A lot of people are always asking me how safe can a mini be.

Well, on May 13th, the safety question was put to the test. While at a complete stop at a light I was hit by an H1 - driver on cell phone. IDI_T!!!

Well, the mini stood the challenge. I was hit right on the back bumper and was pushed 10 feet into a new F150 p/u. Couldn't get any worse could it?

Well my baby survived. After 10 large in damage - new rear bumper, rear rt qtr, trunk, new hood, grills, lights all around AND lots of labor, we'll soon be on the road again. Remarkably no glass broke and I walked away from the wreck. No frame damage, no engine issues, and no real body damage whatsoever. I've had the car checked over and over and simply no frame issues. If I was a Kia or a Hyundai, I would be in a pine box.

The sad thing was I had just put a in JCW kit in 8 hours earlier and the car had only 1200 miles.

Things happen for a reason: The safety issue now satisfied, the car is almost finished getting a makeover as my mods shows. Hamann apron, wheels, shift ****, e-brake, and pedal set; factory aero side skirts, and painted arches. The 4 week makeover comes to completion this Friday or early next week.

Oh, I almost forgot, H1 damage 4 large. F150 2 large.

I thank the BMW engineers for putting safety first.

 

HERE HERE FOR MINI SAFETY

 

Sorry to hear about your accident -- and glad your MINI is back up to snuff!

How fast was the stupid Hummer moving? I ask because 10K is ahhh... kind of alot of damage. And people generally don't die when rear-ended at a stoplight. Granted, I know you were smooshed between 2 behemoths -- all things considered you probably fared well.

Unless the stupid Hummer was moving at a pretty impressive speed, I'm not sure that this really answers the "safety" questions re: MINI v. stupid Hummer. It should be noted, however, that I don't think there is any such question, in my mind, about the MINI's safety. :smile:

 

It was estimated that the H1 was going at least 25-30 mph esp to move the mini so far and quickly. Bumper held up pretty good. A lot of labor in the $10m as they had to take all the front and rear completely apart. It also, did help being a cabrio.

 

Safety is not measured by how much damage was done, it's measured by the integity of the passenger compartment after an impact. Which a 30 mph impact by a Hummer is a pretty hard impact. I believe that the way the MINI is designed, it's supposed to have alot of body damage after that kind of impact to absorb the energy. So, I would say that this is a pretty good statement as to the safety of the MINI

 

I've said it before, and I will say it again. Cell phones should be illegal while driving. I don't care if it's hands free or not. Most people, like myself, cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. If my phone rings while I'm driving, I let it ring. I almost got into an accident once, it would have totally been my fault, because I was talking on the phone. From that moment, I never use it while driving anymore.

I read this article where they tested intoxicated drivers vs. drivers carrying on conversations on the cell phone. The intoxicated drivers' response time was on average 3 times FASTER than the average response time of the cell phone drivers. I suppose a lot more people will have to die or be seriously injured before something is done about it.

And by the way - my near miss accident that made me put the phone down while driving for good? I was ordering a pizza and drove right through a stop sign doing about 40 mph. Luckily, the other driver saw me coming (she did NOT have a stop sign) and she stopped. She blew her horn at me, and I had realized what I had done...

 

Agree on the comment on the intregity on the passenger compartment. The compartment had no damage whatsoever. Compression in the back and front BUT no broken glass and no structural damage. This says a lot about the engineering and that it worked. I've been sold on BMW safety since 1984 when I got my first BMW. This crash, though very unfortunate, just proves why there is a premium over a lot of the crap out there. I totally agree on the cell phone thing, even though I use a wireless and voice activated system, there are many who can't drive even without the phone - multi tasking for some should be left to walking on a sidewalk not driving a car. The seat belt was also excellent.

Here here to the BMW/Mini engineers.

 

How's your neck?

 

the thing that has always concerned me with rear impacts are how the rear seats would hold up. How mashed up were they and how much safe would it be to be in the rear seats?

 

Cdnsnowman - Wow! First - I'm very glad to hear that YOU were not hurt. Second, when you get your MINI back, I hope it's good as new...:smile: :smile:

3 Cheers for your MINI taking the impact it did and you walked away from it unharmed...:smile:

Donna
02' CR/W MCS (gone to MINI heaven - burned up)
05' Cool Blue MCSC "Ariel"
05' HB/W MCS

 

Neck is sore but recovering especially from a H1 hit and then the push.

Back seats we're touched. No damage whatsoever as there was no glass broken and bumper took all the impact.

The question would be how would I have faired against a vehicle that didn't hit the bumper!!! OOOCH!!

 

Cdnsnowman,
Glad you are OK. Sorry to hear about your mishap and "New" Cabrio with JCW! Makes one want to drive "VERY" defensively when in areas where "mobile cell phones" roam (cities).

In this day and age it's nice to hear that some cars are properly designed to help you avoid significant injury. The cost of repairs is small compared to the potential medical costs or lost income/productivity due to injury.

When accidents involve heavy vehicles it doesn't take that much speed to result in damage to people. Did your airbags go off?

In another thread someone wrote that when a car hit them from behind and their car hit the one ahead of them, they got a ticket from the police for being too close to the car ahead- did you not get any ticket?

Hope you are back out motoring soon and safely.

 

If you had no glass broken and no frame damage, it wasn't that bad of a hit. I believe the price simply because of the cost of BMW/import parts and the extensive paint and labor involved. I was in an accident where the only thing NOT damaged was the front right fender. Every single panel was either bent, rippled or crushed, every peice of glass was touched/cracked or blown out. I walked away with several cracked ribs, and the car was REPAIRED after 6 months and $14.5k, after an initial $9k estimate that kept climbing. I promptly sold it, it was never the same. THAT is a real crash BTW it was a Pontiac sunfire vs. a '82 Delta 88...which only had a small dent in the corner of the bumper.

 

Thanks for your kind words. Agree on defensive driving. No air bags went off as the F150 hit me in the hood scoop. No ticket as I was at a stop at a light and was pushed at least 10 feet into the F150. The said thing is the H1 didn't get a reckless driving ticket which they should have. Car is almost done so will be out motoring soon.

Now for something totally ironic - I also own a Hummer and had been driving it up until 5 minutes prior to the accident. Switched cars as the sun was coming out and the cabrio was in order. People with SUV's/hummers or any large vehicle need to understand how much distance is needed to stop their vehicles. I've taken all kinds of neat courses in all my vehicles just to understand what they will do - I wish others would do the same. AND cell phone users need to be doubly cautious.

Agree on the medical comments you made. The car is irrelavant in these types of situations - it's all about recovery and healing. We can always buy another car.

Thanks again for your comments.

 

Amen to that brother!

BAN STUPID CELL PHONES ON AMERICAN ROADS!!!

 

The image of a Mini squashed between a F150 and Hummer is something a picture could only do justice for. Too bad you didn't have a cell phone camera.

As for the hit, I don't think there's any way it was 30mph at the point of impact. When object B is twice the weight and mass of Object A, the severity of the crash should have been much worse, unless you were already in motion and not completely stopped.

 

Wow...well sorry to hear. And strangely this must be the 3rd time I've heard of a non-fault accident just days after a JCW install!

The price isn't surprising at all. Almost any front-end damage will require new hood, bumper, and MFE, costing $5k+, the rear isn't much cheaper on a hard impact, especially on a convertible.

I agree about cell phones. Whats scary is during rush hour I can sometimes more drivers on the phone than not! It is absolutely true, they would drive better drunk.

 

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I'd like to thank all of you for your kind comments after my accident. It's been a tough month and I now have the car back. My body still needs some healing. I'm a little gun shy driving but I'll soon be back to normal.

Here's some pics showing the damaged area. Bottoms up!!

:smile:

 

Snowman, that is a sweet convertible! Glad you're back on the road.