Should Honda also include in their manual a warning that under no circumstances should you stick you head under the dash to retrieve a dropped CD while doing 60 on the highway? Should they redesign the car to not allow you to get your head under the wheel no matter what you try? Should they remove the CD player to avoid this all together?

Should the State of California change the speed limit on I-280 to 30 MPH? I mean, it would be much safer given that there are huge numbers of accidents caused by people not being able to stop in time when the car that they're tailgating suddenly stops. Should the State of California mandate 30 MPH electronic speed limitation on all cars to avoid liability were someone to exceed the speed limit and cause an accident?

Driving a car is dangerous.
Driving a sportscar is more dangerous.
Driving a sportscar fast is even more dangerous.
Driving a sportscar fast in bad conditions is very dangerous.
Driving a sportscar fast in bad conditions that one does not have experience with is terribly dangerous.

Pretending otherwise is just plain ridiculous. And assuming that others (companies and governments) will and should be responsible for protecting you from yourself is even more ridiculous.

Sorry, but you've hit a nerve here.

I'm glad you're okay - it sounds like you got away lucky (one speeding 18 wheeler and it could have been ugly). Hitting any immovable object at 70 is a high risk experience.

Each and every one of us needs to be aware that we are driving around at often dangerous speeds in often uncontrolled circumstances and we need to make smart and self-aware decisions. And we need to accept that when we do all of this - bad things can still happen and we need to be prepared for this (and accept responsibility for it).

Just my $0.02 worth.

 

Qtip,
I am sorry to hear about your experience and am glad you came out of it with body, wit and humor in place. I hope the body shop will be able to take care of your baby with out amputating anything. I'd hate to hear that the end result was euthanasia.
I hate to say it, but as owners of a fairly aggressive sprots car, we need to know our equipment and thus by taking the car on the road need to accept much of the responsibility for events that follow if it is triggered by something we do as a driver. I do believe that the manufacturer needs to try and warn us about as much as they can, but cannot think of every possible thing we could possibly do in the vehicle.

I think I agree with Malachi .
`Cars are great tools (and toys) that can be extremely dangereous.
`Our roadways are probably some of the safest in the world, but there are still risks that we accept when we travel upon them.
`Warning signs on the road and in the car are great, but we as drivers really need to take responsibility for our actions.

That being said, I really am glad that Honda built such a good car that you are alive and well , with a good sense of humor intact, and able to be around to be angry. Good luck with your car and the insurance company. Hope to see you on the road again soon!
Cheers!

 

I appreciate the feedback. The consensus is a)given the seriousness of the event, first be thankful for no personal injuries; and b) you bought a performance car; this is characteristic of performance cars; owners of performance cars are responsible for learning their characteristics.

As to the first, I certainly agree, and give credit to Honda, and good fortune.

But as to the second, this is a case of reasonable surprise. What I was doing was a lot more dangerous than I thought it was. Why? Because I am stupid or reckless? No, because I didn't know the scoop on performance tires and that ignorance was predictable. After all, this is a performance car marketed to a new demographic, including many new drivers with non-performance experience; plus it is a new type of performance car, that is, it creates a new market. I never had an interest in muscle cars and going fast. My interest, like yours, is going fast around curves. Honda shares the job of educating its market, including its inexperienced drivers, especially when the potential harm is great and the difficulty of educating the customer is minimal.

If a survey were done as to the driving skills and knowledge of all S2K owners I'll bet you would find a very signicant percentage who would fall below the level which would be called reasonably safe. Almost all of those, however, still drive within their limits. The key to this accident is that I THOUGHT I WAS DRIVING WITHIN MY LIMITS. I have probed my limits in this car rather cautiously in fact. Here, I was suddenly outside my limits because of my ignorance of one simple fact, with stock tires the car tends to be skittish in the wet. NAME ONE OTHER CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS CAR WHICH CONTAINS AN EQUIVALENT RISK.

A short course on performance driving isn't what I'm talking about. THERE AREN'T THAT MANY SERIOUS HIDDEN DANGERS ABOUT THIS CAR. I only know about one, and I'VE HAD IT FOR A YEAR AND A HALF AND HAVE PUSHED IT AS FAR AS MY COURAGE AND SKILL WILL TAKE ME WITH ONLY A TRACE OF INSTABILITY.

Anyhow, I've beat this to death. What I would like to do is create a new thread with RAIN DRIVING TIRES in the title and whose substance collects by hyperlink the threads which have discussed this issue. That way a search on this board which get across the message. Unfortunately, I don't have the performance skills.

 

Qtip - i didn't have time to read all of your novel

I did notice on my Type R's window sticker that there is a disclaimer about the tires. It states that the tires are not meant for "winter conditions" and that they will wear out in about 15,000 miles.

The So2's wear out just as quickly, so maybe honda should have put a small disclaimer like that on there's.

I believe any car will hydroplane in standing water going straight or turning. goodluck...hopefully they total the car... i wouldn't want a 10k wreck fixed personally.

Scot

 

Spontenous rear end step out - mainly caused by having a Limited Slip Differential under low friction conditions. Even if going straight, you have to be careful, if even in the slightest of turns or bends, you have to be even more so.

Folks, keep in mind that the hydroplaning speed for the best street tires out there is about 55-65mph in 1/4" of water. And I don't think the OEM S02's are up there among the best rain tires (esp. if more than 20-30% worn).

 

I agree BUT I have to add that my '88 Prelude 4WS had a $9,000 repair after I hit a moose in June of 1990. I traded the car two years later, but it is still running around Sheridan, looking great, with an accumulated 100,000 miles.

My guess is that qtip's car will be totalled and that the estimate will come to a good bit more than $15,000. I think the air bags alone are pretty expensive in both parts and labor.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by qtip
[B]
A search on "rain" brought no results.

 

Glad to hear you came through it unscathed

I think they may have been the cause. Maybe the car was trying to scrape them off

 

Seeing that this misfortune took place in California, a place where they have more aero kits than anywhere else in the states, you may want to consider just taking the check for the repairs and replace the stock front & rear bumpers with aero half bumpers. You may want to order clear corner headlights for $960 rather than pay $900 for amber, you may want a Mugen or Momo steering wheel rather than replacing the airbag, a carbon fiber hood rather than aluminum, etc. These are all personal choices but seeing as the parts need replacing anyway, be sure to evaluate if each stock part being replaced should remain stock or if you'd prefer custom.

 

This constant want to sue/blame someone bothers me a little. When it is raining, regardless of what car/truck/tank I'm in, I don't do 65-70... call me chicken. If I did 70mph and spun out... well, unless there was a serious design flaw in something(S-02 in this case does not have a design flaw if you ask me), it's all me. I wouldn't try to blame someone for my own mistakes. I suppose I could sue Chic-Fil-A for not posting a warning sign about their curb when I hit it? No, I could have been more careful.

It sucks being in a wreck. adn I am truely glad you are ok. But in this particular case, I don't think honda has any part of the blame. This constant suing is what prompts car makers to put all season tires on sports car. This is what cause Toyota to put warning stickers on the Celica, about it being a performance machine.

-Shing