Wadded up my Mazda last night

Hugh R · 01:51 PM

Coming home from the supermarket just as it started raining. I admit I was probably going a "little" fast and as I came around a curve I must have hit some oil, the car felt like it was on ice and I slid into a curb and street light. Cars totaled. A gallon of milk and a dozen eggs exploded and slimed me.

Having trouble loading a pic. It was a 97 with about 170K on the clock, it was only worth about two thou. no collision insurance due to its age/value. I was going to get rid of it at the end of the month when my new Camry Hybrid comes in. Guess I'll just be driving the Targa until then. The Targa is fully insured.

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

You're OK?

Hugh R · 12-07-2007, 01:56 PM

Yeah, I'm OK The airbag (I think) hit me on the right neck and chin which are a little swollen and red, but otherwise fine.

Here's a couple of pics.

Rot 911 · 12-07-2007, 01:57 PM

Hugh, I think that will buff right out.

If not, blame it on GW.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

ouch! Hope you're ok. You need to quit street racing

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Yeah, I'm OK

Well then: [rant on]What the H3ll are you doin' drivin' so fast in the rain doncha know it's dangerous when it first starts raining you coulda killed someone you make all Mazda drivers look bad blah blah blah[rant off]

Glad you're OK. Sorry 'bout the milk and eggs, too.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Damn that sucks. Glad you're okay.

I like how totally ruining a slow econo-box "justifies" one driving a Porsche every day.

Too funny how we rationalize these things. It's kinda like "oh, I see you just crashed a Cessna 152. Here's the keys to my Lear Jet".

J/K

Dave L · 12-07-2007, 02:13 PM

glad you are okay, it must have been a pretty good hit for the air bags to blow.

scottmandue · 12-07-2007, 02:18 PM

OUCH!

Have you been checked out by a doctor? I hear air bag impacts can be pretty bad.

stomachmonkey · 12-07-2007, 02:23 PM

Sorry to hear.

Hope you are OK.

Jeff Higgins · 12-07-2007, 02:34 PM

Sure it wasn't Deitrich?

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Sure it wasn't Deitrich?

I have dips on the brake line on eBay

1fastredsc · 12-07-2007, 03:37 PM

You just made me nervous of getting into my 3 now........

Zeke · 12-07-2007, 03:40 PM

Yeah, but doesn't that secretly make you feel good that you can stuff a car and walk away? After all, we're tough guys, ain't we?

scottmandue · 12-07-2007, 03:54 PM

Yeah that's bad... but you beat the Honda right?

Hugh R · 12-07-2007, 03:58 PM

Yeah, I'm guilty I was going 35-40 in a 35 zone. It had just started raining about 5 minutes prior. Sheriff's deputies showed and took a report. It happened about 1/4 mile from my house. Just glad it wasn't the Targa or my wife's Highlander. I expect the City will want me (my insurance) to pay for the street light.

1fastredsc · 12-07-2007, 04:06 PM

If it's in a normally warm place, you must be careful of that initial rain. The water can rapidly cool the asphalt causing the pores and cracks to open where all the oils over time are stored. This brings all the oil to the surface of the road, which now takes a while before there is enough rain to wash off the oil and expose the asphalt again. When the rain starts, i've been told because of this the first 10-20min of rain are the most dangerous. After that it becomes a measure of resistance to hydro planning, which will depend on your speed and/or condition of your tires.

Komenda Fan · Komenda Fan's Garage

I have always wondered what airbags would be like going off in front of me...were you aware of them, or - as I have always imagined - did they go off to fast to register? Do you remember hitting the bag? Just curious. Glad you are ok. Good thing you took off the street racer wing and 20" wheels before the cops arrived....

Hugh R · 12-07-2007, 04:14 PM

Its a 97 so I think it has the old style air bags. Yes I was aware of them going off. Very fast to deploy and deflate, probably a second. I don't recall feeling it hit me, but it (I think) gave me a wallop on my right neck/chin which is a little red and slightly swollen. Filled the car with an acrid smoke that poured out of the open doors. A friend at work had an accident in an 06 Buick and said there was no smoke.

idontknow · 12-07-2007, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Komenda Fan

I have always wondered what airbags would be like going off in front of me...

Story time! My wife and I were out of town attending my mothers funeral. We were driving our 99 Chevy Cavalier at about 35 in the rain when we T-boned a Honda Civic that tried to drive through a stop light. I instinctively pulled my thumbs away from the steering wheel knowing that the airbag would forcibly push my arms away from the wheel. The airbag did exactly that and I had no major injuries . My wife on the other hand saw the impact coming and braced herself with her left hand on the dashboard. When the passenger side airbag went off, it blew her arm back and shattered her wrist into 4 pieces requiring surgery and pins to put it all back together.