Miata vs. 18 wheeler

Too bad. I take it there was a fatality or two? It's what can happen when automobile drivers fail to understand trucks and truck drivers.

Davoud

No, no fatalities. The driver has posted occasionally on miata.net after the accident. The truck driver was charged in the accident. Not all truck drivers are saints.

Jim

Here's the link to the story that goes with the pictures.

Jim

Doh!

Jim

Make sure you have her read the blog entries where the driver wrote that he walked away with minor injuries!

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata

Quite a few years ago, There was an accident on what was then I-55 (originally part of the old route 66) just north of the lake Springfield (Illinois) bridge. Seems that a Volks Beetle got run over by a semi. The beetle was shredded by the semi, and in the process broke the steering gear on the semi. The semi with parts of the beetle stuck underneath, went off the interstate into a small pine forest, and started a localized forest fire. It took quite an effort to even find out exactly how many people were involved.

Moral? When you are >>George Jets>>>

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Good to hear that you recovered from this In Europe most trucks are fitted with "underrun guards" front rear & side & have been for some time. I'm not sure if it's a legal requirement. Don't most trucks have these in US also?

John Phelan snipped-for-privacy@commsaid.co.uk

In the U.S. these are called "Mansfield bars," named after the actress Jayne Mansfield, who was killed when she rear-ended a semi trailer at

2:30 AM on a foggy night in Louisiana. Following her death, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration mandated the installation of underride guards on the back of all semi trailers.

yrs wdk

that is an amazing story (as well as very well written). so glad to hear that the miata driver came out of it alive.

Chuck :

One should drive as if that is true!

Davoud

We have a rule in Arizona, in the summertime any car with the windows down has the right of way.

Why?

Because his air conditioner is broken and he's so hot and in such a bad mood he's as soon hit you as not!

Tell your wife that I survived this one -

- The passenger compartment was not compromised - until the fire rescue folks started cutting me out of it. I still get "You LIVED through that?" from people. Never take for granted the mighty Miata!

BTW - I went and bought my next Miata before I was even out of physical therapy. Tell your wife Miatas love their owners... :-) -Carol

Don't let my wife see that or she'll demand that I sell the Miata.

DARN YOU, MICHAEL BAY! STOP THAT!

yrs wdk

Legislation on the UK side of the pond also mandates bars on the sides of trailers, not just at the rear however.

Which may have prevented at least some of the incident described in the link posted by the OP, as it would have been much more difficult for the car to get underneath the trailer.

All Trucks here are also physically speed limited to a 56mph maximum.

In that case, it would have been mashed against the guardrail instead. The cops seem to have thought that slipping under the trailer is what saved the driver's life.

Indeedy, I think luck played a bigger part than any single safety measure.

Glad the driver made it.