diff --git a/audio.h b/audio.h
index 4ef3828..7dbb13a 100644
--- a/audio.h
+++ b/audio.h
@@ -18,24 +18,32 @@ struct
 {
   uint32_t frame;
   uint8_t soundPlayed;
-  uint16_t soundPlayedSample;
+  uint16_t soundPlayedFrame;
   uint32_t noise;
 
+uint8_t crashSample;
+
 
 int engineIntensity;
 int engineOsc;
 int engineInc;
 
+
 } LCR_audio;
 
+
+
+
 void LCR_audioInit(void)
 {
   LCR_LOG0("initializing audio");
   LCR_audio.frame = 0;
   LCR_audio.soundPlayed = LCR_SOUND_NONE;
-  LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample = 0;
+  LCR_audio.soundPlayedFrame = 0;
   LCR_audio.noise = 0;
 
+LCR_audio.crashSample = 0;
+
 LCR_audio.engineOsc = 0;
 
 LCR_audio.engineInc = 1;
@@ -54,7 +62,7 @@ void LCR_audioPlaySound(uint8_t sound)
 {
   LCR_LOG2("playing sound");
   LCR_audio.soundPlayed = sound;
-  LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample = 0;
+  LCR_audio.soundPlayedFrame = 0;
 }
 
 uint8_t _LCR_audioNoise(void)
@@ -63,60 +71,60 @@ uint8_t _LCR_audioNoise(void)
   return LCR_audio.noise >> 16;
 }
 
-
 uint8_t LCR_audioGetNextSample(void)
 {
   unsigned char result = 128;
 
-switch (LCR_audio.soundPlayed)
-{
-  case LCR_SOUND_CRASH_SMALL: 
-    result += (LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN - LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample) *
-      (_LCR_audioNoise() / 16) / LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN;
+  switch (LCR_audio.soundPlayed)
+  {
+    case LCR_SOUND_CRASH_SMALL: 
+    case LCR_SOUND_CRASH_BIG:
+    {
+      int limit = (LCR_audio.soundPlayed == LCR_SOUND_CRASH_BIG ? 256 : 128) - 
+        (LCR_audio.soundPlayedFrame * 256) / LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN;
 
-    if (LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample >= LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN)
-      LCR_audio.soundPlayed = LCR_SOUND_NONE;
+      if (LCR_audio.frame % 2 || // lower frequency
+        LCR_audio.soundPlayedFrame < LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN / 4)
+        LCR_audio.crashSample = _LCR_audioNoise();
 
-    break;
+      if (LCR_audio.crashSample > limit)
+        LCR_audio.crashSample = (_LCR_audioNoise() % 2) ? 0 : limit;
 
-  case LCR_SOUND_CRASH_BIG:
-    result += ((LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN * 2) - LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample) *
-      (_LCR_audioNoise() / 8) / (2 * LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN);
+      result += LCR_audio.crashSample - limit / 2;
 
-    if (LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample >= 2 * LCR_AUDIO_CRASH_LEN)
-      LCR_audio.soundPlayed = LCR_SOUND_NONE;
+      if (limit == 0)
+        LCR_audio.soundPlayed = LCR_SOUND_NONE;
 
-    break;
+      break;
+    }
 
-  default:
-    break;
-}
+    default:
+      break;
+  }
 
-if (LCR_audio.soundPlayed != LCR_SOUND_NONE)
-  LCR_audio.soundPlayedSample++;
-else
-{
-  LCR_audio.engineOsc +=
-    LCR_audio.engineInc ?
-      (((_LCR_audioNoise() % 256) <
-      (10 + LCR_audio.engineIntensity))) : -31;
+  if (LCR_audio.soundPlayed != LCR_SOUND_NONE)
+    LCR_audio.soundPlayedFrame++;
+  else
+  {
+    LCR_audio.engineOsc +=
+      LCR_audio.engineInc ?
+        (((_LCR_audioNoise() % 256) <
+        (10 + LCR_audio.engineIntensity))) : -31;
 
-  if (LCR_audio.engineInc && LCR_audio.engineOsc >
-    (90 + (LCR_audio.engineIntensity / 8)))
-    LCR_audio.engineInc = 0;
-  else if ((!LCR_audio.engineInc) && LCR_audio.engineOsc < 10)
-    LCR_audio.engineInc = 1;
+    if (LCR_audio.engineInc && LCR_audio.engineOsc >
+      (90 + (LCR_audio.engineIntensity / 8)))
+      LCR_audio.engineInc = 0;
+    else if ((!LCR_audio.engineInc) && LCR_audio.engineOsc < 10)
+      LCR_audio.engineInc = 1;
 
-  result +=
-    LCR_audio.engineIntensity < 20 ?
-      LCR_audio.engineOsc / 2 : LCR_audio.engineOsc;
-}
+    result +=
+      LCR_audio.engineIntensity < 20 ?
+        LCR_audio.engineOsc / 2 : LCR_audio.engineOsc;
+  }
 
   LCR_audio.frame++;
 
   return result;
 }
 
-
-
 #endif // guard
diff --git a/frontend_sdl.c b/frontend_sdl.c
index 4388d3f..3b38ce0 100644
--- a/frontend_sdl.c
+++ b/frontend_sdl.c
@@ -16,23 +16,14 @@ FILE *musicFile = 0;
 
 void audioFillCallback(void *userdata, uint8_t *s, int l)
 {
-  for (int i = 0; i < l; ++i)
+  if (musicFile)
   {
-    unsigned char byte = 128;
-
-    if (musicFile)
-    {
-      if (!fread(&byte,1,1,musicFile))
-        rewind(musicFile);
-    }
-
-//    s[i] = byte;
-
-s[i] = byte / 2 + LCR_gameGetNextAudioSample() / 2;
-//s[i] = LCR_gameGetNextAudioSample();
-
-
+    if (!fread(s,1,l,musicFile))
+      rewind(musicFile);
   }
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < l; ++i)
+    s[i] = s[i] / 2 + LCR_gameGetNextAudioSample() / 2;
 }
 
 const uint8_t *keyboardState;
@@ -97,7 +88,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   audioSpec.freq = 8000;
   audioSpec.format = AUDIO_U8;
   audioSpec.channels = 1;
-  audioSpec.samples = 256;
+  audioSpec.samples = 64;
 
   if (SDL_OpenAudio(&audioSpec,NULL) < 0)
     fputs("could not initialize audio",stderr);
diff --git a/racing.h b/racing.h
index ba46ed6..27ca156 100644
--- a/racing.h
+++ b/racing.h
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ typedef int32_t LCR_GameUnit;  ///< abstract game unit
 #define LCR_CAR_DRIFT_THRESHOLD_1 (LCR_GAME_UNIT / 4)
 #define LCR_CAR_DRIFT_THRESHOLD_0 (LCR_GAME_UNIT / 200)
 
-#define LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_THRESHOLD 25
+
+#define LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_DIFF 25
+#define LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_THRESHOLD 70
+
 
 // multipliers (in 8ths) of friction and acceleration on concrete:
 #define LCR_CAR_GRASS_FACTOR 5
@@ -1077,7 +1080,9 @@ uint32_t LCR_racingStep(unsigned int input)
   TPE_worldStep(&(LCR_racing.physicsWorld));
   LCR_LOG2("stepping physics engine done");
 
-  int speedDiff = LCR_racing.carSpeeds[0] - LCR_racing.carSpeeds[1];
+  int speedDiff = 
+    TPE_abs(LCR_racing.carSpeeds[0]) - 
+    TPE_abs(LCR_racing.carSpeeds[1]);
 
   LCR_racing.carSpeeds[1] = LCR_racing.carSpeeds[0];
 
@@ -1087,14 +1092,11 @@ uint32_t LCR_racingStep(unsigned int input)
   if (TPE_vec3Dot(carVel,carForw) < 0)
     LCR_racing.carSpeeds[0] *= -1;
 
-  else if (speedDiff < -1 * LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_THRESHOLD)
-  {
-    result |= (speedDiff < -2 * LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_THRESHOLD) ?
+  if (speedDiff < -1 * LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_DIFF &&
+    TPE_abs(LCR_racing.carSpeeds[0]) <= LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_THRESHOLD)
+    result |= (speedDiff < -2 * LCR_CAR_CRASH_SPEED_DIFF) ?
       LCR_RACING_EVENT_CRASH_BIG : LCR_RACING_EVENT_CRASH_SMALL;
 
-    LCR_racing.carSpeeds[1] = 0; // prevent several crash events in a row
-  }
-
   _LCR_racingUpdateCarPosRot();
 
   TPE_Unit angle = TPE_vec3Dot(carUp,TPE_vec3Normalized(TPE_vec3Minus(