Why are so many Mavericks getting rear ended?

[atomguy245]

My question is whether the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Honda Ridgeline also suffer fatal damage from minor rear end collisions like the Maverick.

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[Palms]

I installed LasFits in 13 locations. Have been told twice my brake/turning lights are too bright. I think it’s great, especially when towing behind the motorhome and want everyone behind me to notice I’m braking and/or turning.

Major rear ended while stopped at light w/my 3 children aboard a brand new Lincoln Mk VII when they came out many years ago. Guy hit us had fallen asleep (?!?) and, we hit the one in front and they hit the one in front of them. Always checking my rear view mirror and have had to move over to avoid two near misses. Also pump brakes when someone approaching too fast and watch them nosedive.

 

[Silver23]

Rear end total isn’t going to be from no brake lights on decel. It’s going to be from inattentive drivers. Just like the rest of the rear end collisions.
to say it happens to Mavericks more I say I doubt it. It’s super common on all vehicles.

 

[AncientMan]

Whenever I brake, my first instinct, always, is to look in the rear view mirror. I see someone coming up too fast, I pump the brakes a bit, to flash them and increase his chance of noticing me. Particularly when traffic has slowed up in front suddenly. Has worked many a time to catch someone's eye.

When I was learning to ride a motorcycle, a thousand years ago, this habit was hammered home, because on a bike you can also downshift to slow down and not use brakes to do it, so the guy behind you might not realize you are slowing. Made me hyper aware, got in the habit of that quick glance back everytime I brake or slow suddenly.

Defensive driving is underrated. Doesn’t matter if the other guy is at fault when you’re injured (or worse) and have to deal with a wrecked vehicle. In an ideal world we wouldn’t have to worry about defensive driving but….

 

[JennyJoannSuebeeMcNash]

I can't speak for the rear-ending/collisions, but I will say that as a Maverick driver, it seems I've had to do far more avoidance/defensive driving since becoming an owner, and have used the horn in my Maverick far more than any previous vehicle I've driven. Not sure if more people are just too focused on their cell phones, or I've just become more impatient, but there's definitely a dark force in the driving world out there that needs discussion.

 

[Maverickman74]

Simple answer. They are just sooo sexy. Its irresistable.

 

[NJBob]

Another forum member told me my dealer required a pulse brake light. Kind of liked the idea but not at the $500 they charged him. Told them I didn't want it before the truck was delivered. Plus I question the legality of it. Not sure if it would even help. My first new car was a 1980 Chevy Luv. Had it two weeks when I was rear ended. Was never the same. Bunch of kids in a Camaro convertible half of em ran away.

 

[BlueSnake77]

One of the reason I don't put bumper stickers on my vehicles. Sometimes it makes drivers behind you pull up closer to try to read it. I can imagine it is only worse when people with pickups put smallish decals on thier rear window so it is even more distant from behind than a bumper sticker on a rear trunk of a car or hatch on an suv.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

I agree. It would be kind of like the brake light coming on while downshifting a manual tranny. Not a good idea at all.

Exactly, the maverick hardly loses any speed when coasting anyways. Unless you put it on ecomode, you don't even feel the Regen really kicking in

 

[OneAlienBoi]

Fun Fact

Rear-End Collisions Are the Most Frequent Type of Collision | Abels & Annes, P.C. (daveabels.com)
Rear-end crashes are the most frequently occurring type of collision. About 29 percent of all car crashes are rear-end collisions.

Cheers

Very true, my parents have been in multiple crashes when they were pinned in by traffic. The worst was back in the 80s, their 3 series was the first car hit in a 4 car pileup. The seat rails were torn out of the floorboards. My mom miscarried, the first of 9, and my dad broke a few of his ribs and messed up his spine for life. The morons driving the truck got off with a slap on the wrist of course.

 

[Waterick]

I do think the hitch makes the Maverick more vulnerable to severe unibody damage compared to those without hitches. The hitch, connected directly to the cross bar tied to the main frame rails will take the first impact most of the time. The bumper does not get a chance to help absorb much of the energy. The Maverick is probably not any more vulnerable than most unibody vehicles with a hitch that is even with or protrudes from the bumper. Too bad there's not an easy means of removing the frame receiver portion when not needed. Maybe a redesign of the rear bumper could alleviate this.

 

[Ponchsox]

I’m getting a 2-channel dash cam installed Wednesday. I’ve had two close calls this month with aggressive/reckless drivers.

 

[Hoagus]

I agree. It would be kind of like the brake light coming on while downshifting a manual tranny. Not a good idea at all.

Why do you think regen braking should be any different with respect to brake lights?

 

[BradnChristine]

Seems we've been down this road before in another thread. Much the same discussion. Most regenerative braking is not aggressive enough to require stop lights. (Like a downshift in a manual.) I suggested before, an accelerometer to activate the brake lights anytime on all vehicles there's a deceleration of a TBD amount. This will also give warning to drivers that car in front of them stopped or slowed drastically whether the brakes were activated or not. (Like a car running into something without braking or aggressive regenerative braking). Many of the Mavericks rear ended on this forum were not even hybrids, just like most vehicles that get rear ended.

Yes, we've been through this.
When driving with ACC on in my HYBRID Maverick, on an 80 MPH Interstate with my wife following me, I came upon a slow 60 MPH truck. I had ACC out to the max, so it slowed me WITHOUT ENGAGING THE MECHANICAL BRAKE (i.e, turn the brake light on) and it was a pretty fast deceleration. It gave ZERO warning to my wife (hands-free on the phone with me) who was following in a little Miata MX-5 and could not see what was happening.

Hybrid regenerative braking + ACC can be a contributory combination to someone following you without ACC.

 

[icegradner]

And even if that *is* true, is that more indicative of them getting read ended more or is it that Mavericks are less likely to hit something head on because the drivers were more cautious? And how does that percentage break down when compared to other vehicles?

All of these are questions that need answers before your initial premise can be treated as fact.

That's my point.

Just to add to this, recent vehicles like the Maverick that have have autonomous emergency braking are far less likely to hit vehicles ahead in low speed traffic situations.

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