[M2-007]

I saw quite a few posts from people got rear ended. And I just got rear ended myself. The license plate numbers from the other car are still visible on my bumper.

What is the best way to prevent or reduce from getting rear ended?

Put a big sign on the rear window that says BABY ON BOARD?

It has been years, but may be putting a sign that says - JUST MARRIED !!! and tie a bunch of cans in the rear with 10 ft long strings to keep other cars from getting too close?

[CommitConfirm]

Be like a shark and never stop moving

[V.Smurf]

Originally Posted by CommitConfirm

Be like a shark and never stop moving

How silly ... that's clearly not possible! My suggestion is that you drive the car in backwards so that no one can ever rear end you ...

Jokes aside, its been nearly 20 years since I was rear-ended ... I hope I'm not tempting fate, but the commentary around folks being rear-ended is just a case of happenstance..? The only practical thing I can think of is obtaining an after-market brake light for the rear window that flashes when you have your foot on the brake..?

They look pretty ugly tho ...

[Aronis]

Let them pass you! And then stay a car length behind them.

I know a person who was rear ended at least 5 times in a 4 year period. I think it was all her own fault because of how she drives.

I still think the M2 hit by the white van was deliberate. Since it appears to have happened on a sunny day without snow or rain or dark of night, either it was deliberate (i.e. yes this is including 'texting' while driving or other dangerous driving technique, i.e. deliberate because avoidable by paying attention.) or a shitty driver.

I tend to keep an eye on my rearview mirror and try to leave enough room in front of me to avoid the person behind me from getting too close. Basically there is little you can do to avoid bad luck.

Mike

[Perp]

Back when I took driver's ED, they taught to stop behind someone like 4 cars back and watch your rear view mirror. As a car approaches, slowly creep forward and hopefully the car approaching is slowing down, otherwise you have an escape route.

In practice, I don't stop that far behind (but I'll leave more space than most), but I do keep an eye on my mirror, helped me avoid one collision.

When I have to brake, I always peak at my mirror to make sure the person behind me is slowing too.

As a cyclist, my head is always looking for escape routes.

[NOLAGUY]

I know the M3/M4 can be coded to have their brake lights flash when hard braking. I wouldn't be surprised if that's possible for our cars.

[Benzima]

Originally Posted by NOLAGUY

I know the M3/M4 can be coded to have their brake lights flash when hard braking. I wouldn't be surprised if that's possible for our cars.

M2, as the M3/M4, have other additional lights when hard breaking and can be coded to flash.

[blackholescion]

Originally Posted by NOLAGUY

I know the M3/M4 can be coded to have their brake lights flash when hard braking. I wouldn't be surprised if that's possible for our cars.

Originally Posted by Benzima

M2, as the M3/M4, have other additional lights when hard breaking and can be coded to flash.

Hard braking only works above a certain threshold. Back when I did it a year ago via esys, it was 80kmh which is 50 mph. Might have changed since then to be any speed. This means only when you start braking above that number will it flash. Thus, most city streets it won't flash.

[tke743]

Best way to avoid getting rear ended is to not follow the car in front of you too closely. If you are close, you have to use a lot of the brakes, and the M2 has brakes that few cars can match. If you have a decent following distance you can modulate the brakes giving the SUV's of the world time to stop without contacting you (you can also flash the brakes a couple of times before getting on them to wake the follower up).

Net: If you are using more than 50% brake pressure in an M2, that Armada in the rear view is going to hit you.

[chmura]

Originally Posted by tke743

Best way to avoid getting rear ended is to not follow the car in front of you too closely. If you are close, you have to use a lot of the brakes, and the M2 has brakes that few cars can match. If you have a decent following distance you can modulate the brakes giving the SUV's of the world time to stop without contacting you (you can also flash the brakes a couple of times before getting on them to wake the follower up).

Net: If you are using more than 50% brake pressure in an M2, that Armada in the rear view is going to hit you.

This.

If you follow too closely you will eventually slam on your brakes and get rear ended.

[NO_USER_]

Originally Posted by blackholescion

Hard braking only works above a certain threshold. Back when I did it a year ago via esys, it was 80kmh which is 50 mph. Might have changed since then to be any speed. This means only when you start braking above that number will it flash. Thus, most city streets it won't flash.

I have it coded on my M2, flashes 3 times at any speed when you brake moderately hard.

[nomade30]

Don't drop the soap

[Tralfaz]

I was "rear ended" twice with my 135.

Once was a "hit and run" in a parking lot (actually didn't discover I had been hit until I was home). The damage on the bumper was subtle, but they must have backed in fairly hard because it did more than just damage the bumper. Nothing to do about that except park even more out in the boonies in that parking lot (which I did after that).

The second time I was stopped at a light in the center lane and didn't know there was a car stalled at the light. The light turned green and the guy behind just hit the gas. I'm pretty sure no amount of mods to the car would have prevented that.

I was also lightly rear-ended once in a Celica ages ago. Did no real damage, but in that case it was on a wet day when the person behind me didn't properly judge their stopping power.

[Tag]

The main thing I do is come to a stop very gradually to give the person behind you plenty of time to stop. Also watch your mirror and be ready to honk your horn and pump your brake lights if you notice the person behind you is creeping up and not paying attention. The other advice of leaving room in front is good too. If the person behind brakes late or seems erratic immediately change lanes. Just get out of their way, they are an accident waiting to happen.

Sucks that you have to do this, but the sooner you accept the majority of drivers are terrible the better off you'll be.

[M2-007]

In my case I was rear ended while waiting at the stop light with 1 car in front of me. When I had my driver Ed Course in high school the instructor told us to stop where we can see the back tires of the car in front. Enough distance to change lane if needed. So when I see others stop with 2-car space between them and the car in the front, I get pretty annoyed. Perhaps it is a good practice to stop with decent amount of space from the car in the front, and if the car in the back is approaching fast, then we move the car up slowly to "Be like a shark never stop moving" as described by the other member.

[dtmpower98]

Brake early in quick stopping situations

[OSee]

Unavoidable on the 405 in LA/OC. I've accepted it.

[Tag]

Originally Posted by M2-007

In my case I was rear ended while waiting at the stop light with 1 car in front of me. When I had my driver Ed Course in high school the instructor told us to stop where we can see the back tires of the car in front. Enough distance to change lane if needed. So when I see others stop with 2-car space between them and the car in the front, I get pretty annoyed. Perhaps it is a good practice to stop with decent amount of space from the car in the front, and if the car in the back is approaching fast, then we move the car up slowly to "Be like a shark never stop moving" as described by the other member.

Yes, as a general rule you want to see the bottom of the tires touching pavement for the car in front of you. This works in two ways. If you did get rear ended if lessens the chance that you will also hit the car in front of you. It also let's the driver in front of you see you better via rear and side mirrors, especially if they are sitting high as in an SUV.

Even though I still give myself a little more room than that so I can creep forward if needed.

[V.Smurf]

Hi inline6ax,

Originally Posted by inline6ax

I have it coded on my M2, flashes 3 times at any speed when you brake moderately hard.

Did you code this yourself, or did you have a 3rd party do it..?

If you did it yourself, would you mind sharing the settings..? I think that this is a good safety idea and I'd like to use Bimmercode (if I can) to configure this when the M2 arrives.

Thanks!

[McGary911]

If you're the one slamming on your brakes (especially the good ones in this car) often, then there's a touch of blame there.
I do as others mention. I keep en eye on my rear view mirror so I know who the asshats are before it's time to stop. Watch not only the car but the driver and their eyes). When I do stop, I leave plenty of room in front of me and eyeball my rear view mirror. In 2 extreme cases I've bailed to the shoulder\right lane to get out of the way of a guy (1 of those times they hit the car that WAS in front of me). That's tricky too, as you can't just bail to the other lane without knowing there's no car legitimately approaching in THAT lane.

In some cases.....you just won't be able to avoid it. People drive like crap.

[McPurrs]

Publicly shame those you see texting and driving. That's about all you can do.

[bobert]

There's only one surefire way to prevent your car from getting rear-ended: don't drive it.