Theory why Mavericks get rear-ended so much

[Glen Baker LLC]

There is a 3M version in black that turns white when headlights hit it at night

This is what it looks like.Black and White. I have a black piece on the bike storage case.

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[HeyBales]

This is what it looks like.Black and White.

Now - what does it look like when the light source is typical headlight level, the material is whatever height but equal or less height than light, and the camera is held at sitting eyeball height with no flash?

The 3M version of the black tape is about the best I've seen - but you have to get the right one for best retro-reflectivity, which I tested a cheaper one with my son last fall in hopes of putting on the tailgate - still not great.
This is likely better.
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/commercial-specialty-vehicles-us/applications/vehicle-visibility/

Or that's where the hitch reflector comes in useful since it can be thicker with actual triangle mirrors to catch most angles.
Did a quick search in the hopes of providing a picture - but only finding cheap ones that appear to just use tape - which is about worthless.
Not sure why Google search thinks I'm cheap.
Eh, I guess I do...

 

[HeyBales]

It will work only if the driver behind you, looks up from their phone and sees you're stopped.

And remembers to turn their headlights on!
Not just DRL that are fooling so many it seems.
Those are great reflectors though.

 

[RR - All the way]

My two cents........... First, I agree phones/ear buds contribute to more accidents. As does drug use to include marijuana.

I taught defensive driving for years and just my opinion, but I also believe more people do not maintain a safe following distance as they did in the past. May be that our culture promotes a more "get nowhere, faster" attitude than in the past. Tailgating is just a recipe for disaster. People also do not maintain a safe following distance when traffic moves at a stop light. We just assume that when the light turns green the vehicle ahead of us will not be stopping or rapidly slowing. Sometimes they do.

A second thing I think that comes into play is that in general drivers no longer consider communicating with the driver behind them. The very act of slowing down gradually in conjunction with brake lights/turn signals gets the following vehicles attention. If we do not read the road ahead and go fifty mph and then stop on a dime for a red light, we contribute to getting rear ended! Even stopped at a light I watch and if I see that a vehicle is coming up on me, I pump the brake lights a couple of times to get their attention. It is a habit and does not require a lot of thought. Some people say it is no longer the thing to do but if I am on a two lane road and have people behind me, I relay by using my signal light if the car ahead of me is turning, especially if they are turning left. No one pays attention that a crossroad is automatically a no passing zone..........

The new technology like emergency braking will reduce some accidents but do not think they are fool proof. Not if we are being fool-ish!!

I think the jury is out on whether the Mav gets rear ended more than other vehicles. It is possible because it has less height, it is less "visible", but who knows. Hey stay safe! Read the road ahead and use the damn rear view mirror!!!

 

[dochawk]

A known fact. Women can multitask, men cannot, period.

Actually . . . there was research done a decade or two ago. Almost noone who claims to multitask actually does; they're switching back and forth rapidly.

About 1% were actually multitasking--doing both simultaneously. And to everyone's surprise, they were all men.

That said, it's patently obvious that women, as a group, handle multiple tasks simultaneously better.

I actually seem to be part of that 1%, so I'll comment that it works best when the taks are quite different, such as one quantitative and one qualitative. I have a friend that still freaks out over the time in high school chemistry, in which he sat next to me, and the teacher thought I wasn't paying attention (but couldn't see that I was furiously writing the Spanish sentences that I'd forgotten and were due the net period). So he grilled me, I matched him question by question--and continued writing full speed. His reaction nearly blew it for me.

Then you become this guy🫨

He probably got rear-ended when the driver behind him was blinded by reflected headlights!

As far as mistaking a maverick for an F-150, there would need be no other vehicles near it, as the relative size would be a giveaway, and no lane markers, as it takes too little of a lane to look like an f-150.

 

[BradH]

so I mean it may sound crazy, but I think I may try to put some reflective tapes on the rear bumper and tailgate.

So I did put two safety stripes on my Mav's back bumper area. Already had a package of DOT conspicuity stripes that are 2" by 18" (most parts places have them). Took one decal and used a flatbed paper cutter to cut in half lengthwise so it's 1 inch wide, and with that width it fits nearly perfectly on the top flat area of the rear bumper. Also trimmed the red so it was the same width as the white, just for personal preference.

Put these on originally as a homage to my previous truck (Ranger) which had safety stripes on the back bumper. Then I joined the MTC forum and saw all these messages about our trucks getting rear-ended, and figured that's another reason to have them, lol. Definitely know the style is not for many people (or probably, most people), but like others have said it's your truck, customize how you want! I've been in a friend's car coming back to the house at night, and when the headlights hit the stripes they do reflect surprisingly well. But you still have to keep watching for dummys around you when driving.

 

[commod0re]

Anyone have a better idea or want to poke holes in mine?
tom

This is just not how depth perception works with binocular vision.

There are a lot of people out there on the road with 1 or sometimes even 2 phones mounted to their windshields. It’s rampant distracted driving and people intentionally obscuring their own vision because they can’t not look at a screen for 10 minutes while they drive to get groceries or whatever

 

[bobaguy]

So I did put two safety stripes on my Mav's back bumper area. Already had a package of DOT conspicuous stripes that are 2" by 18" (most parts places have them). Took one decal and used a flatbed paper cutter to cut in half lengthwise so it's 1 inch wide, and with that width it fits nearly perfectly on the top flat area of the rear bumper. Also trimmed the red so it was the same width as the white, just for personal preference.

Put these on originally as a homage to my previous truck (Ranger) which had safety stripes on the back bumper. Then I joined the MTC forum and saw all these messages about our trucks getting rear-ended, and figured that's another reason to have them, lol. Definitely know the style is not for many people (or probably, most people), but like others have said it's your truck, customize how you want! I've been in a friend's car coming back to the house at night, and when the headlights hit the stripes they do reflect surprisingly well. But you still have to keep watching for dummys around you when driving.

Looks great.
I was thinking of putting them on like this.
DOT conspicuous stripes on #1 and #2
Cut reflective red tape letters put on #3.

 

[Cherokee]

Looks great.
I was thinking of putting them on like this.
DOT conspicuous stripes on #1 and #2
Cut reflective red tape letters put on #3.

I used to put the reflective tape all over the back of my small trailers.

 

[RR - All the way]

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

I agree. If only the native American Indians were allowed to drive, a lot less Mavericks would get rear-ended.

 

[bobaguy]

Explain how this vehicle got rear ended. Was it because it looked like a F150 in the distance? Or was it lack of good lights on the back of the fire truck to warn the driver behind it?

Let me guess, at night, that driver must be under DUI, lol

 

[HeyBales]

Explain how this vehicle got rear ended. Was it because it looked like a F150 in the distance? Or was it lack of good lights on the back of the fire truck to warn the driver behind it?

Appears to be a pretty good nose dive there - likes brakes slammed on when they finally noticed.
Too late.

Empty streets at odd traffic times - people willing to risk more because what could possibly be going on.

 

[Alfetta159]

But are cars rear-ending our Mavericks or are we Maverick drivers backing into the cars behind us. I guess it's all relative. Perhaps this thread should be titled:

Theory of Relativity & why Mavericks get rear-ended so much

 

[dochawk]

Explain how this vehicle got rear ended.

Because it's red.


Back in the '70s, on a tour of a fire department (cub scouts?), they explained to us that they were dropping red trucks, as they'd found it was the second least visible color at night.

But now they've returned with a vengeance, so I don't know.

 

[BradH]

Why not just put a yellow construction vehicle flashing light on the back. Maybe a back rack type device? Or one of those flip down bumpers the merge arrow trucks have? Yes I am joking. Mavericks are NOT being rear ended more than other vehicles. It is just the Maverick Forum is where everyone reports it. If people are so distracted they don't see your brake lights reflective strips won't help.

How about this

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