Re: MYXC90 saved me/us! Tell your story. (webpj)
Ok heres my story. I've had my XC90 for about 4 months now. I don't get to drive it much because it's my wifes car. Its a '05 V-8 with all the options. I normally drive a '86 Suzuki Samuria. It's a really nice samuria but non the less its a samuria. I stole the car from my wife. I try to drive it occasionally just to see how its driving and its alot more fun than mine. Anyway, I live in WA and it was raining. I had my 8 y/o daughter with me. It was raining and we came to a intersection near my house in the left hand turn lane. The intersection is fully controlled with left hand turn lanes for all diretions. The road I was turning onto has five lanes with a sixth, free right turn lane that allows cars to turn onto the road I was on in the oncomming lane. This lane creates a island between the right hand lane and the normal direction of travel lane that is right off of my drivers side door. This island has curbing all the way around it. To complicate things the intersection is at the base of a hill that I will be going up when I turn left, making the traffic going in the opposite direction having to stop at the base of the hill, which is the same lane with the island, to my left.<br>I was first in line in the left hand turn lane. My light turned green arrow. I am in the fire service and see alot of accidents so I am conditioned to clear the intersection prior to entering the intersection. As I looked to the left I saw a mid sized dump truck (not the duel axle, tag axle truck but a single axle one) with its wheel turned to the right sliding towards me and about to hit the curb. It was obvious to me that he was trying to stop at the light but the weight of his load, his failure to break sooner and the grade of the hill he was coming down was not allowing him to. He was'nt going more that 30 mph but was no more that 20 feet from me coming at me, just starting the break the stop bar for his lane. My reaction time was enough that I slamed on my brakes. throw it in reverse and at that time I remember seeing the truck slide past me as I was watching the front hood of my Volvo. It was so close that I remember noting that my headlights were on (it was daytime) because I noticed the blue light on the tires and fuel tank as it went by. <br>The truck did not hit me. My daughter was ok with some shoulder belt pain from the sudden stop. I was rolling forward to the stop line, I always hold short of the line due to big trucks cutting the corner off. <p>There are several things that I was thankful for. 1. I was not in my car which I am sure would have been hit due to the slow reaction of the stick, brakes ect. There is no doubt in my mind that it would have been fatal for me and more that likely my daughter. My confidence in this comes from my 12 years plus of experience in the fire service 2. thank god for airb bags. Although I did not use them I remember thinking "air curtains" as the truck went by. T-bone accidents are one of the most, if not the most dangerous due to body impact to the offending vehicle. 3. the performance of the Volvo, Its breaking system. I don't do not believe I actually went backwards but I was able to get it in reverse. I would take a rear end accident that I caused anyday to a t bone accident, especially with a truck. 4. thank god for booster seats in the middle. My daughter was in the middle seat in the booster seat. 5. (which is actuall #1 but I didn't want to renumber everything) thanks god for curbing. The truck hit the curbing, went ontop of the island but the force of the truck hitting the curbing allowed the truck to redirect the travel back into his lane as he went by me.<p>I have thought alot about getting another car for me due to this incident. I've always had reservations about my suzuki but its practicality with towing it behind my motorhome and using it during hunting makes it useful. thanks for sharing. Jason