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FixedWing said:
Incidentally, can you imagine the reaction of the truck driver and trucking company when told that he has just caused more damage to a car that can still be driven home than he will earn in 3-4 years? Imagine also the poor sod who will be bankrupted because he "only" has US$50K of property damage insurance. Is it really fair to drive around these sorts of cars and then have others be responsible for them if they are at-fault in an accident? Just asking
Stephen,
Your question is thought-provoking and something I have never considered when fantasizing about driving exotic and super cars on the street. Initially, I began swaying towards the humanitarian side, but after hearing Larry B.'s opinion, I rationalize it in this way. If insurance companies are willing to insure these cars and owners are willing to pay the yearly premiums, then it is fair game to drive these cars around in the public midst. If the CGT was street illegal based on the price, at what price is the line drawn and who draws the line? Should $300k+ Rolls-Royce's, 100k GT3's, $50k Z06's be allowed on the street when they could potentially endanger the public's finances? Should anyone be allowed to drive anything over $20k? After all, anything more is just conspicuous consumption and a financial danger to the public. If a law did prohibit the street legality of expensive cars, we would be in danger of starting to become either a totalitarian or socialistic state or a combination of both.
However, before I go too far with these arguments, let me put myself in that unlucky truck driver's shoes but worsen the scenario. What if I was behind the CGT and tapped it with my Civic with such force that I damaged the subframe, the tub and parts of the engine? Neither driver is injured, but both cars are totalled and it's my fault. If my insurance covers it, the CGT owner will get his money back and my premiums will be jacked up for a long time. But if the total accident cost is higher than what my insurance covers, what happens to me then? Will my insurance pay as much as possible, say half the price of the CGT, and then the CGT owner will have to cover the rest himself or is he forced to go after me personally for the rest of the amount? And if he goes after me personally, would my future wages be garnished in order to pay off the debt?