My Camry met its fate on Friday nite.

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
First rule of driving in deer country-never veer for deer.


Correct.

Drive a bit slower in known deer areas and keep your eyes open at all times, scanning the ditches and shoulders. If one (or more) gets the drop on you, brake as much as you can without locking them up (if not equipped with ABS). If you can't get the car slowed enough to avoid hitting them- then whatever happens, happens. It's better than swerving into oncoming traffic or off into a nasty ditch/ravine... Or as your friend found out- a tree.


This is good advice. Michigan is the worst state I've driven in for car-deer encounters. I've lost count of the number of close calls I've had with deer, and I have hit two. Driving in deer country after dark, I have also found it helpful to look for floating yellow orbs off the side of the highway. Those are deer's eyes. I have detected the presence of many deer at night this way.

 

[Lapham3]

Yes-you hit big guys like cattle-moose, and undercut the legs so the body is at windshield level=very ugly. Often deer are in mid leap and can also come thru. Generally best to keep in comtrol and gently steer to avoid-easier said that done in an instant. 30 years ago in the dark of early dawn I ran thru a group of deer standing on the highway=slowed some and luckily missed them...on a motorcycle. Past life flashed by and I then 'adjusted' how I did a few things to have a future!

 

[whip]

Good to hear that everyone is OK.

Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
Even if u had collision insurance they could have denied you due to your friend not being a named insured.

Originally Posted By: asand1
I've been told that swerving to miss a deer and hitting a tree is not covered under collision because you intentionally left the road surface.

Where do these myths about insurance come from? It's no wonder people think insurance companies are an evil giant out to get you.......

 

[IveBeenRued]

Originally Posted By: thorromig
...Car totaled and like a "dumb [censored]" I didnt have collison or full insurance on the car because it was paid for and honestly didnt see it meeting its fate this way...."

I've never heard of someone dropping collision/comprehensive coverage on a vehicle after it was paid off. Is this a common practice?

 

[285south]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
First rule of driving in deer country-never veer for deer.


Yup, the insurance companies also say its better to hit the deer and not you hitting the ditch/tree/etc because you though/assumed/reacted by swerving was best and end up broken or worst dead.

Perhaps you and your friend should watch vehicles safety test by consumer reports and the car companies. Even though you claim to said you shoulda hit the deer. Its best to have your brain memory be refresh.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: IveBeenRued


I've never heard of someone dropping collision/comprehensive coverage on a vehicle after it was paid off. Is this a common practice?


yep very common when the car value is and your insurance is 500+ a year its playing the car roulette.

You MUST carry insurance if its not paid off.


OP is fine the only issue with a driver not on policy would be if the person is in their "household"

Did you kill the tree? the landowner might have a claim.

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
You can get in trouble if a licensed driver *in your household* is not on your insurance.


What trouble is that? Here in NY I've had 2 insurance companies require a completed form with childrens birthdates but there is no penalty of perjury or punishment by law. I'd assume if they could prove you defrauded them the most they could do is determine a portion of coverage is void.

 

[Rand]

If for example you didn't list a wife/significant other who lives with you on your policy. And that person drives your car and has an accident they can deny coverage.

Some companies try anything, I had farmers try to give me a hard time. They look over everything when you have a claim even if you aren't at fault. Underwriting is inhumane bean counting at its worst(finest?).

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: BISCUT
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You can get in trouble if a licensed driver *in your household* is not on your insurance.


What trouble is that? Here in NY I've had 2 insurance companies require a completed form with childrens birthdates but there is no penalty of perjury or punishment by law. I'd assume if they could prove you defrauded them the most they could do is determine a portion of coverage is void.


Material Misrepresentation is grounds to rescind the policy in most cases.

Depends on the policy language but most have a clause that says something to the effect of "unless covered on another policy issued by us".

Anyone making absolute statements about insurance contracts without reading the contract and knowing the applicable state statutes is clueless...

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
You can get in trouble if a licensed driver *in your household* is not on your insurance.

it's called "excluded driver". the companies that don't,.... let's say I changed 2 of them....
P.S. did you hear about an 11% increase of ILLINOIS taxes (no, what we have is already high, just phoneBS), which made my policy increase by 120%?

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: thorromig
This past Friday nite a friend of mine & I were driving out in the State Park around my home. He was driving due to the fact I had acouple adult beverages. We were going approx. 45mph which was the speed limt for the road when 2 deer out of nowhere wandered right out in front of us. Next thing I know he is swerving to the left and right into a tree. Car totaled and like a "dumb [censored]" I didnt have collison or full insurance on the car because it was paid for and honestly didnt see it meeting its fate this way. Camry treated me real well and I would not think twice about buying another at a drop of a dime!! I told him afterwards, " should have just hit the [censored] deer!!"

Glad you are both OK.
closest call i had was with about 4 dears ina '95 hyundai accent: coming down a hill and from a curve.
i was sure glad i just changed the brake pads 2 weeks before....

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

We were fortunate not to hit an antelope, deer or elk during out twenty some years in northwest Colorado. The area around Craig and Meeker is heavily populate with all three species.We did have many close calls. We tried not to drive at night, and when it was necessary, I never drove over 45/50 mph. Glad you and your friend are alright. You sound like a responsible person who knows his limitations.

 

[99Saturn]

OP - glad you're okay.

Originally Posted By: BISCUT
Originally Posted By: eljefino
You can get in trouble if a licensed driver *in your household* is not on your insurance.


What trouble is that? Here in NY I've had 2 insurance companies require a completed form with childrens birthdates but there is no penalty of perjury or punishment by law. I'd assume if they could prove you defrauded them the most they could do is determine a portion of coverage is void.


Being in NY as well, my experience is anyone that is going to be driving the vehicle on a "regular" basis needs to be listed on the insurance. Typically that is anyone that has a license and "resides in the household".

I suppose there's lots of gray area to what defines a regular driver or residing in the household. When I was in college and didn't own a car, I wasn't listed on my parent's policies. The justification was I was not a regular driver of either car as I was not within 100 miles of the home for ~9 months out of the year. Insurance company was fine with that.

I suppose you could argue I was not residing in the household for ~9 months of the year, then again, once I had my own policy and car, I qualified for multi-line discount even though it was known I was residing elsewhere (and getting much better rates because the car was garaged in the location 100+ miles away).

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: IveBeenRued

I've never heard of someone dropping collision/comprehensive coverage on a vehicle after it was paid off. Is this a common practice?


I bought my Accord last year with cash. $14k. I just have liability.

I hope I don't regret it.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
luckily your friend wasnt hurt, since he is probably not on your insurance. Legally you could have lost your insurance and your car in the same night, if he was hurt and your insurance was sued.

Even if u had collision insurance they could have denied you due to your friend not being a named insured.

I dont know what your car was worth but a cab ride would have been a much more frugal choice.



This isn't necessarily true.

 

[IveBeenRued]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
Originally Posted By: IveBeenRued

I've never heard of someone dropping collision/comprehensive coverage on a vehicle after it was paid off. Is this a common practice?


I bought my Accord last year with cash. $14k. I just have liability.

I hope I don't regret it.


How much extra would the collision and comprehensive coverage be?

 

[285south]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
You veer and brake for moose!!


You are wrong! Absolutely wrong! Prove it and learn why you are absolutely wrong. Car insurance have proof that its better to hit the deer then to "veer" and end up broken or dead.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
Originally Posted By: IveBeenRued

I've never heard of someone dropping collision/comprehensive coverage on a vehicle after it was paid off. Is this a common practice?


I bought my Accord last year with cash. $14k. I just have liability.

I hope I don't regret it.


Can you afford another $14K if you total it? If yes you are fine, if not get collision.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: 285south
Originally Posted By: rjundi
You veer and brake for moose!!


You are wrong! Absolutely wrong! Prove it and learn why you are absolutely wrong. Car insurance have proof that its better to hit the deer then to "veer" and end up broken or dead.



No. YOU are wrong. He said moose. Not deer. Moose.

Moose weigh over 1,000 lbs, and are tall enough that your hood takes out their legs, leaving a half ton of Moose coming through the windshield with little to stop it.

A very high percentage of Moose collisions are fatal. The Moose crushes the people in the front seat.

I would take my chances with a tree, rather than hit a Moose. At least the tree would crumple up the front of the car, allowing energy to be absorbed and the airbags to deploy.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
Originally Posted By: IveBeenRued

I've never heard of someone dropping collision/comprehensive coverage on a vehicle after it was paid off. Is this a common practice?


I bought my Accord last year with cash. $14k. I just have liability.

I hope I don't regret it.


That's crazy, I've always kept collision on cars worth that much. $5-6k is about my threshold, and even then I keep comprehensive (which is dirt cheap and would have covered hitting a deer but not a tree).