Car write off

[rorz0r]

Airbags are only designed to deploy at a fairly narrow speed range and angles of impact. People seem to have the impression they are the be all and end all of car safety or something.

 

[ALFAHOLIC]

simple...whent he cost of repairing the car is more than the car's actual worth...e.g

Car worth - R100 000

Repair to accident damaged car - R140 000...

hypothesis = write off!

 

[ponder]

She doesn't want it anymore

Flog it after the repairs.

 

[Keeper]

never heard of airbags "not supposed to pop" at 100km/h

interesting....

 

[Chewy]

I was in an accident just over a month ago, I drive a 2004 BMW. The damages came to R79 000 and the car is insured for R140 000. The insurance company said they only write cars off at 80% damage. Im with Mutual and Federal.

 

[Claymore]

Airbags are only designed to deploy at a fairly narrow speed range and angles of impact. People seem to have the impression they are the be all and end all of car safety or something.

Yup. They actually add very little to survival rates (we're talking 1 or 2% here).

It's like the people who think ABS is the best thing ever, and don't even know ABS doesn't work at all speeds. (ABS, on average, has no effect on survival rates).

 

[jphegers]

does anybody know of a website to find a value calculator for cars i used google but can't find any.There use to be one on the Stannic website but you have to register and pay to use it now.

 

[Fazda]

Just looked at those Jetta pics. It stands to reason that it was written off. Too much damage in the engine compartment, and that controls all sorts of other safety aspects of a car. The assessor should have written it off immediately.

 

[Velenoso]

i know someone with a new opel Corsa, market value at time of accident was R130 000, accident damage (two bumpers, and left suspension) came to R81 500.00 insurance paid-out for repairs.

What the hell? Probably could have taken that money from the insurance, fixed the car yourself for 5k and bought another corsa with the change!

 

[4cer]

my corsa side impacted was written off the day after.. i suppose it was half a car

and ya like people who get in a car and say they can feel how much better the brakes are cause it has ABS ? i would love to know how you drive that you feel the ABS... should only kick in, with "emergency" braking.

 

[Velenoso]

never heard of airbags "not supposed to pop" at 100km/h

interesting....

Take a look at this. This was an impact of around 140km/h (I slammed on brakes from 200km/h) on the N1. No airbags popped out.

R290,000 damage. Write-off. Insurance paid out R180,000.

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php/photo/13048
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php/photo/13047
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php/photo/13046

 

[xrapidx]

Don't they only pop from a front impact?

 

[Claymore]

and ya like people who get in a car and say they can feel how much better the brakes are cause it has ABS ? i would love to know how you drive that you feel the ABS... should only kick in, with "emergency" braking.

Exactly. But man, I felt mine yesterday - did a test stop on all the hail we had in Joburg, and I got a really refreshing foot massage. It's about the third time I've activated my ABS in 3 years.

 

[hyperian]

My jetta 3 has no abs and i've managed to lock the wheels while breaking in the rain a few times.

I'm not sure why airbags (especially front ones) are needed if you are wearing a seatbelt. I think side impact bars and impact tensioning seatbelts are far more useful.

 

[xrapidx]

I'm not sure why airbags (especially front ones) are needed if you are wearing a seatbelt. I think side impact bars and impact tensioning seatbelts are far more useful.

Probably because in a serious front impact, your engine and front of the car, might be coming in your direction... and you're still travelling at 120km/h.

 

[Claymore]

Probably because in a serious front impact, your engine and front of the car, might be coming in your direction... and you're still travelling at 120km/h.

The airbag won't help with those; it's for protecting you from bouncing off the insides of the car, like the steering wheel.

 

[jphegers]

My jetta 3 has no abs and i've managed to lock the wheels while breaking in the rain a few times.

I'm not sure why airbags (especially front ones) are needed if you are wearing a seatbelt. I think side impact bars and impact tensioning seatbelts are far more useful.

i agree if i had no airbags the insurers would have had my car repaired instead fo writing the car off because they say the cost of replacing the airbags costs R40000 per airbag and i was only travalling at no more than 40 kph.

 

[Pyro]

my corsa side impacted was written off the day after.. i suppose it was half a car

and ya like people who get in a car and say they can feel how much better the brakes are cause it has ABS ? i would love to know how you drive that you feel the ABS... should only kick in, with "emergency" braking.

That allways bugs me... I can understand the difference between assisted and non-assisted brakes, but ABS is something you shouldn't be really get much use out of.

...

My insurance also goes 80% of value for a write-off, afaik.

Panel beaters aren't the same these days. They hardly beat any panels any more More like buy the parts and fit them.

 

[xrapidx]

The airbag won't help with those; it's for protecting you from bouncing off the insides of the car, like the steering wheel.

If the engine and the front of the car is coming towards you from impact - so is the steering wheel....

 

[Claymore]

If the engine and the front of the car is coming towards you from impact - so is the steering wheel....

True - but in most (all?) modern cars, the engine is designed to be deflected beneath the car, and most of the front end crumples upward and downward.

The airbag isn't designed to stop the front of the car from hitting the driver (or it would remain inflated for longer), it's to prevent the driver from hitting the wheel/dash in the initial impact.