My husband was rear ended while on duty in his fully marked squad car. That was 12 years ago and he STILL has neck problems on occasion. Take your time settling with the Honda's insurance company. Unfortunately, new aches and pains are going to occur over the next week or so and will probably last much longer than that. Best of luck, my friend.
...But, since I got laid off the SAME DAY, there are not a lot of extra funds laying around. And it doesn't seem to be a lot of need for Electrical Engineers right now, so I may be in for some lean times.
I am going to pick up a new Brabus hopefully next week and move on..
Sorry to hear about the accident, what an awful week. The Brabus sounds like an excellent plan, and I hope you continue to share with us here. My wife was rear-ended in December and our small Scion xA was totaled. It can take a while for the aches to subside.
SuperGeek -
Where did you figure 1/3 to 1/2 the original speed?
My own butt-meter, subject to all the accuracy challenges therein. My thought process is that, on braking, the person approaching does in fact see the car, hits the brakes not at 100% lockup but at a concerned heavy braking that adds a second or two but doesn't lock the wheels. During this first second, they're quickly deciding whether to swerve, brake harder, or just plain squeal. They realize the original braking force isn't enough and smack down on the pedal only when they see they've miscalculated. Lockup occurs only then, by which time it's too late for even ABS to counter the forces.
I'm betting that most distracted drivers who encounter an obstacle think in that first second they'll be ok just like the 150 other times they've avoided an accident, and that's a crucial second of "OMG what do I do?" and is just enough to slow the car down considerably.
And I think I agree with Godfather - I don't think from appearance the impact was actually at 45 or both cars would be in far worse shape. If indeed the impact was at 45, the outcome (especially of minimal injury to the driver) is really impressive but definitely, the Smart will have a lot of internal damage.
I worry that people will get the impression their cars will survive a 45mph rear impact with zero braking when in fact the speed at the instant of contact may have been more like 20.
Where did you figure 1/3 to 1/2 the original speed? My own butt-meter, blah, blah, blah.
SuperG,
With all due respect, IMHO hardly a scientific equation with which to discount the speed at impact to 20 mph.
Perhaps it would have been better said – speaking only from the three pictures and Bull’s narrative while utilizing the BETA version of the Super G butt-meter, the minimal damage incurred by the smart’s high impact rear end might suggest that the speed at impact could have been more like 20?
After laying down less than 15 feet of skid marks, the older (impact) Honda Accord (not a Civic) at impact with the smarts energy absorbing rear end incurred some rather heavy front end damage after nose diving under the rear of the smart. This impact then thrust the smart forward into the rear of a ˝ ton PU causing considerable front end damage to the smart.
Rather than second guessing the accident speed and worrying that folks will conclude they are safe from all harm in their smart why not accept the facts:
Bull, a member of our smart family, was rear ended while stopped in a 45-50 mph zone. While he appears to have suffered only the aches and pains associated with such a crash, his “small booger” was totaled!
Personally, I wish him well in his recovery as such a rear end impact (regardless of speed) can leave you with a life of back and neck problems. I hope that Bull can get back into the replacement smart of his choosing as he will need it to get to that new job we all hope he finds real soon!
My husband was rear ended while on duty in his fully marked squad car. That was 12 years ago and he STILL has neck problems on occasion. Take your time settling with the Honda's insurance company. Unfortunately, new aches and pains are going to occur over the next week or so and will probably last much longer than that. Best of luck, my friend.
I was doing a "ride-a-long" years ago as a Reserve Police Officer in Enterprise, AL. My partner was driving, and we were talking. Up ahead was a car stopped in the roadway, apparently attempting to make a left-turn into the skating rink parking lot. He didn't have his turn signal on, and Keith didn't even notice him. Luckily, I DID, before it was too late, and yelled at Keith. We were doing about 40-45 mph, so it would have been ugly! It can be really easy to allow yourself to become distracted, and even for a second or two, it can turn out really BAD!
Yes. I suck at word choice. I'll be silent when dealing with matters such as this.
Sorry to have made anyone feel like I didn't care about someone else. Not my intent.
SuperG,
Don't go there - it was never my/our intent to take your keyboard out of your lap but rather stay on focus with the loss and injury to one of our own members.
Please don't "be silent" as that is what makes the SCOA forum and this country great! We want to hear from you and hope we didn't bruise you up to badly.
It's a curiousity driven world, and only natural that folks would want to know just what their car will take. I'll just say this....... I investigated north of 1500 accidents in my 3 1/2 years as a crash investigater, becoming an "expert" according to a judge. In a 45 mph crash, there would be injuries, the bloody kind, to both drivers. You don't get cars that can be driven away as a result. Ever. So rejoice in the apparent lack of damage to the drivers, but know that this is not what happens in an accident at that speed.
SuperGeek, don't feel bad, you did fine.
Sorry to stir up so much $hit amongst you all. I stated facts to the best of my knowledge and ability. Not having onboard instruments to quantify anything, it all becomes conjecture and that makes it pretty much irrelevant I guess. The main point of my original post was so others would be as proud of their little car as I am about mine. I think it did extremely well under the circumstances and adequately protected me.
I did not come back here after such a long absence as an effort to create division nor to tout myself as some super hero who survives the unsurvivable. It was an effort to offer a little bit of evidence that our cars are safer than many of the world's lemmings seem to be willing to believe.
To Tom and the others who expressed their sincere concern and "well wishes", THANK YOU. My new little silver Brabus is on its way already from the port in Florida and is supposed to be here by the end of the month.
To the others who have taken exception to what I have stated, I have not intentionally exaggerated a single fact and have tried to present it all to the best of my ability based on what I am aware of.
Therefore, to everyone following this thread, take it for what it is worth and draw your own conclusions.
I would also ask that the mods just go ahead and lock this thread. There is no use to debate this further in my opinion and will only serve to create more division among the members who choose to remain on this site.
Good day to all........
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Less Is More
It can be really easy to allow yourself to become distracted, and even for a second or two, it can turn out really BAD! 
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