talk on the phone, the fewer tailgatiers there are.

 

It's more stupid drivers.
Maybe less are getting broad sided because MINIs present less of a target.
This past weekend, an idiot driving a Sebring convertible fast and erratic crossed the center and got t-boned by a Toyota pick-up. 3 died. The perp had a Mexican name. Waiting for toxicology report.

 

Ironically, I got rear-ended this morning. I was coming up to a stop light, had just thrown it into neutral and started to depress the brake and I got jolted forward. Check the rear-view and see a beat up mid-90's Civic. Thankfully we were going only about 10mph and there was no one in front of me. The damage is not bad at all. Body shop estimated it at $350. You can see the Phillips head screw marks on my rear bumper. But that is about it.

But anyway, I walk back to get this idiot's insurance info and she has the ***** to say, and I quote, "Oh, you can go to Home Depot and get some paint to fix that." I am still laughing at that one. She apparently "fell asleep." It was 8:30 AM...

But anyway after a bit of "mild" arguing about the damage she said she didn't have insurance. At which point I asked her quite seriously, "Are you being serious right now?" That got a dumbfounded, open-mouthed, gaze back at me so I walked away, wrote down her plate number and called the cops.

A lawyer friend of mine is going to run her plates and give her a little, friendly call to gently persuade her to pay for the damage or I file an official report.



But anyway, I don't think the Mini is a rear-end magnet. I think everyone on the road is a rear-end magnet now. People just suck at driving.

 

Sorry to hear what happened. Glad everyone is physically okay. I'd file a report anyway, then if she stalls in paying you have paperwork to CYA and I know many states have a 10 day limit on being able to file.

 

In NY it's 5 days. The cop took the plate number and if I go through insurance I will end up paying it anyway because of my $500 deductible. So I think it is either going to be have her pay or just pay cash and leave the insurance out of it. I'm 21 years old with a sparkling clean record so far (knock on wood) so ya.

 

I think people are just terrible drivers. I avoid people that drift over into my lane or nearly hit me from other directions every day. People just pay no attention to the road.

My 04 was rear ended and backed in to. The lady that rear ended me saw me, but she wanted to run the light. The lady who backed into me said "I didn't even look, sorry" Oh thanks!

 

How is that done?

I have often wondered how it might help those type of rear ending situations if cars were equipped with some sort of automatic warning lights in case of hard breaking, such as a strobe (like those on the tops of School busses or aircraft wings) or hazards that will automatically sense a hard breaking situation and warn the driver behind you that you are rapidly slowing down.

Is there someone out there that has some sway or technical expertise that would be willing to look in to this? I would eventually like to see this on all vehicles. Just might save some lives and $$

 

Mercedes has a three flash LED berfore going solid US laws keep it out for now and higher end BMWs have the lights get progressively brighter the hard the pedal is pressed. I'll pump them when braking hard so cars behind me are more aware and I often can just lay flat in neutral so I'll rest my foot off the brake then as a car approaches I'll hit em a few times and hold, sometimes actully noticing the other cars getting slower if I hold the flash then hold, when at a light.

 

I fear this. I wonder if we are visable in those side mirrors when they are so high up there.

I do feel like bigger vehicles think they can just bully us around because we are little. I bully them right back though.

 

JAZPER11.....do a search on: brake light mod ......very good directions and easy to do....there is some question as to if in rare cases the mod can cause some expensive electrical problems not covered by warranty...see the thread on this situation going on right now

 

The rule of thumb I've been told by truckers is that if you can't see the side mirrors on their cab, they can't see you behind them. Although I'm guilty of same periodically, it isn't a good idea to pass them on the right on the interstate. They reallllly don't like that. It's tempting on high-speed 3+ lane routes like I-75 between Chat and Atlanta or 101 or the interstates in the Bay area.

As for SUVs and huge pick-ups, they DO have blind spots and IMHO many drivers who don't know how to control a vehicle that size. So, I find myself ensuring that I can see the whites of their eyes in their mirrors when they start moving or else I'm ready for evasive action, which is easy and fun in the MINI.

I was trained to be a defensive driver and there is no doubt that when MINIing I pay close attention to what's happening on the road around me. Plus, there are enough poor drivers everywhere now that there is no way to enforce all the rules of the road.

 

I'm thinking about getting a sign
"If you're going to drive so close, please wash my window while you're back there"

However, I suspect that people would just get closer to read the sign


I have noticed a lot of tailgating. I think that part of it is just that I'm used to a four door car with a trunk, so the shorter car makes them appear closer. I'm sure that I was being tailgated before, just didn't seem as close.

I make sure that I've got extra room in front, and like lns1122 said, I will usually get over to the side and let people pass on two lane roads if they just have to tailgate me. Don't get me wrong, I love the twisty rodes, but some days I just don't feel like going 25 MPH over the speed limit, at night, in the rain, on a back road, silly me

 

I remember when the Olds Tornado came out with the 3rd brake lights. The novelty got people's attention. Then the Feds made it mandatory. Now it's just another light to ignore. Strobe lights would create seizures with some people. Perhaps the whole back of the car should be lit!
motor on has a great tip: flash your brake lights for the tailgating bonehead. If you do it enough, they might get the hint!

 

I was rear ended by a cop last Friday.... see the thread by that name in this forum....
I know it sounds funny, but I feel like I had a premonition that this was going to happen. The People in NC tailgate A LOT. It's really bad in this state. In my case the cop wasn't tailgtaing he just wasn't paying attention. But I just felt like my mini was going to get crunched at some point.

As far as not getting T boned goes I can avoid getting into the situation wher I might get T boned. But it's pretty hard to pull over and let a jerk past everytime they tailgate me (although I do it when they are especially jerky about it).