Well, 15 days after buying my first Miata some lady in an F-150 pickup ran into the rear of my car and might have totaled it. Much body damage and mechanical damage of the rear differential and driveshafts. She hit me hard enough that her airbag went off. Luckily, I am OK. Although I think she was on her cell phone and just not paying attention to anyone on the road I hope this is not going to be a regular thing with this car. I have heard that Miatas can be invisible. I plan to have the car fixed, if possible, and if we get the money we will buy another Miata. It took a while to find this one and it was in great shape. She ruined several tours we had planned for the month of October.
Not Miatas in front of you unless you are looking out of the side window to concentrate on your phone call, as I see some people do. All this traffic can be distracting in a delicate conversation.
Hope the insurance works out OK and you find another.
I seriously doubt that in a rear-end incident that you could have been "invisible" to anyone with their eyes on the road. Clearly, she wasn't paying attention. Sorry about your loss. Hope you can find an as-good replacement.
When driving mine, I've always been concious of the reality that in many situations, I would not be as visible to other cars as I would be in a larger automobile, and I drive accordingly. I think the most vulnerable aspects are when you are passing somebody in their blind spot, when your lower height might escape the attention of somebody about to change lanes. Also, I think that you might be less visable in certain head-on situations.
I also tend to avoid driving mine after dark. My closest call came one evening when travelling down a 4-lane at 65mph. A car at an intersection decided to pull right in front of me. I don't know if it was because he didn't see me altogether, or because of the low-to-the-ground and relatively narrow headlights he thought I was slower and further away than I really was. I sharply swerved into the next lane with nary a complaint from the tires. Had I been in my SUV, (or any other car for that matter) I never could have made that manuver, and most likely would have plowed straight into him broadside. (at least he would have been the goner and not I)
Years ago, Consumer Reports commented on accident statistics for small convertibles, and were surpised to find that they were at least as good, if not better than larger passenger cars. I atttribute this to this to better manuverability (more stable turning and braking making for more agressive avoidance manuvers) and improved situational awareness with the top down (no blind spot). The only good accidents are the ones you can avoid altogether.
I've only been in one serious auto accident in my life, and I know that had I been driving a Miata at the time, I would have avoided it too.
Many new owners of Miatas have accidents. The car is very safe and durable, but there are some defensive driving strategies that Miata drivers learn as they get some miles on their cars.
The Miata has a shorter stopping distance than most larger vehicles, and it looks like it is farther away to a vehicle approaching from the rear. If you see the traffic is slowing or stopping ahead, slow down early and watch the car behind you. Sometimes pumping the brake to flash your lights will alert the driver behind. In a panic stop, allow extra space in front of you to prevent being "sandwiched", and to give yourself a chance to change lanes or pull off the road. When waiting at a stop light without a stopped car behind you, you may get rear-ended. It happened to me. I allowed space between my car and the car ahead, but I was unable to pull forward enough to eliminate the tap on the bumper ($1000.)
Watch out for cars backing out of parking places at mall and grocery store lots. Many use their rear view mirrors and are unable to see a Miata with the top down. Don't drive in the blind spot of a car in the lane next to you. If you pass on the right be extra cautious. Expect SUVs, trucks, and other large vehicles to turn left in front of you, because they are unable to judge your speed or distance. Never back up to allow cut-through traffic in your lane.
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