Safety and crash results

[jgullickson]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but I thought some of you might be interested.

Two weeks ago I drove my 2000 under the trailer of a semi at about 60MPH (due to ice). Here's a link to the photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.gulli ... sightCrash

(the black marks on the passenger side are from the trailer's tires)

Myself and a passenger walked away without injury. Don't let anyone tell you these little cars are not safe.

[james]

Ouch!

[flymuck]

Holy cow!! Good to know it can be done, I guess, but I don't think I'd like to try that myself!

[bryankwalton]

Glad you are OK. So, out of curiosity, did the insurance company total the car, or is it getting repaired?

[Dgate]

looking at the pics it seems the worst areas that might affect structural integrety would be the impact to the top of suspension tower and panel behind door.
If the front forward strut the suspension tower mounts too is in the correct position, and the body skin distortion didn,t pull the B-post out of alignment then all the rest is superficial panel damage easily replaced.
Did any airbags deploy? Do the doors and rear hatch open and close with the same familiarity ?

Still not a pretty sight.


DGate

[jgullickson]

The last estimate from the bodyshop was $8,900.00, enough for the insurance company to consider it a total loss.

From what the mechanics said, it's very hard to source (reasonably priced) parts for the car, and since it's aluminum they can't repair it as easily as if it were steel

The airbags did not deploy, I'm guessing because there was no sudden stop or reversal in direction. The road was so slick that we didn't loose much speed even when we were going sideways. Once we we bounced from under the trailer I was able to get the nose pointed in the direction of travel and set it down lightly in the snowy median of the highway.

All of the doors, the hatch and hood (boot and bonnet for those in the UK ; ) all remained closed and the doors and hatch worked properly (although the passenger side was a bit creaky) after the accident.

I didn't lift the hood.

[HafNHaf]

tough little thing, aint it?

[Fred]

tough little thing, aint it?

Tough? Indeed! There are a few other reports on this site in which the driver and passingers in these little Insights have been engaged in some horrific auto crashes and BOTH Insight occupants have walked away on their own power - shaken up, sometimes very shaken up - but those people walked away from an incident whose pictures suggest that it was so bad it appears that it should have killed them. "Tough little thing ..." you say? Yes it is. These little Inisights are a lot more rugged than they look.

Fred / Proud Owner of "The Silver Bullet"

[budomove]

Very reassuring! That must have been scary!

[HafNHaf]

btw, close-in drafting is done behind, not beneath, the truck...

j/k of course. glad you are OK!