Some people don't know this, but vehicles drive differently. I'll tell what happened, then explain why.
Yesterday, a driver (not me) was driving a pickup truck he had recently purchased. There was wind, but the weather was otherwise clear (according to the police). The driver in front slowed, and this driver rear-ended the other driver. The driver of the pickup "had his body completely straight" because he was "pressing the brake the pedal so hard to help the anti-lock brakes." When the impact occurred, he "felt as if his foot bone went through his shoe." His explanation was that the road was slippery.
Let's start with a common fallacy. 4WD vehicles do not stop in less distance than 2WD vehicles. In fact, 4WD vehicles weigh more than similarly 2WD vehicles, giving them more mass, resulting in longer stopping distances.
This driver was driving an unfamiliar vehicle improperly, largely because he did not abide by proper driving practices, and did not respect the vehicle he was driving. Each vehicle drives differently. It is important to learn the characteristics of a given vehicle before driving it. Cars and trucks drive entirely differently.
Tailgating is never a good idea--particularly if the road surface is slippery. This particular driver is inattentive, and frequently tailgates. According to him, he was "30 feet behind the other driver", which is "more than adequate." Remember the 1 car length per 10 MPH rule. They were running about 65 MPH.
So, 65 MPH on a slippery surface, and tailgating! What could go wrong? Well, he was playing with the vehicle's infotainment center. Yes. Those are safety hazards. If you need to play with those, do it while parked, off the street.
This was in a 60 MPH zone, at dusk, heading West, during rush hour. So, visibility was bad, and everyone was driving badly. This is the time to be very attentive. This driver said he was looking through the menus, looked up, and the guy in front of him was stopping. Again, safety hazards.
This particular driver sits way too close to the wheel. How did that play out? Well, if the air bag had deployed, the police said he would have suffered severe damage to his chest. As it was, he fractured several ribs. His knees smashed into the dash. So, sit a comfortable arm's length back ftom the wheel. Because he was sitting so close, he had to twist his body to see the infotainment center, meaning he was looking to the right, almost perpendicular to his direction of travel. His neck was damaged in the accident.
Now let's talk posture. This guy is a recliner. You know, with the back of the seat laid way back. Not only does this cause a lack of attention, but also detracts from the driver's ability to recognize and adapt to changing conditions. It takes away from the driver's command and control. The driver cannot see what is going on, and isn't alert. Yes. So, his back was damaged. It just gets better and better.
Now his feet. The angle and position of the driver's feet on the pedals is important. I don't know the actual angle he used, but with the seat close to the pedals, his toe would have bern on the pedal, and his foot almost parallel to the floor. The impact drove the bones between his toes and ankle back into his ankle.
At the time of the impact, his body was very tense, rather than relaxed. This caused the extent of the injuries to be exacerbated.
He was taken to the hospital, and has had 2 surgeries, thus far. He is on morphine, and sedated. He will continue to have surgeries for the next few weeks. His feet alone will require a total of 5 surgeries. He will be put in traction, and may not walk for months.
Drive safely out there. Respect the vehicle you are driving.
