OK... I don't doubt you've caught a few glimpses of events, from "views". My experience is they are usually brief and incomplete. If you spend a lot of time with people on your tail, I suppose there will be more collisions from other views. Personally, I don't try and get THAT close when in the chase plane position ... and rarely experience anyone THAT close behind me.

EVZ... with all respect, and no ill will intended...
In a good rolling scissors fight, it is not uncommon at all to be within D100... and sometimes see the range icon say "0"... without colliding. Both guys are trying to force an overshoot on the other... stall horn is blaring, flaps are full out... in some cases gear is out too to give you extra drag. Throttles are being chopped, barrel rolls... etc. This is what most dogfights with pilots that are experienced turn into. Add a few more planes in the mix and its a close quarters knife fight.
Collisions do occur in this situation. And yes... the pilots are using their hat switches or track IR to look around them for 90% of the fight. Only when the opponent crosses in front of them do they quickly look ahead and take the snap shot. Losing sight of your opponent in these types of fights means you are dead... period. You catch much more than a glimpse from views... 90% of the fight is done by looking around.
This is where "most" of my collisions occur as well. Rarely do I let someone collide with me when they decide to HO... and even more rarely do I accept a HO.
Personally... the convergence on just about everything I fly is set at 300. I dont shoot at anything out much farther than that... and in fact I like it even closer. When I fire, I want everything I have hitting one spot, with maximum velocity... to kill as quickly as possible.
From the limited experiences I have had with you, you fly mostly bombers, and drive tanks and other GV's. This is indicated by your stats as well. I have yet you meet you in a fighter. Im not saying you are inexperienced, or are not a good shot... nor am I saying you are... because I dont know that about you one way or the other.
But... if most of your air-to-air combat has been head on passes, or longer range shots... you are missing out on a big part of the game, and its tactics. If you are unfamiliar with close quarters dogfighting, I can understand why you dont see the reason for the collision model as it is.
From personal experience... I flew MW only for about a year solid when I started this game. It was not until I started flying in LW, FSO, and practicing in the DA that I learned to dogfight. You seem to be following along the same path I was on back then.
Spend some time in late war... go to the dueling arena. Hook up with a squad that flies in FSO. Mid War may be your home, but you can only learn so much there. Of course it is totally up to you, but it would be worth your time.