124 replies to this topic

[Ethel]

The Mass of what you hit matters just as much as your speed, and the energy will be absorbed by whichever part of either structure deforms. I agree that 16valver looks remarkably unbent for 100mph, but I have driven a flip fronted Mini into the back of a stationary Fiesta at around 30mph. I didn't have a cage but had even less damage than that - the Fiesta ended up a couple of feet shorter.

[charliedurrant]

My only real car crash was in a Mini. I'd beein doing up my mini - black,with a white roof, blacked out windows, wide wheels - SGH 618R - it was suitably grotesque.

I was working flat out for months after my 17th birthday (I did buy the car myself - it wasn't a present) and wanted it sorted before I passed my test. I promptly passed and drove like a ******* everywhere - raced down lanes, basically I would have made good cannon fodder in the Great War.

One week after I passed I picked up two of my mates. Bombed it round a bend - every warning sign possible, lost it on the turn and drove straight into a lamp post at I think around 40-45. The lamp post snapped in half and landed right down the center of the roof. I was completely stuck in the car but we all seemed fine. My friend who was 6'7'' unclipped and got out of the car! The friend in the back levered himself on the front seat as you do and his wrist fell away. He had braced himself and the imapct had snapped his wrists. He started screaming.

All I could say was sorry to both of them. I was desperately trying to pull myself out fo the car. I couldn't get out. The steering wheel was up by my nose and I was stuck. The first chap that arrived on the scene and noted that my left leg looked odd. As soon as he said it the pain came. My knee was up by my hip. My femur had split, one half had rammed though the knee and the other half out of my rear end. It was odd but before he (the other driver) had said anything I was fine. 3 ambulances and 2 fire engines later I was cut out with those cutting tools. The firemen were perfect, the took the piss which was exactly what I needed.

I had a big and long operation, and had a full blood transfusion - the leg pulled out without anaesthetic, even had a piece of wood put in my mouth as they did it. 2 months in a hospital bed and 6 months off school.

I was gutted about the car. My parents recovered it and had it put on the drive so I could see what I did. I could not get back in it (I would have had to have re-broken my leg) and if the lamp post had fell on it in any other way than dead center one of us would have been dead.

I've never walked the same since but I do now always wear a seat belt as every time I get in car I remember that it saved my life. I look back and in some ways I'm glad I had the smash. A lamp post, a car, and some bones were broken but no one died and if I'd carried on driving like I did I would have copped it at some point.

Charlie

[Andrew O]

My only real car crash was in a Mini. I'd beein doing up my mini - black,with a white roof, blacked out windows, wide wheels - SGH 618R - it was suitably grotesque.

I was working flat out for months after my 17th birthday (I did buy the car myself - it wasn't a present) and wanted it sorted before I passed my test. I promptly passed and drove like a ******* everywhere - raced down lanes, basically I would have made good cannon fodder in the Great War.

One week after I passed I picked up two of my mates. Bombed it round a bend - every warning sign possible, lost it on the turn and drove straight into a lamp post at I think around 40-45. The lamp post snapped in half and landed right down the center of the roof. I was completely stuck in the car but we all seemed fine. My friend who was 6'7'' unclipped and got out of the car! The friend in the back levered himself on the front seat as you do and his wrist fell away. He had braced himself and the imapct had snapped his wrists. He started screaming.

All I could say was sorry to both of them. I was desperately trying to pull myself out fo the car. I couldn't get out. The steering wheel was up by my nose and I was stuck. The first chap that arrived on the scene and noted that my left leg looked odd. As soon as he said it the pain came. My knee was up by my hip. My femur had split, one half had rammed though the knee and the other half out of my rear end. It was odd but before he (the other driver) had said anything I was fine. 3 ambulances and 2 fire engines later I was cut out with those cutting tools. The firemen were perfect, the took the piss which was exactly what I needed.

I had a big and long operation, and had a full blood transfusion - the leg pulled out without anaesthetic, even had a piece of wood put in my mouth as they did it. 2 months in a hospital bed and 6 months off school.

I was gutted about the car. My parents recovered it and had it put on the drive so I could see what I did. I could not get back in it (I would have had to have re-broken my leg) and if the lamp post had fell on it in any other way than dead center one of us would have been dead.

I've never walked the same since but I do now always wear a seat belt as every time I get in car I remember that it saved my life. I look back and in some ways I'm glad I had the smash. A lamp post, a car, and some bones were broken but no one died and if I'd carried on driving like I did I would have copped it at some point.

Charlie

What a story, Do you have any pictures? Just out of curiosity how old are you ?

[charliedurrant]

Hi,

I'm 38 now - it was a long time ago - 1991. One picture was taken but I lost it in a house move - it was me on clutches in a dressing gown standing next to the wreck in my parent's drive. I looked for the negative a few years back to show my kids what 'not' to do but it dissapeared....shame...The accident was in the papers at the time - Bromley in London. I've got a lot of steel in my leg now - I don't fancy breaking it again.

I felt a real prat but I did get my punishment as such.

As soon as I could move my knee and support myself I got in my mum's mini and drove it around the block - something I had to do as when you fall off the horse you have to get back on as the saying goes.

Charlie

p.s. One funny thing was I had a machine moving my knee in bed for months. From a distance it looked like something else!

[lee76]

100mph head on impact.

Any injuries to you ( Assuming you were driving ? )

Does anyone really expect anyone to believe that the picture shows a Mini which had been in a 100 mph head-on impact? If the impact speed had been 100 mph there would have been nothing left, and that applies to any production road-car.
That looks like about a 30 mph combined impact velocity, bearing-in-mind the strength lost with the flip-front.

The on-board data logger recorded a shade under 100mph. driver had broken ribs, damaged liagaments and tendans, torn muscles, broken wrist, back damage, groin damage, concusion, whiplash and damage to neck and groin.the engine and subframe are solid mounted the bodywork had ripples on the rear 1/4s and rear panel where the shock had traveled along them.The Honda civic involved in the accident was also a write off.