Is it just me, or is it this tiny little car? Even though I've got the DRLs turned on, it still seems like people are cutting me off and even pulling out in front of me more often than in any other car that I've had. Just today in traffic at lunch some old dude cut me off big time, and later gave me one of those shrugs like "sorry, never saw you". My GF said that she has seen this happen to other minis on the road, and I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should just buy a bright yellow Hummer.

And don't get me started on the tailgaters!

Michael

 

Try driving here in Seoul. This is an everyday thing, at least happens to me 10 to 20 times a day driving in the city. Call it "offensive driving" not "defensive driving". You just have to be aware of your surroundings when you drive.

 

replace the horn with something louder like I did, and use it....I'm not ignored anymore, believe me!

 

Get the WMS exhaust or M7 AGS, then they'll hear you all the time unless they're on their cellphone. You have to be used to people not noticing you with two bikes, right?

 

Just an educated guess, but I'd say at least some of the time it is due to the color of your car. Dark Silver isn't exactly the most visible color on the road.

Here in Ohio the Highway patrol switched to a gray/dark silver color for all of their patrol cars (Crown Vics) 12-15 years ago, as well as going with low profile light bars, in theory to be less visible for more effective speed/traffic enforcement. After 10+ years, it was determined that the number of accidents where officers were struck by passing cars both in and out of their cars had increased drastically. They have since switched to all white patrol cars with full sized light bars.

We had several Volvo wagons that were gray. My wife and our 10 month old son were hit turning into our driveway at dusk by a full-sized truck. I'm sure it was due in part to the color the car being less visible than something brighter.

I've owned quite a few small cars and my MC doesn't seem to attract less attention than the others, but mine with its black body and white top is probably more visible than your DS/DS car is.

-Keith

 

I drive a black MINI and b/c its a small black hatchback I'm never seen. You must assume all other drivers will compete for the darwin award at any given time, it is up to you to expect them to be stupid. I know it doesn't dound "fair" but its the only way to survive. And as far as the big yellow hummer, you'll just blend un with everyone else in the road,

 

And some guy in a pick up "merged" into the driver side rear quarter panal when my wife was driving! Grrrrrr

Matt

 

Chiming in from my obscure corner of the world.......no, never, ever ignored. Admired...pointed at...lusted after...chuckled at...but never ignored.

 

Ya, being cut off is a daily experience I'm learning to extend my right foot more quickly to avoid such situations

When I used to install car audio systems for a living a popular add-on was a set of Fiamm Air Horns: made ANY vehicle sound like a semi I'm thinking of adding a set (or something similar). As for tailgaters: get the rear fog light I just installed one and its VERY BRIGHT. Very easy to install too.

 

Rear quarter panel How does that even happen. The guys must not even be looking in front of him.

 

The guy wouldn't pull over, so my wife chased him down until he did. The CHP passed them and didn't stop, so the guy took off again! Cheryl followed for a while, and the CHP never stopped the guy! She had a license plate and description. The driver thought that since he hadn't seen her, it wasn't his fault. The CHP NEVER followed up, and since no "crime" had been committed, we couldn't even find out who the registered owner was! We ate the deductable, and the officer who took the accident report never, ever called us back the many times we tried to follow up. Hit and run is a much worse issue, but I guess that they're so overworked, the CHP just doesn't care anymore!

Really sucked!

Matt

 

Dr Obnxs, perhaps you should file the accident report with the DMV, also look into doing a police report with the local police where it happened vs the CHP.

Accident report info:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d07/vc16000.htm

You can find more good info (some that might help) in among the pubs/codes: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d07/vc16000.htm like this for example - http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d07/vc16025.htm

Regarding the first post I do think that dark colors have an effect and its easier for people not to see the car against the dark road and generally dark backdrops - I had a black car before and was treated like I was invisible, its one of the reasons I got the white roof and also drive with full headlights on (I've even actively seen people notice it, just yesterday actually saw a van driver almost cut me off then notice in the side view in the rain and overcast). DRLs are better then nothing but I think the normal low beams work better. I am also prepared to honk, proactive use of the horn when someone looked like they were going to do something like cut me off, drift over, etc has saved me for sure.

PS: in case you are concerned about the dmv report i knwo people who have done them and nothing ever shows up on carfax...

 

it's weird, i'm electric blue all over and that's pretty bright in my opinion. i've resigned myself to the fact that i must just be out there to save a space for everyone else. i've never been cut off like i'm experiencing in the mini, and i've always had small, quick cars. i also find the drivers today are alot more agressive and self-centered than before.

 

That is what the rear fog light is for. Just flick it on and off and watch the tailgater slam the brakes.

 

I've worried that I might not be seen, but it doesn't seem any worse in my MINI than in any other car I've owned. Maybe it's because my MINI is CR/W and my DRLs are on. People are so distracted these days you need all the help you can get to be seen. Between the cell phone, newspaper, eating, drinking, putting on make-up and God knows what else, it's a wonder some drivers can actually see anything.

 

I find that the cluelessness of drivers around me is the same - no matter if I'm in the MCS, Speed Triple or Tahoe.

 

I can't comment too much on this since my only car in the states has been a Mini, but driving around a college town where kids either don't know how to drive or just don't care, I get cut off soooo much. My theory has been that with such a small front, people figure they've got plenty of space between me and the car in front of me. This isn't always the case. Fortunately, I've got cat-like reflexes... sort of... well not really... I've just been lucky.

 

I think alot of MINI drivers just have inferiority complexes. They think that just because they are driving a small car people treat them diffrently. I think its in everyones head. I have noticed no diffrence other than the occasional ricer wanting to race. But of course I am not expecting to be treated diffrently so I dont see any diffrence. Sorta like that black and white tv show

 

AT LEAST once a day someone tries to kill me on the road. They will look right at you, then pull out RIGHT in front of you. I really love it when people think that the Mini is a slow car, so they will floor the accelerator of thier hyudai elantra trying to keep ahead of you. Maybe we should all start carrying paintball guns....

 

But this all happened long ago....

It's anchient history now....

Matt

And PlaneGuy, I guess you don't drive in CA! We used to be the land of the good driver, now we're the land of the unisured, unlicenced, uneducated clueless idiot driver!

This woman did a left RIGHT INFRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC when my wife was in her Honda, caused an accident, and when the police showed up, she wanted to just walk home! No licence, no insurance, and her kid wasn't in a car seat! It took a while for the fact she was in trouble to sink in. Seems she had no idea that she needed a drivers licence....... When they threatened to impound the car and take her to jail, her hubby miraculously came up with some insurance docs. Don't know what happened with the child endangerment issues....

Matt

 

Between the Washer jets, oil slick, ejector seat, superchager, improved brakes and awsome handling I'm still alive. The MINI has saved my life by enabling me to prevent accidents, but sime if it has to do with staying off the phone and saving the morning paper for when I'm doing less than 70MPH . I've learned that you can't change how other are going to act on the road so prepare for and expect the worst, its kept me alive so far. Everybody be careful out there!!

 

i agree! i avoid about 4 serious accidents every week commuting in northern va. im preeetttty sure people see me, they are just distracted with their phone, mascara, newspaper, drawing tablet, orange juice, or bottle feeding their baby.

this friday i def wasnt ignored, i was abused b/c of my small car. this old pickup was SO close to my bumper in crawling traffic and then when i wanted to switch lanes (i have the right to do that, correct?!) he proceeded to honk a million times.

sorry my 5ft long car stopped you from moving ahead 5ft in traffic sir.

sorry...had to let that out =P

 

I had a very weird experience last night. My car's in the shop for its 1st oil service, and I'm driving a loaner CR MCC. Last night, I pull up behind a pickup truck in the left lane at a light that's about 2 blocks from the interstate feeder street. I'm planning on going straight across the freeway, when the light changes, the truck starts moving but barely. I signal, move to the right lane and when I get right next to him, his right blinker comes on and he honks angrily at me. I am guessing he wasn't in the right lane to turn onto the feeder street and got mad that I "beat" him to the right lane. But lo and behold, as I continue straight across the freeway, he's now tailgating behind me. I go down a few more blocks, stop at the next light, and turn right on red. He's still following me as closely as he can. The next street I'm turning left, and he gives up on his chase with a long honk, and probably a one finger salute although I didn't look back. I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure he went out of his way, driving and acting irrational, all because a tiny red convertible took his "place" in traffic. This is one situation where I'm pretty sure the car was a factor, if I'd been in another truck or big SUV, I doubt I would have gotten any more than a tap of the horn if that.

 

I would have been skeptical about this, but I think it is true. I've only had my MINI for a week and about 150 miles but I have definitely felt more ignored that I ever was in my MB. Last night I had a guy in a Corvette pacing me just off my right rear. His lane was clear and I needed to get over. I was happy to slow down a bit and let him go ahead but he refused to do so. It was very frustrating. I had a car right in front of me so I couldn't go anywhere. I finally slowed down enough that he got past me. It was really weird. On other occasions I think the people in their giant trucks with their cell phones stuck to their ears were just not paying any attention. It's odd and not exactly something I was expecting but I guess I will just have to deal.

 

People are either too distracted (cell phones, radio, eating, talking, even reading ), too insulated (luxo-barge cocoon), too rude (think Hummer), nearly deceased (Buick drivers) or some combination of the above to give us any attention. It used to be that driving itself was an experience: vehicles had canvas tops, side curtains, no radios, no a/c. Everybody concentrated on the tasks at hand and there was interaction between the driver and his or her environment. What do we have to look forward to? Sad prospects methinks.