Theory why Mavericks get rear-ended so much

[HeyBales]

According to what I can find, the Maverick, when operating with Adaptive Cruise Control on, only turns on the brake lights when mechanical breaking is required. If the slowdown is achieved using regenerative braking only, there are no brake lights. An earlier warning to following drivers could possibly reduce the number of rear-end collisions.

I've never had a car with cruise control that put on the brake lights when it was coasting or downshifted to keep the speed - did past cars use to do this?

If a person is only glancing up infrequently it's hard to see the change that the vehicle in front is a different speed than you now.
That's the problem.

And the talkers that are staring right at it - but can't comprehend the same change, or perhaps hopeful the car in front will speed back up and faster actually to not require them to slow down.

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[HeyBales]

I don't think legalized cannibalism is key because I don't think that would affect only those following Mavericks. And people have been doing dope and driving under the influence for decades.

Just personal experience - the legalization seems to have caused more to make the bad decision to drive even while smoking and during normal busy times based on the smells coming from cars this spring.
It was recently legalized in MO, so I think 1st spring with this situation - and very noticeable, compared to many years being done illegally.
Drinking - eh, seems to be at night I'll notice the wandering car pull out from a street that has a bar on it. They seem to limit themselves and know they don't want to get caught. Not sure the dopers care or know they shouldn't be driving.

But indeed - both groups are just part of the normal high rear-end accident stats we have.
Not sure how the back of the Mav would look different than any other car through potential hazy vision.

 

[Tbone289]

It was recently legalized in MO, so I think 1st spring with this situation - and very noticeable, compared to many years being done illegally.

Recreational marijuana has been legal since 12/22 in MO.

 

[JollyRed]

I don’t think it’s entirely any design choices of the Maverick that makes it more prone to being rear-ended than any other vehicle. The majority of crashes are rear ending which is why in every vehicle I have owned I install a 3rd brake light modulator to flash a few times before going solid red. That way when I see a car is coming up behind me I can just tap by brakes to flash them again and if fast ready an exit plan.

Will say the maverick’s brake light does appear to be smaller in optical size at distance than others - that have a wider light strip.

I ended up doing a Diode Dynamic hitch light that flash incase I have the bed loaded blocking the 3rd brake light. Have a write up of it here if interested - https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...e-light-installed-on-my-25-lariat-w-4k.66676/

 

[HeyBales]

Recreational marijuana has been legal since 12/22 in MO.

Hmmm, this was the spring way more drivers on KS roads were letting it waft out the windows.
I'm not traveling on MO side often unless on bike, but same there in the evenings when I'm out.
Maybe it took that long to not care anymore.

 

[MaverickNoticer]

The Maverick looks so much like the F-150 that drivers approaching from behind think the have lots of room before they must stop. The Maverick is smaller, and appears the same as an F-150 that is much further away giving drivers a false sense there is more room between them and the tailgate of the Maverick.
I do not know how, but bet one could figure what a Maverick looks like at 50 yards, and compare that to an F-150 that was 100 yards away. If they look the same, there's the explanation of the high rear-end collision frequency. I say high, base only on the accidents reported on site.
Anyone have a better idea or want to poke holes in mine?
tom

Record numbers of foreigners who can't read signs and aren't trained to drive here.

 

[Ben51]

Prior to Adaptive Cruise Control, if you wanted to slow down, you put your foot on the brake pedal and the switch there turned on the brake lights. In my prior hybrid, the regen did most of the braking until almost stopped, but the switch controlled the brake lights. If you downshifted, then you as a safe driver would check your rearview mirror before doing so. With ACC in a hybrid, I really do not know how much deceleration there is produced by regen alone. In my Maverick, I have experienced surprising slowing triggered by cars in adjacent lanes or turning ahead of me, already out of the lane, where driving in manual mode I would not apply the brakes. Having owned the Maverick for a short time, I am still learning the behavior of ACC and I keep my foot ready for the accelerator when slowing is not really necessary.

Using Perplexity.AI, I asked:
How much deceleration in a 2025 Maverick hybrid can be produced by regenerative braking alone?

The 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid relies heavily on regenerative braking for typical deceleration, with the electric motor acting as a generator to convert the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity for the battery. During most normal and gradual stops or when coasting, regenerative braking provides the bulk of slowing force; the friction brakes only engage for rapid or emergency stops or at very low speeds.

Regenerative braking can provide all needed deceleration during typical coasting and light/moderate braking events; friction brakes assist only in harder stops.

I asked Perplexity.AI a follow-up regarding the presence of an accelerometer in the Maverick.
In summary: While it is likely the Maverick Hybrid incorporates accelerometers in its hidden safety/control electronics as is standard industry practice, there is no user-accessible accelerometer or explicit documentation confirming such a sensor for consumer or developer use.

(my words) It seems that ACC can trigger a level of slowing that in a conventional vehicle would require the mechanical brakes to be applied, but not so in the hybrid. This could be a contributing factor to rear-end collisions and Ford and/or the DOT should be looking into a possible use of accelerometer data to turn on the brake lights.

 

[MaverickNoticer]

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 !

Yall also didn't get a thousand jabs by time you were 5 years old filled with all sorts of heavy metals and dna.

 

[olderthanyourdirt]

I agree, too many people screwing around on their phone while driving.
I wanted that Chrysler so bad. The closest I got was my 72 Chrysler Newport two door.

My wife has been rearended 3 times in last 8 years, twice at a dead stop in traffic, I guess I shouldn't let her drive my Maverick.

 

[olderthanyourdirt]

Prior to Adaptive Cruise Control, if you wanted to slow down, you put your foot on the brake pedal and the switch there turned on the brake lights. In my prior hybrid, the regen did most of the braking until almost stopped, but the switch controlled the brake lights. If you downshifted, then you as a safe driver would check your rearview mirror before doing so. With ACC in a hybrid, I really do not know how much deceleration there is produced by regen alone. In my Maverick, I have experienced surprising slowing triggered by cars in adjacent lanes or turning ahead of me, already out of the lane, where driving in manual mode I would not apply the brakes. Having owned the Maverick for a short time, I am still learning the behavior of ACC and I keep my foot ready for the accelerator when slowing is not really necessary.

Using Perplexity.AI, I asked:
How much deceleration in a 2025 Maverick hybrid can be produced by regenerative braking alone?

The 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid relies heavily on regenerative braking for typical deceleration, with the electric motor acting as a generator to convert the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electricity for the battery. During most normal and gradual stops or when coasting, regenerative braking provides the bulk of slowing force; the friction brakes only engage for rapid or emergency stops or at very low speeds.

Regenerative braking can provide all needed deceleration during typical coasting and light/moderate braking events; friction brakes assist only in harder stops.

I asked Perplexity.AI a follow-up regarding the presence of an accelerometer in the Maverick.
In summary: While it is likely the Maverick Hybrid incorporates accelerometers in its hidden safety/control electronics as is standard industry practice, there is no user-accessible accelerometer or explicit documentation confirming such a sensor for consumer or developer use.

(my words) It seems that ACC can trigger a level of slowing that in a conventional vehicle would require the mechanical brakes to be applied, but not so in the hybrid. This could be a contributing factor to rear-end collisions and Ford and/or the DOT should be looking into a possible use of accelerometer data to turn on the brake lights.

Gee, downshifting does the same thing with no brake lights!

 

[Cherokee]

My wife has been rearended 3 times in last 8 years, twice at a dead stop in traffic, I guess I shouldn't let her drive my Maverick.

I’ve avoided getting rear ended several times by watching the driver behind me as they text and screw around as I slow early and draw them in close way before the stop.
Making them look up at me and wonder why I’m slowing up. I’ve often done a few hard brake checks to piss off the idiots so they focus on me.
In this I can slow and stop them before they hit me.
Plus I get to watch them get pissed off at me. That can be hilarious.
And I am fully prepared to use deadly force if they slip into a road rage mind set.

It’s basic driver skills. Check your six every five or six seconds. Err look back. Use your mirrors.

 

[zorki1c]

Ya - that even applies to so many talking on phone while driving.
We've probably all seen that look on a driver's face and they are in the midst of some stupid move their brain focus just became aware of, though looking right at the situation, because their primary focus had been the conversation.

Now - that was always possible before cell phones, we know the drivers that for some odd reason tried to maintain eye contact with passengers when talking.
Then the passenger had to increase focus on road if they were smart to compensate.

If I take a call while driving from a friend, usually starting at a light, I'll inform them I'm driving and sorry about the pauses since my focus is elsewhere - they almost always say never mind they'll call back later, or I say text me a good time to call you. Or they live with pauses of delayed responses and things I don't really hear. Friends learn.

Was a news photographer back before cell phones. Went to a fatal accident. The victim, a young woman, had run into the back of a truck. Her face was and the rear view mirror was smeared with lipstick.

 

[Alfetta159]

Yall also didn't get a thousand jabs by time you were 5 years old filled with all sorts of heavy metals and dna.

Actually, we did: smallpox, polio, MMR, flu, often tetanus, later chicken pox, papilloma, shingles...

What we didn't do was die from measles (like the kids are made to do now).

 

[Howard]

I don't think legalized cannibalism is key because I don't think that would affect only those following Mavericks. And people have been doing dope and driving under the influence for decades.

When and where was cannibalism legalized?

 

[dochawk]

Not sure the dopers care or know they shouldn't be driving.

The drunks are driving at 60 in a 65, not realizing that this makes them stick out for further scrutiny.

The potheads are simply doing 30 in a 65, just because, well, . . .

decades ago, I did a lot of criminal defense work. Most of the DUIs I saw weren't originally pulled over for DUI, but other routine offenses. But then the glassy eyes, slurred speech, booze breath, and/or fumbling in the glove box change the nature of the stop.

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