That really sucks; a rant is justified. You did the right thing, refraining from inappropriate aggression towards the driver in front of his innocent daughter... but the temptation to knock some sense into the idiot is understandable. I hope the driver had insurance adequate to cover all the claims, and that no one was hurt (medically speaking). Maybe after he has been through this, there will be one less driver out there using a phone while behind the wheel.
Good rule of thumb everyone. Always be at least a car length behind the next person at a stop sign or light. Theyb teach this is safety driving schools but very few people do it. Sorry to hear about your car. That sucks. Had a guy broadside me by running a stop sign, rolled my truck. Of course 15years old with no dl or insurance.
An excellent rule of thumb. Actually, most people don't allow enough room between cars when travelling, OR when stopped at lights, for safety. Another good rule is to always allow at least one "out" --an empty space/lane that your car can use to veer into, if needed, to avoid a collision. ("buffers" like that on all four sides is ideal, esp. in freeway traffic. Sometimes that isn't possible, but at least one buffer should be there at all times, even if occasionally it is only the space in front of you.).
If we all consistently and conscientiously applied the rules taught in driving school, there wouldn't be so many accidents, and much loss of property, health and life would be avoided. Of course, these days probably the number one rule is simply "when driving, DRIVE!" That is, don't text people, make mobile phone calls, surf the web, stare at GPS maps, etc... when you're supposed to be driving. I think such activity has supplanted alcohol abuse as the number one contributor to serious accidents/accidental death. Something to think about, when getting behind the wheel.
