To everyone* *concerned about the

Safety of their vehicle

OT but a must read

Dear Friends,

I did not mean to open a can of worms, but I guess I did. I learned
something a few years ago when I hit a deer, well, he hit me.

I was slowing down to make a turn on the highway where everyone goes 50
plus. It was dusk, and I saw the deer in the middle of the road. The
person driving toward me must have seen the deer on this two-lane road
also, and they blew their horn. The deer jumped up, and came down right
in front of me and wiped out my headlights, grill and $1,500 worth of
nuts and bolts. I ran over it, and the Ford rocked. I thought I was
going to roll.

I was doing maybe 40 on impact, but I held it on the road.

The vehicle is a Ford Explorer, big enough to handle the impact. That
is what saved me. They fixed it with all Ford parts, no over the
counter, back yard junkyard, or the fancy name after market parts.
These parts are usually inferior; one size does not fit all, and are
nothing but trouble. It was a fight, and I had to pay the difference,
but I won.

The company gave me a Ford Focus while they fixed mine. I had that
"little gas saver" for three weeks, as when they took my car apart, the
bumper clips were bent. They had some handy -- nope -- so they were
ordered for me. Took extra time. Those good clips saved the front end.

The point of this true story is, I was sitting at the red light looking
right into the back bumper of a pick-up truck. If I had rolled into
him, I would have gone UNDER HIS VEHICLE. The bumper was at eye level,
and I would have had that in my face. It gives me shivers to think
about it now. That little car, on the road with the big boys was a
death trap.

Get a vehicle that you can safely compete with the big boys with.
Does it burn gas, yes, but thanks to the bigger vehicle, I am here
to buy it.

No one cares about you; I called the company up and asked it they were
trying to kill me. It is allowed, I was told. Those small cars are very
economical to run.

BUT in a fight with a truck, you are done.

In my job, I have covered a lot of accidents, that is the down side of
being a reporter. The people that come out the best are the people in
bigger vehicles. Some cars just fold up, look at accidents records on
your type of car -- see how much impact it can take at 35 mph and still
be together.

Years ago, cars were built with a frame that was reinforced should
you hit something. Today, half of your car is plastic. Put it up on
a lift -- ask to see the undercarriage, you should have a frame --
some cars do. The automakers are cutting corners, and when you get in
trouble, you do not have anything around you to protect you.

My dad drove all over the country in his job -- he always said to get
something you could fight with. He was right. Use your seatbelts, but,
do not put a little car, in a fight with a big car, all you are doing
is making the undertakers and if you are lucky, the body men rich. If
we all put up a fight, they will fix the problem, no plastic parts,
sturdy frames, better quality vehicles.

I'll put my carriers in the back seat, strapped in; you call the
Division of Motor Vehicle Safety in your state and complain about the
shoddy workmanship on cars. Your bumper should be strong enough to at
least absorb a 5-mile an hour hit. Most are not. Check it out. You will
be surprised.

Marilyn at Ledoux Hospice

[Posted in FML 6073]