In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Even if he lied, the insurance company is going to pay the claim to the driver that hit the tire. Insurance companies don't just not pay claims because they want to. They aren't going to shout modified truck and walk away. They probably insure millions of lifted and modified vehicles. They have actuaries on them. They know to the penny how much a modified vehicle adds to their cost of doing business. They may want to recoup some of that from the truck owner after the fact if he did lie about modifications, but the claim will be paid. I would bet it's just going to get paid and that will be the end of it. E36 M3 happens. That's why we have insurance.
In reply to Toyman! :
It's the "available from the dealers" part I was addressing. That means nothing, there's no difference between "available from the dealer" and "I took it straight down to Jimmy's Budget-U-Lift-Em to get modified".
I have a 20' long, 4 ton vehicle that's larger than most traffic. It is inherently more dangerous to other vehicles than my other ones because it packs a very big punch and is not able to turn or stop as short as a normal vehicle - especially when I've got another 5 tons of trailer on the back. I drive it accordingly because it is inherently dangerous, and I have to follow extra procedures, carry more documentation and undergo roadside inspections when I'm driving it for work.
Lifted trucks are going to be around for a long time, agreed. But we have to acknowlege that they can be done poorly, and they are not just another Toyota Corolla.
Keith Tanner said:
In reply to Toyman! :
I drive it accordingly because it is inherently dangerous,
A trained driver eliminates the inherently dangerous nature of the vehicle.
I have a 30' long 56 bus that tips the scales at close to 20K pounds and drives around on mechanics and brakes that were designed almost 70 years ago. It is probably a safer vehicle than 95% of the Nissan Altimas sold in the last 20 years because the driver understands the nature of the vehicle and drives it accordingly whereas Altima drives frequently exceed their knowledge and skill.
Toyman! said:
Keith Tanner said:
In reply to Toyman! :
I drive it accordingly because it is inherently dangerous,
A trained driver eliminates the inherently dangerous nature of the vehicle.
I have a 30' long 56 bus that tips the scales at close to 20K pounds and drives around on mechanics and brakes that were designed almost 70 years ago. It is probably a safer vehicle than 95% of the Nissan Altimas sold in the last 20 years because the driver understands the nature of the vehicle and drives it accordingly whereas Altima drives frequently exceed their knowledge and skill.
I would say reduces instead of eliminates.
More specifically, while the driver can either "compensate for" or "exaggerate" the nature of the vehicle, they do absolutely nothing to change the nature of the vehicle itself.
Regarding lifted truck legality, any driven on the street that were lifted in excess of legal bumper and headlight height limits, ARE already illegal to drive on public roads... Entirely regardless of where they bought it and whether or not those laws are actively being enforced. This is especially so if done with any parts labeled 'for off road use only' to get around that very legality, but also even just with a larger tire size that the truck may have even been designed to accommodate,
In reply to Driven5 :
A lot of newer trucks do not meet Ohio's bumper height laws. They are only legal because Federal laws take precedence - the US DOT says they are legal, they have to be legal in all states.
The interesting thing is, at least my interpretation, is that this means only as produced by the factory is acceptable. Raise the vehicle even an inch and you're afoul. Even lowering the vehicle would be afoul of the law, because the bumpers are over height and it's not what the manufacturer sold...
SV reX
MegaDork
3/28/23 9:21 p.m.
Insurance will pay the claim. They will be happy no one was hurt (which would have made it a MUCH more significant claim)
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
In reply to Toyman! :
When I insure a vehicle, they ask me if it is modified. I imagine other carriers do, too.
I can't ever remember being asked that. My landy is quite modified, but still sitting on the stock rims and at stock height.
