Theory why Mavericks get rear-ended so much

[OleFordGuy]

Says the guy interacting on a screen . Just ribbing you Craig. Hopefully you aren't driving right now

Love it. Never fear, i'm sitting at the desk using an old school computer and keyboard.

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[Cancunbadlands]

Karl Marx had said that "religion is the opium of the people." Now it's screens....

"Social media is the opium of the people"
Cancun Badlands
2026

 

[Pointyears]

"Social media is the opium of the people"
Cancun Badlands
2026

I expect my share of the $$, and my share of the credit.

 

[26mavxlt]

At this point I can provide anecdata...

I have been driving for 30+ years and was never rear-ended prior to owning a Maverick. In the last two years I have been rear-ended 3 times. First time left no perceptable damage, but the second totaled it. I got a new Mav and have had it just shy of a year and was rear-ended again. Still waiting for insurance adjuster to let me know if it will be totaled. That little frame piece under the bed is significantly bent, so I am guessing they will total it.

Now I have to decide if I love the Maverick enough to get a third or just give up.

I have been hit from rear in a 68 Mustang, 71 Opel, 87 T-bird, 03 Focus zx3 and nearly in my 91 Dakota, all just sitting at a light but the focus was on hwy stop and go. It don`t matter what you drive you just have to be in front of an idiot that driving is just a part time job behind the wheel. I am 70 yrs old so been driving since 1970 I drive faster than most, have drag raced done stupid things in my cars but I have never caused an accident because I take driving as something that I have always loved to do and pay 100% to the job in hand

 

[Chops]

I am 70 yrs old so been driving since 1970 I drive faster than most, have drag raced done stupid things in my cars but I have never caused an accident because I take driving as something that I have always loved to do and pay 100% to the job in hand

I’ve been driving since 1972 and have never been rear ended. Lucky I guess!

Although it’s a fact that tailgating (never do myself) significantly increases the chance of a rear-end collision. This occurs because it reduces the time and distance available for the trailing driver to react if the vehicle ahead brakes, slows, or stops.

Driving fast & tailgating gets you bonus points

When I see a tailgater driving fast, I give them the extra clearance. I’ve never rear ended anybody either

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

A case of two drivers not paying attention. The person in the white car was probably watching The Tailgater in his rear view mirror.
Looked up and oops.


The below video is from one of our members.

 

[Automan21]

I call BS
Hole poked.
People are texting, absentmindedly not paying attention to the task at hand.
Not every driver out there should have a drivers license.
Commercially I’ve logged 3.2 million miles. Plus to and from in my POV all my life.
I’ve never rear ended anyone or even caused a wreck. Never been at fault.
It’s not the vehicles fault.

It’s people who just won’t accept responsibility for their actions.
Besides they call them accidents, that’s BS they are crashes.
“Aw poor pitiful me, the roads were wet, it was icy, I couldn’t see”
They were all driving too fast for the road conditions.

We were men, and NO one had peanut allergies !

You sir are correct!

 

[bikesnbacon]

Your accident history up to now indicates that a combo of you & your Hybrid Maverick are statistically prone to get rear ended. Bad luck possible but less likely.

Do you have a theory? Have you been stationary with brake lights on? What colors have your 3 Mavs been? All hybrids?

Almost everyone claims “it was the other guys fault” when describing their accidents. With you getting rear ended - it truly is the other guys fault.

All three were stationary. First was sitting in a line of cars waiting to make a left turn, hadn't moved for 3-4 seconds; it was daylight. Driver immediately took off. Second I was sitting at a red light for 10 seconds, beautiful sunny day. Driver claimed they were looking at the light, not the road, didn't hit their brakes until about two car lengths away. It was a woman in her late 20's and was in hysterics so I wasn't able to get anything more from her. Third was when I stopped to let a truck finish backing out of a driveway. I had been stopped for at least 5 seconds. Drive was male in his 40's driving his kid home from baseball practice; it was dark and rainy.

My "theory" beyond distracted driving is that the tail lights just aren't bright enough. I am seriously considering getting one of the stop-signs that buses have and mounting it to the tailgate. When I stop it pops up with bright flashing lights. Well, not really, but it has crossed my mind.

 

[bikesnbacon]

More anecdotal data. In 24 years of driving I've been rear ended once (in 2008), and the Maverick didn't exist even in concept then. I've had my Maverick almost four years, never been rear ended in it.

Have you changed something about the way you drive since getting the Maverick? Maybe that is something to consider. Or maybes, as many of us have observed, people are just becoming worse drivers since 2020? People are more distracted while driving. I for one cannot count how many times I see people behind me messing with a smartphone while driving.

I assume it is distracted driving. While I am much less aggressive of a driver than I was in my youth, I haven't changed my driving any more than I did when driving my wife's minivans over the last 20 years. I have driven over 700,000 miles over the years but less than 25K between my two Mavs (mostly WFH now).

 

[bikesnbacon]

My experience on the roads is thst I have never seen as much distracted driving as we have now.

I have seen people playing games with their phone propped up on their steering wheel while driving. I see drivers, both civilian and supposedly professional truck drivers behind the wheel with their head down on the highway, glancing up every 10 or 15 seconds at highway speed.

I look around at stoplight and at least 25% of other drivers have their head tilted down while they are smiling at their belly button...

That is why I upgraded my brake lights to way brighter LED bulbs and put a flashing then steady LED 3rd brake light in my Maverick.

I also try to ease up to a stop light and slowly and gently pump the brakes to try and make sure the drivers behind me know we are stopping, without stopping quickly, if at all possible.

Having said that, I dread it when Friday afternoons roll around and I have to go into the city. Everybody seems to be driving angry.

Defensive driving habits help, but not if someone else plows into your backend at a light.

Drive safe out there,

Andy

I'd be interested in hearing more about the lights you chose. If I do go with another Mav I really want to know I've done everything I can to avoid this happening again.

 

[Chops]

All three were stationary. First was sitting in a line of cars waiting to make a left turn, hadn't moved for 3-4 seconds; it was daylight. Driver immediately took off. Second I was sitting at a red light for 10 seconds, beautiful sunny day. Driver claimed they were looking at the light, not the road, didn't hit their brakes until about two car lengths away. It was a woman in her late 20's and was in hysterics so I wasn't able to get anything more from her. Third was when I stopped to let a truck finish backing out of a driveway. I had been stopped for at least 5 seconds. Drive was male in his 40's driving his kid home from baseball practice; it was dark and rainy.

My "theory" beyond distracted driving is that the tail lights just aren't bright enough. I am seriously considering getting one of the stop-signs that buses have and mounting it to the tailgate. When I stop it pops up with bright flashing lights. Well, not really, but it has crossed my mind.

Scary! I thought my 2025 had brighter taillights than before the refresh - but I’m wrong….same.

Wonder if our cab mounted 3rd brake light is deceiving folks in some way?

Anyway, now you (and SafetyGuy) got me thinking that I should upgrade my taillights too!

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

Gary,
I don't know if anything you do to the back of your truck is going to help distracted drivers.

Distracted driving is widely recognized as the leading cause of rear-end accidents, with various studies and safety organizations estimating that it is a factor in around 87% of all rear-end collisions.

These accidents are highly preventable, largely stemming from drivers taking their eyes off the road for even a few seconds

 

[SafetyGuy]

I'd be interested in hearing more about the lights you chose. If I do go with another Mav I really want to know I've done everything I can to avoid this happening again.

Hello @bikesnbacon and now also @Chops

Here is the strobing 3rd brake light I bought from Amazon.ca by Fantelli.

Awesome strobing light, 1 year and no issues and working great. The package I ordered came with 2 bulbs...nice to carry a spare.

If you change that one, change the 2 white lights that are with it and lite up the box...I have read that the halogen ones in it can melt the housing/cover over them.

Stroking 3rd brake lite

Replacement led box lites on either side of 3rd brake lite...pick yellowish lite that looks like halogen only much brighter, or brite white lite...

These are the brake and tail light replacement led bulbs, you need 4 bulbs so 2 pkgs...please remember these bulbs will make your turn signal inside the truck "hyper-click", but the signal lights outside still flashing at normal speed, no hyper-flash...up to you if that is okay, no problem for me and very happy with them. Pick red or white led light.

Before ordering, ensure part numbers indicated are the appropriate ones for your trucks!

Hope this helps, we can only try to keep others off our bumpers.

Andy

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