[AUS] Got rear ended tonight

I picked up my daughter from her driver's school this afternoon in the TR. I drove her home and discussed driving safety along the way. She got her learner's permit yesterday so to celebrate we all went out to eat dinner at Suzi's tonight. I let her drive my Mercedes home and while sitting at a red light at 360 and 183 we got rear ended by a Lexus. She calmly pulled out of the intersection into a bank parking lot where we exhanged insurance information with the gentleman that hit us. I offered to drive the rest of the way home but she insisted that she could handle it. My wife and I were a little shaken but my daughter came through like a trouper. I guess wrecks are just a way of life in Austin now.

I sure was glad that we were in the Mercedes and not the Ferrari. Not only for the sake of the Ferrari but for the sake of our lives. That Mercedes is one tuff car and handled the impact a lot better than most cars would have.

I got to thinking. Modern cars are so much safer now. They have bumpers that absorb energy, air bags in the dash, doors and roof, abs brakes, electronic slip programs, seats with supportive head restraint systems, seat belts with pre-tensioners, energy absorbing frames and body panels with engineered crumple zones to transfer energy around the passenger compartment and built in GPS/Cellular technology with sensors that monitor the car's condition and calls police and ambulances if you need help. My 1986 Testarossa would have been toast in that accident and I would have more than just a sore neck tonight if we had been in that car.

The good news is that we are all safe and sound and no one was hurt. Be safe out there fellow Texans, and always leave yourself an out.

 

No excuse from the other driver. But he did appologize and ask if everyone was ok. His wife was in the car behind him. She didn't even realize he hit us. When we all pulled over she asked him what was going on.

360 is 6 lanes wide there and the 183 service road is at least 5 lanes wide there. It's just a bad intersection with cars going every which a way. My guess is that he was looking at the crossing traffic rather than the car and the light ahead of him.

The sound of ABS brakes pulsing and tires alternatively squealing is an unmistakable sound. You know what is about to happen next and there isn't a thing in the world you can do about it but hold on and hope for the best.