Victim of a hit and run tonight.

[firsthonda]

Insight was taken to tow yard. Cop gave me and girlfriend ride home. Guy in suv ran light, tore of bumper off from passenger to drivers side. Frame that bumper attaches to ripped off one side and belly pan ripped off. Lights, hood, radiator and condenser seem untouched. Not 100% sure about front end but think it's fine. Air bag warning light was on, but just like in Cobb's situation; the airbags DID NOT DEPLOY. Have to go to PD tomorrow to get the tow release and then call ins company. I have a 250 deductible which I will probably have to pay on account of the guy ran away. Like I said, the guy came out of nowhere, headlights off, ran light and took off with front bumper dangling.

I will report back when I know more and can take a better look at the car in daylight.

The important thing is that we were wearing our seat belts and wern't hurt.

[reb01501]

Yes, that is the important part. Happy New Year, eh?
Hope they catch the guy.

[alam99]

I am glad to hear that neither you nor your girlfriend were hurt.

If you can post or link some pictures of the damages, I'd be interested to see how badly it is. Does the air bag warning light prevent your car from being driven since it had to be towed? Because the lights weren't damaged but the bumper was, I hope it will not be that bad.

I was in a similar accident a few years back. The guy did not drive away but he didn't have insurance so I paid my 250 deductible, which is small compared to the thousands it cost to fix my car. There was damage to the front bumper, alignment, lights, and driver side panel above the front wheel well. My seat belt was worn, too. I only have frontal air bags, but they didn't deploy, either... Perhaps because the hit came from the side? I THINK I bumped by head lightly against the side of the car, did the same thing happen to you or your passenger? I am hoping your side air bags did not deploy because the hit was not too severe, and not because there's something amiss with the Insight's air bag system.

To hit and drive away is a pretty horrible thing to do. It is irresponsible and uncompassionate toward the welfare of others. What a loser.

Again, I am very glad that you're both safe, were wearing your seatbelts, and the Insight took the hit instead of yourselves.

[Cobb]

Wow..... I was almost in a situation like that. Bad part was I had a little voice telling me to speed up on the road I was traveling.

Glad you guys are ok. I was told the air bags was the deciding factor if its totaled or not. I wouldn't be surprised if it still cost thousands to fix. THe air bag sensors are located in front of the front wheels, so its likely one of those was damaged as well as the windshield washer and outside temp sensor. If the connectors to the fans is damaged or disconnected you will get some emissions error code on your MID. In my case the bottom center of the radiator was damaged as the fan support dug into the radiator.

I am still trying to figure out why its in the tow yard. Id had it tow home.

I asked my insurance about a situation like this some time ago and they said it would be considered a no fault and I wouldn't have to pay to have it fixed, it would be a non fault.

I am still bent out of shape regarding my situation. To make matters worse the second body shop said all the new scratches on the top and side sails are from the hurricane and my insurance said if I wanted that fix it would be another claim and my deductible. The body shop said they could do it for 1700.

Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

[firsthonda]

I had no choice as to my car going to the yard. Since i was blocking the intersection and it seemed at first I couldn't move it at all; the cop called the tow truck. Once the guy showed up and since I didn't have the CASH to pay for him showing up; he hooked me up. Since it was 3AM on New Years Day, their office was closed so I couldn't use a credit card. I want to get the car out of there ASAP since the tow yard is going to charge me 35 bucks a day storage. My Ins company should take care of it but it still doesn't sit well with me.

Now the question is, do I go with a Honda Dealership or a private body shop?

A particular local shop comes highly recommended by my Ins (State Farm) and by folks in town. State farm says the turn around time is quicker if I go with the local shop. The only bad thing is that they don't provide loner vehicles and Honda does. Although my Ins pays for 25 bucks a day rental.

I will take pics as soon as I can and post it.

I still think the airbags should have deployed. Why would the airbag warning light come on instead?

[firsthonda]

Originally Posted by alam99

To hit and drive away is a pretty horrible thing to do. It is irresponsible and uncompassionate toward the welfare of others. What a loser.

.

Thank you for your concern. The cop thinks the guy at minimum was drunk or maybe didn't have a license. When he hit me, his lights wern't on, so it was difficult to see him and impossible to make out his plate.

[kennysmith]

Originally Posted by firsthonda

Now the question is, do I go with a Honda Dealership or a private body shop?


I still think the airbags should have deployed. Why would the airbag warning light come on instead?

I would do research to choose a shop. State Farm is not your friend. I don't see any advantage to a Honda shop, however.

It sounds like you were hit from the side? In that case the air bags would not deploy. Last I knew they deploy only within 35 degrees from straight on. The light would obviously be on now because the sensor was probably ripped off so it is showing a default. 15 years ago when I was a journeyman auto body guy airbags had 2 switches. One inside the car and one in front. The car had to be hit fairly straight on (w/in 35 degrees) and the car had to be traveling at 35 mph (if I remember correctly). Both sensors had to agree to complete the circuit and ignite the airbag. When you think about it, the speed and direction requirements makes sense.

Good luck

Edit--Actually, 35 sounds too fast, so I guess I don't remember the speed, but there is a speed requirement. So when you see the commercial where the old lady hits the bumper of the car at the stop sign, there is no way the airbag would deploy since the car is sitting still.

[firsthonda]

Originally Posted by kennysmith

I would do research to choose a shop. State Farm is not your friend. I don't see any advantage to a Honda shop, however.

It sounds like you were hit from the side? In that case the air bags would not deploy. Last I knew they deploy only within 35 degrees from straight on. The light would obviously be on now because the sensor was probably ripped off so it is showing a default. 15 years ago when I was a journeyman auto body guy airbags had 2 switches. One inside the car and one in front. The car had to be hit fairly straight on (w/in 35 degrees) and the car had to be traveling at 35 mph (if I remember correctly). Both sensors had to agree to complete the circuit and ignite the airbag. When you think about it, the speed and direction requirements makes sense.

Good luck

I was going no more than 10 mph and the guy was going 40; easy.

Edit--Actually, 35 sounds too fast, so I guess I don't remember the speed, but there is a speed requirement. So when you see the commercial where the old lady hits the bumper of the car at the stop sign, there is no way the airbag would deploy since the car is sitting still.

I was going no more than 10 mph and the guy was going 40; easy.

[Willie Williford]

If I remember right, I think 15MPH would be the setting for a frontal impact for the air bags. I'm sure there is a "federal government" regulation on the speed required.

Willie
Glad no one was hurt.

[pjaymac]

I, too, am very glad no one was hurt.

This is why I don't drive on New Year's Eve. Ever.

That said, though, there is an epidemic in my neighborhood of people in all makes of cars driving around with their headlights off. They don't realize this because their dashboard is lit up (I can see this as they pass me as a pedestrian or as I pass them as a driver). I've seen all types of demographics doing this--men, women, old, young, people of color, whites. It goes to show stupidity is near universal.

This fairly recent development--car manufacturers engineering their dashboards to light up at night without the headlights or even parking lights being turned on--is possibly the most dangerous thing ever to happen to automobile transportation. I wish there were a latter-day Ralph Nader advocating Congress to legislate change on this subject. Dashboards should not light up unless the headlights are on.