Definitely speeding. I got hit head on on my motorcycle a few years back, we were both travelling at about 30-35 and I totalled out a brand new 350Z on an R1. Im no expert, but usually accidents happen when the person that hit you is either A) Speeding, or B) doing something they shouldnt be doing

 

Did I miss the post where you say how you ended up in front of a car that was speeding (or not)?

 

You didnt miss it because I forgot to post it. But yeah, what you said is basically what happened. Whether she was speeding or not I am still at fault for the accident, I am just speculating that if she werent speeding would my car not be totaled.

 

Oh, I wasn't trying to blame you or anything. I was just wondering if you were trying to make a turn, or you pulled out from a stop, or what? Any accident one is involved in is horrible, and one's where it is "your fault" feel even worse. I feel badly for you. The car being totaled is probably a blessing; repaired cars just never really seem "right" after that much damage.

 

What was the speed limit? From the photos I'd guess it was 25 mph. She may not have been speeding, but didn't hit the brakes much or at all. On the other hand, people often drive 35 in business districts where the limit is 25.

A MINI that hit the side of a Nissan Quest at somewhere between 70 to 100 mph killed all four occupants of the car and turned the car to rubble. So, I wouldn't be surprised at a Mitsubishi Gallant doing that much damage to your MINI at 25 without braking.

 

The speed limit on that road is 30. If you look at picture one, the police car in the picture is approximately where I was when I got hit. Not all of the energy of the impact was spent on destroying the car. After I got hit my car spun over to the spot where it stopped in the spot you see in the picture.

 

Hmm, wet streets. She probably wasn't able to slow much before hitting you, and your car would have slid more easily than on dry. I don't have the skill to estimate speed, but 30 mph can do an amazing amount of damage. Could you tell if she braked much when she hit you?

 

That suprises me based on the pix. It looked like the damage was mainly the door. You were OK that's good.

 

30mph is exactly the speed for current Euro NCAP standard side impact testing:

http://www.euroncap.com/Content-Web-...de-impact.aspx

The second most important crash configuration is car to car side impact. Euro NCAP simulates this type of crash by having a mobile deformable barrier (MDB) impact the driver’s door at 50 km/h (30 mph). The injury protection is assessed by a side impact test dummy, in the driver’s seat.

 

Update!

I just got a new car today.
A 2010 Ford Focus Coupe SE.
Its not as responsive as a MINI but I wasnt expecting it to be as responsive.

 

Good looking Focus! Heard good things about them.

 

Umm...congratulations? It looks very "Ford"-y.

And try not to find out if the airbags work this time!

 

Nice new ride! Im just curious, but what made you shy away from MINI after this? Just a better deal?

 

I wanted a MINI badly but there were a few reasons why I wound up getting a Focus.

1. Money. Didnt have enough for a new one (leads into #2)
2. Parents. They didnt want me buying a car that was used or out of warranty (understandable)

There were plenty of MINIs in the price range but my parents would rather pay for a new car instead of a used one and have to have me pay all the work on it if it broke. Since I am moving out of state for a year or so, that made a great point for me. The hard reality is, there isnt a MINI dealer within 50 miles of Branson, Missouri.

Considering that there are as many Ford dealers as there are McDonalds it seemed like a good choice.

The car is nicely built. The interior is a little more bland for my taste but then again, the Focus is aimed at a much bigger group than the MINI, so the styling wont be as funky as the MINI. That being said, the interior is nice for a Ford. Everything feels solid and feels bolted into place instead of just clipped on like most mass produced cars. It has a little more HP than my Cooper had and when I took it on the highway earlier today, it showed. It doesn't handle like the MINI does, but then again not a lot of cars do.

SYNC is amazing. This is the only thing that I like more than what I had on the MINI. The ability to just pull up music any time without wading through selection screens is soooo nice. And with a press of the same button, you can pull up your phone and call a contact (which you have to copy all of your contacts to the car for it to work). Ford and Microsoft did an amazing job with the SYNC system and I would not be surprised if more cars come out with it.

 

Oh man... that definitely brings a tear to the eye. Great to hear you're okay, though! Good to know that the MINI is rather good at side impact protection - after wishing and hoping for a VERY long time, I was finally able to pick up a new Cooper S just yesterday.

Anyway, hope the soreness doesn't linger overlong. Let us know what you get to replace her. (OOPS - Edit; I see that you posted pics of your Focus above. Sigh; nice car... my wife has one... but it ain't a MINI! )

Spridget

 

Congrats on the new MINI. Have fun with it

I actually just got a new Ford Focus Coupe SE yesterday. Thanks for the well wishes though.