Safety Feature Saved My Life!

[Indy650]

Not 10 minutes from the dealer after picking up my ranger my mom in the passenger seat, the pre-collision detection saved our lifes. Or at least saved us from injury and a totaled truck after 10 minutes of owning it. I was driving as my mom was looking through the features on the window sticker. She mentioned something and I scanned ahead (there was a truck a long way ahead of me) after seeing no one was near me I glanced down for a second and then I heard a weird beeping. I was like wth is that and looked at the dash. I remember it felt like slow motion the dash was flashing collision imminent or something like that and I heard my mom yell JOHN as I looked up. The truck that was wayyyy ahead of me must have already been braking when I seen him before glancing down but his rear lights and blinkers weren't working and when I looked up he was stopped in my lane(still no brake light or blinkers it was a junker and I'm certain they didn't work) as I reached for the brake the system already started braking on its own but I realized there was no way I could stop and I would slam into this truck still doing at least 40mph. Luckily it was a large main road with plenty of room on the sides. There was oncoming traffic and I assumed he was turning into a driveway on the left so I instantly swerved to the right and barely missed him passing on the right and back onto the road. My mind has never worked so fast before and my mom said it was the most intense maneuver she's ever seen.

Anyway, without Ford's pre-collision system I almost certainly would have slammed into the back of that truck at 65 mph with minimal or no time to brake. It would have been my fault as rear ends are always the rear drivers fault. Even if I could prove none of his lights worked I probably would have been found at fault. I know you should never look away but that truck was at least 150ft ahead of me with no sign of slowing and within what seemed like a second he was stopped in my lane. I acknowledge I shouldn't have looked down but he should have had working brake and signal turns and also I think he almost went past the house he was looking for and slowed down super fast.

I just wanted to share my story and say thank you Ford you potentially saved me and my mom's lives and definitely saved me a ton of embarrassment!!!!

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[Rp930]

I wonder if it would have stopped on time.

 

[Indy650]

No there is no way it could have stopped in time but it for sure gave me just enough time to react and prevent the collision. I wish I had a front facing camera rolling it was so intense it would have been great for a promotion video for the pre-collision system.

 

[fusseli]

I wonder if it would have stopped on time.

The specs are somewhere on the forum, it's only 100% successful under 25 mph or something

 

[Msfitoy]

Yikes

I had that happen to me but I was watching and as the warning came on, I was simultaneously changing lanes...it still didn't like my approach speed

 

[Indy650]

i go on a long trip to a clinic twice a month and have been trying out the adaptive cruise control and moisture activated windshield wipers. The tech on these trucks is insane the most sophisticated vehicle I've drove was my 2013 Ford Fusion SE with the regular 2.5 N/A engine so all this stuff is almost like culture shock LMAO! I'm loving it.

 

[SubVet]

I had that same exact thing happened to me. Was running about 65 miles an hour on a freeway and the truck was stopped dead in the slow lane. I made a quick decision to turn right and go down the embankment and hopefully make it back up the embankment to get back on the road. As I started to make my descent into the embankment I heard a giant crash. Seems the car behind me saw me get out of the way and was faced with the back of the truck. They couldn't stop in time. I made my way back up the embankment on the freeway and stopped at the first rest stop to change my underwear

 

[AzScorpion]

I had that same exact thing happened to me. Was running about 65 miles an hour on a freeway and the truck was stopped dead in the slow lane. I made a quick decision to turn right and go down the embankment and hopefully make it back up the embankment to get back on the road. As I started to make my descent into the embankment I heard a giant crash. Seems the car behind me saw me get out of the way and was faced with the back of the truck. They couldn't stop in time. I made my way back up the embankment on the freeway and stopped at the first rest stop to change my underwear

Oh,I've had my share of those in the past. Most were my fault being young and dumb and driving way to fast. Now you have to drive defensively because it seems like people are to distracted with their phones. Technology is a love hate relationship. It sometimes worries me with all this technology the Ranger has will I get complacent and rely on the truck. Glad you were alright...underwear is cheaper than a totaled truck.

 

[Indy650]

I had that same exact thing happened to me. Was running about 65 miles an hour on a freeway and the truck was stopped dead in the slow lane. I made a quick decision to turn right and go down the embankment and hopefully make it back up the embankment to get back on the road. As I started to make my descent into the embankment I heard a giant crash. Seems the car behind me saw me get out of the way and was faced with the back of the truck. They couldn't stop in time. I made my way back up the embankment on the freeway and stopped at the first rest stop to change my underwear

holy shite sounds like your encounter was even worse than mine! I'm glad you managed to evade him and that you made it back up the embankment! That must have been scary hearing the car behind you crash into him. I hate the sound of a car crash... It's weird how it happens so fast but in a way it feels like slow motion.

 

[Indy650]

AzScorpion, I feel the same way I'm worried I'm going to rely on the tech and one day its not going to work. Like adaptive cruise when a slow car comes up the truck slows right down but as I'm waiting for it to slow down I'm getting nervous and I wonder if its worth the nervousness and risk of becoming complacent. Its like stop start my mom for instance gets really nervous about the truck not starting back up and I think its better she not even use it because the extra nerves isn't worth a few cups of gas and a tad less pollution. All this tech certainly isn't for everyone but all I can say is I am truly grateful for it. I would have been the first person to total a truck 10 miles from the dealership. Well the first I've ever heard of anyway.

 

[SubVet]

holy shite sounds like your encounter was even worse than mine! I'm glad you managed to evade him and that you made it back up the embankment! That must have been scary hearing the car behind you crash into him. I hate the sound of a car crash... It's weird how it happens so fast but in a way it feels like slow motion.

No kidding. The biggest thing I worried about was rolling the truck over to the right trying to slow down and make the turn to come back up the other side. I never looked back after hearing the crash. I was in a 2004 Explorer. Actually I was worried about whether I should stop because I may have created this accident but actually I avoided it the guy behind me was way too close. Definitely would have hit me.

Stay safe. They're all out to get us!!

 

[SubVet]

AzScorpion, I feel the same way I'm worried I'm going to rely on the tech and one day its not going to work. Like adaptive cruise when a slow car comes up the truck slows right down but as I'm waiting for it to slow down I'm getting nervous and I wonder if its worth the nervousness and risk of becoming complacent. Its like stop start my mom for instance gets really nervous about the truck not starting back up and I think its better she not even use it because the extra nerves isn't worth a few cups of gas and a tad less pollution. All this tech certainly isn't for everyone but all I can say is I am truly grateful for it. I would have been the first person to total a truck 10 miles from the dealership. Well the first I've ever heard of anyway.

The way I look at the safety Tech is it there only if we screw up. Like the music in a film, you should never notice a safety tech is there at all unless you need it. In that way, it's secondary to actually driving. I can't see what you would rely on. We've had cruise control for years and years.


I use adaptive cruise help me keep the speed limit and a good space between the vehicles in front of me. I don't drive without it working. The lane change is probably good to use driving at night on a two-lane road.

I like the nanny Tech. it fills in those spaces in time I screw up...lol

Kind of like my co-pilot when God takes a break.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

No there is no way it could have stopped in time but it for sure gave me just enough time to react and prevent the collision. I wish I had a front facing camera rolling it was so intense it would have been great for a promotion video for the pre-collision system.

Hi John,

I recall there is a setting for this collision avoidance and you might wish to set it to activate as a longer distance. Use the left steering buttons and search the menu up and down... I think this is also contained in the owners manual

Thank goodness you were able to steer and avoid a potentially catastrophic crash.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[AzScorpion]

AzScorpion, I feel the same way I'm worried I'm going to rely on the tech and one day its not going to work. Like adaptive cruise when a slow car comes up the truck slows right down but as I'm waiting for it to slow down I'm getting nervous and I wonder if its worth the nervousness and risk of becoming complacent. Its like stop start my mom for instance gets really nervous about the truck not starting back up and I think its better she not even use it because the extra nerves isn't worth a few cups of gas and a tad less pollution. All this tech certainly isn't for everyone but all I can say is I am truly grateful for it. I would have been the first person to total a truck 10 miles from the dealership. Well the first I've ever heard of anyway.

Glad it worked as it should for you and your mom! That must of got the old heart rate going.

The way I look at the safety Tech is it there only if we screw up. Like the music in a film, you should never notice a safety tech is there at all unless you need it. In that way, it's secondary to actually driving. I can't see what you would rely on. We've had cruise control for years and years.


I use adaptive cruise help me keep the speed limit and a good space between the vehicles in front of me. I don't drive without it working. The lane change is probably good to use driving at night on a two-lane road.

I like the nanny Tech. it fills in those spaces in time I screw up...lol

Kind of like my co-pilot when God takes a break.

I've never had any of these features besides the basics like cruise control and back up sensors. This truck is like having a force field around you and even though I love it I don't want to rely on it. Kind of like autonomous driving cars,I can see people getting way to complacent with them and doing stuff they really shouldn't, like sleeping...lol

Like you said I want it to be my co-pilot.

 

[Indy650]

Hi John,

I recall there is a setting for this collision avoidance and you might wish to set it to activate as a longer distance. Use the left steering buttons and search the menu up and down... I think this is also contained in the owners manual

Thank goodness you were able to steer and avoid a potentially catastrophic crash.

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

yup I already have it turned on high! It was on medium when that happened and it still gave me just enough time.

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