The Bad Drivers of Ontario Thread

[Rob MacLennan]

Vehicle in question appears to be a Ford Expedition full-size SUV or something of that sort. There's a whole 'nother discussion about how such vehicles have gotten too big, with hoodlines that are too high, and with poor outward visibility. The thick A-pillars for crash integrity and airbags to cushion the vehicle's occupants also block forward visibility, and this problem isn't isolated to full-size SUVs.

I'm currently thinking about getting a new vehicle and would buy another of my current (Mazda 5) in a heartbeat, but it no longer exists. Everything that comes even close to what I want seems to be a SUV now, when I don't really want that additional size.

 

[GreyGhost]

Vehicle in question appears to be a Ford Expedition full-size SUV or something of that sort. There's a whole 'nother discussion about how such vehicles have gotten too big, with hoodlines that are too high, and with poor outward visibility. The thick A-pillars for crash integrity and airbags to cushion the vehicle's occupants also block forward visibility, and this problem isn't isolated to full-size SUVs.

All that being true, the root of the current problem is the vehicle was on the sidewalk. You can't engineer/legislate driver stupidity out of vehicles.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

All that being true, the root of the current problem is the vehicle was on the sidewalk. You can't engineer/legislate driver stupidity out of vehicles.

If the victim was on the grate closest to the street, then SUVs have risen to turning dump truck levels on danger.

 

[nobbie48]

I was recently in something very similar to the vehicle in question, on my way back from the airport after a trip. Couldn't see a bloody thing that wasn't essentially straight out, in front. I'd be surprised if the bollards were even readily visible, if not to the side.

Coming south on Hwy 15, north of Kingston and at night I hit something on the road. I turned around to find out what it was. It was a black dog. Since I never saw any motion before the thump I assume I wasn't the first to hit it. RIP pup.

I can see the visibility issue. Everything is black these days. What ever happened to "Wear white at night."

Re the driver visibility issue. I've had people in SUVs run over 24" orange pylons. If they can't see a 24" orange pylon they can't see a 24" tall toddler.

The dump truck issue where the driver can't see anything closer than 10 feet from his front bumper is little different than a jacked pickup with a short torso driver.

You can't have a passenger on your bike unless their feet touch the pegs. Do we need a related law restricting drivers from driving blind?

 

[GreyGhost]

Do we need a related law restricting drivers from driving blind?

I still think that vehicle modifications should be considered aggravating factors in sentencing and civil trial decisions. Pics of this one looked reasonably stock but a lifted vehicle ruins sightlines and makes bumpers useless. Like replacing halogen with LED or limo tint on side windows, ********** should be responsible for the consequences of their actions.

 

[nobbie48]

If the victim was on the grate closest to the street, then SUVs have risen to turning dump truck levels on danger.

Assume you're driving a jacked pickup or dump truck and keep a careful watch for what's in front as you drive.

You come to a stop and as far as you know the road is clear ahead. What you don't know is that a pedestrian just walked in front of your vehicle below your sight line. You make a right on red. Squish.

BTW the A pillars and mirrors on my Hyundai keep me focused on the road ahead because I can't see anything sideways.

Add to the rant people that put towels over side windows because they don't like the sun beating on them.

I still think that vehicle modifications should be considered aggravating factors in sentencing and civil trial decisions. Pics of this one looked reasonably stock but a lifted vehicle ruins sightlines and makes bumpers useless. Like replacing halogen with LED or limo tint on side windows, ********** should be responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Add some other things to the list that the police already ignore. sigh.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Assume you're driving a jacked pickup or dump truck and keep a careful watch for what's in front as you drive.

You come to a stop and as far as you know the road is clear ahead. What you don't know is that a pedestrian just walked in front of your vehicle below your sight line. You make a right on red. Squish.

BTW the A pillars and mirrors on my Hyundai keep me focused on the road ahead because I can't see anything sideways.

Add to the rant people that put towels over side windows because they don't like the sun beating on them.

Add some other things to the list that the police already ignore. sigh.

There's a good reason why virtually any new vehicle comes with blind spot monitoring, and it isn't because people don't look. They don't, but it's pretty pointless anyway.

 

[nobbie48]

My thoughts exactly. Very very good chance that they hit something (sign, building, garbage can, etc). Very very high probability that they get a hit and run charge, the question is around causing death. If you lay the causing death charge, the defence can argue the driver didn't know a person was hit.

EDIT:
Cops are even teeing up that defense. Was the driver someone that gets police favor? Time will tell.

"Toronto police Insp. Jeff Bangild said officers will continue to review video surveillance from the area to determine what caused the crash.

He says they have not ruled out the possibility that the driver was unaware they struck someone."

I was called into a chief engineer's office to review an error on their drawings that was going to cost their client money. His opening comment was that we would spend as much time as necessary to find a way of blaming the contractor. We found it.

To be fair it was about optics. I was assured that where the blame for another error didn't fall on the engineer the contractor would get a chance to recoup his losses.

Can a badge also be an air freshener?

 

[nobbie48]

There's a good reason why virtually any new vehicle comes with blind spot monitoring, and it isn't because people don't look. They don't, but it's pretty pointless anyway.

Have there been any studies comparing car roll over deaths to deaths due to visibility issues?

BTW watch out for already dumb pedestrians rushing around in the cold, wearing vision impairing hoodies, and heads tucked down.

 

[GreyGhost]

Have there been any studies comparing car roll over deaths to deaths due to visibility issues?

BTW watch out for already dumb pedestrians rushing around in the cold, wearing vision impairing hoodies, and heads tucked down.

Most of the roll-overs I have seen pictures of recently were cars. Speed/impaired were present in most of them. It's not that easy to roll unless you are an idiot.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Have there been any studies comparing car roll over deaths to deaths due to visibility issues?

BTW watch out for already dumb pedestrians rushing around in the cold, wearing vision impairing hoodies, and heads tucked down.

I'm sure the information is out there, but I'm not immediately aware of it.

I'm always on the lookout for pedestrians, because they rarely are.

Most of the roll-overs I have seen pictures of recently were cars. Speed/impaired were present in most of them. It's not that easy to roll unless you are an idiot.

The roll-overs that I've seen, over the last few years, have tended to either me "off road excursions", or caused by relatively high speed impacts.

 

[GreyGhost]

Whoops. Lost daddies corvette at 186 in a 60. Driver lives in Brampton.

Interesting that they only charged stunt driving. Triple the speed limit seems like reasonable justification for a dangerous charge. The would require effort to convict though and they already earned their kickback so why bother charging.

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

 

[DownUnder]

Looking at the intersection (Wellington and Scott) and the details in the reporting. The person was sleeping on a grate. This is the only grate I see anywhere near the intersection (galvanized one just past the last bollard) that does not have bollards or other fixed obstacles between it from the road.

View attachment 64363

If that is it, there is no curb and they are basically sleeping on the edge of the road (Scott). I still don't understand how they did not see them (vehicle too large for their skill-set?) and how they did not know they were dragging "something".

"If" this wasnt intentional, I'll put money on target fixation. " hey what's that... oops."

 

[High Flya]

Whoops. Lost daddies corvette at 186 in a 60. Driver lives in Brampton.

Interesting that they only charged stunt driving. Triple the speed limit seems like reasonable justification for a dangerous charge. The would require effort to convict though and they already earned their kickback so why bother charging.

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

 

[Rob MacLennan]

Whoops. Lost daddies corvette at 186 in a 60. Driver lives in Brampton.

Interesting that they only charged stunt driving. Triple the speed limit seems like reasonable justification for a dangerous charge. The would require effort to convict though and they already earned their kickback so why bother charging.

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

Immediate satisfaction for the cop, with a roadside charge, where they don't have to "put up with The Crown screwing up the case." It certainly sounds like dangerous operation to me but that's hard to prove, if no collisions occurred.

 

[nobbie48]

I'm sure the information is out there, but I'm not immediately aware of it.

I'm always on the lookout for pedestrians, because they rarely are.

The roll-overs that I've seen, over the last few years, have tended to either me "off road excursions", or caused by relatively high speed impacts.

I didn't see it but heard the crash and went to see the outcome. A full sized SUV went through on a green and a red runner Corolla clipped the rear end of it, doing a PIT maneuver that put the SUV on it's roof.

A high centre of gravity suddenly combined with going sideways did the job. The SUV would be a write off and the Corolla repairable. Dry asphalt. no weird slopes.

I always wonder how the got a car back onto its wheels in such a case. They just roll it some more.

No one was seriously injured but the SUV passengers were saying how lucky they were being in a large vehicle. If they were in a sedan it probably wouldn't have rolled. Jacked pickups I'm guessing would roll but "I'm protecting myself and my family." Whatever, Bubba.

I repaired snow melting systems and the general concept was to get the lower section fixed first as the melt water from the upper ones would otherwise build up into an ice mass on the unheated section.

The U of Windsor had a different opinion after a SUV started sliding on the upper sections, turned sideways and came to a sudden halt when it hit dry pavement. It was already tipped a few degrees when it suddenly stopped. Apparently it was on two wheels for a split second before it settled down.

 

[nobbie48]

Whoops. Lost daddies corvette at 186 in a 60. Driver lives in Brampton.

Interesting that they only charged stunt driving. Triple the speed limit seems like reasonable justification for a dangerous charge. The would require effort to convict though and they already earned their kickback so why bother charging.

Toronto, Canada and Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

I heard a familiar name on the news years back. It turned out it was the death of the son of a competitor.

His father promised him a Corvette for Christmas. He piled it into a bridge before New Years. Single vehicle and IIRC single occupant. Bad promises are better broken than kept. Know your kid.

Funny story. Accounting may sound boring but accountants have funny stories.

My accountant was dealing with a couple that had a successful business and being up in age the husband said he was going to finally buy a Corvette. His wife butted in and said "No damn way".

He backed off and suggested a Cadillac and she was OK with that, so he bought a Cadillac XLR. Cadillac version of a Corvette.

In a later meeting he said to the accountant, "You know that thing will do XXX MPH."

 

[mimico_polak]

I heard a familiar name on the news years back. It turned out it was the death of the son of a competitor.

His father promised him a Corvette for Christmas. He piled it into a bridge before New Years. Single vehicle and IIRC single occupant. Bad promises are better broken than kept. Know your kid.

Funny story. Accounting may sound boring but accountants have funny stories.

My accountant was dealing with a couple that had a successful business and being up in age the husband said he was going to finally buy a Corvette. His wife butted in and said "No damn way".

He backed off and suggested a Cadillac and she was OK with that, so he bought a Cadillac XLR. Cadillac version of a Corvette.

In a later meeting he said to the accountant, "You know that thing will do XXX MPH."

I always told my wife I want a station wagon…just didn’t tell her it’ll be an E55AMG or an RS6.

Good thing I can’t afford either.

 

[Evoex]

I always told my wife I want a station wagon…just didn’t tell her it’ll be an E55AMG or an RS6.

Good thing I can’t afford either.

dont thumb your nose at a C43, i drove a few and it's a hoot. some guy had some kinda mod on his that it made a 'WHUMP' sound on the upshift, sounded so cool.

 

[GP_RZ]

I was hit this summer by an East Gwillimbury parks department ram 2500, was heading north on woodbine and was turning west on Doane road and he did not see me and proceeded to hit my commuter ALH wagon. In the end I was able to keep and fix the car unbranded and insurance paid me $5000, fixed it for $500 and gave it a complete spray.