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Fri May 20, 2005 10:19 pm

A good friend of my was pretty upset when I bought my bug- His father died in a head-on collision in a '72 Super Beetle. :cry:

Obviously our bugs are not ever going to meet the safety standards of modern cars, that goes without saying. And with a head-on wreck, who is to say that my friend's father would have survived, even with and air bag.

Nonetheless, I'd be interested to hear how other people's bugs have fared when they were in a collision.

Fri May 20, 2005 11:46 pm

I've been in accidents in a bug, bus, and a 412. Knock on wood, thank God and St. Christopher I have never been hurt.

Sat May 21, 2005 2:29 am

Many years ago I hit a very large cow in central Australia with my 1970 bug. It was standing crosswise on a very dark road (cloudy night - no moon - nothing to help visibility) and I hit it on the left shoulder - it rolled up the front, struck it's head on the A pillar (bent it but the windscreen stayed intact) and rolled off the right side. It staggered off into the night with a broken leg - it was so dark I couldn't follow it to put it out of it's misery.

The bug survived very well - some damage to the front luggage area and right front fender, plus one broken light, but a bit of pulling on the fender had it mobile again and I drove it to Adelaide (over 1000 miles) like that.

Then in 1999 the same bug got tail ended in heavy traffic. I saw the guy coming and jumped on the brakes to try and save the front, but he pushed me (with locked brakes) into the car in front - totalling my car and the one in front, yet the engine was still running (with a cracked distributor cap). I survived with just a sore neck, but the bug's body was a complete write off - it now has a donor body on it.

For their day, they were actually quite strong cars, but of course they don't have the same impact protection for the occupants that modern cars have.

Sat May 21, 2005 5:16 am

99.99% of vehicle safety starts with the driver. The five most important rules of car safety are:

1. Keep your distance.
2. Keep your distance.
3. Keep your distance.
4. Make sure that the car behind you is keeping his distance.
5. Slow down, and keep your distance.

The other .01% is for the drunk driver that jumps an overhead and is heading for you from above. There is nothing to do on that one :roll:

How long have you been driving? It takes a full three years for a driver to become proficient behind the wheel. It might not feel that way but statistics and tests have shown this to be very accurate. If you don't have three years of experience yet, pay attention to the five rules of automotive safety :wink:

Sat May 21, 2005 5:39 am

abdon wrote:

It takes a full three years for a driver to become proficient behind the wheel. It might not feel that way but statistics and tests have shown this to be very accurate. If you don't have three years of experience yet, pay attention to the five rules of automotive safety :wink:

I would agree with that to some point.

Some people will never become proficient behind the wheel.
I firmly believe that of the population with drivers licences about 25% should not have them because they show extremely poor cooridination or motor skills because of old age or the fact they just never will have good cooridination.You have seen these people in GYM class.These people will prove to be moving hazards for the rest of their lives.
After that elimination you still have probably another 15% that show poor depth perception and velocity judgement.These people are also an ongoing hazard.

There is a reason some people drive slow everywhere and in every condition.You have seen them, you have probably been trapped behind them at one time or another.
They don't understand why everyone is in such a hurry.

They are scared they are going to wreck.....Again
Everyone treats them like a moving chicane because that's what they are.

You will also never hear anyone say they are a bad driver.
If they do, :shock: believe them.

Sat May 21, 2005 6:09 am

I was reading an old safer motoring from 1965 and it said that you are not experienced until you have done 100,000 miles behind the wheel.

Thats pretty true, I drive my bug everyday and have only done about 8k on it, Got along way to go

Mac

Sat May 21, 2005 8:53 am

I think part of the problem is most people don't understand
their car these kids today don't learn a thing about what's
under the hood or anything else on the car
i know people who can't even change a tire or check there oil
they souldn't be on the road

Sat May 21, 2005 9:56 am

I've had my 74 for 31 years and 464,000 miles. It's been hit 3 times, all when it was parked in front of my house (2 different houses).

So the answer is No.

Sat May 21, 2005 12:19 pm

I'm an elderly old woman of 42 :roll: and have been driving since I was a teenager. I'm a big advocate of keeping my distance too. Nothing prevents an accident like keeping distance between your car and the others!

Sat May 21, 2005 12:43 pm

i havent gotten in a wreck in my bug yet. Though i was t boned in an infiniti when i pulled in to a turn lane when he wanted to go where i was stopped.

I think getting hit in the other car could have been a good thing. because of that i learned not every driver will pay attention or look were they are going so i have to drive being more aware of whats goin on around me. One i start driving my bug again im sure gonna keep a good distance from the car in front of me.

As of now i have alot more miles or years before i become proficient behind the wheel. Im currently 17 so when im 20 maybe i will become a better driver.

Sat May 21, 2005 1:53 pm

I've been in three , all in the same car , a 68 I had in high school and college (over 20yrs ago) . First time got rear ended at about 25mph (no body hurt) , second one , I rear ended someone (same street , two blocks from the first one , no one hurt) , number three rolled the car goofing around in the parking lot before class (bruises across thighs , no seat belt , legs caught me on the steering wheel) . Car held up well , and was rebuilt after the rollover even . TROY

Sat May 21, 2005 2:07 pm

I have been in an accident in the rain, it wasn't fun.

Sat May 21, 2005 3:25 pm

In 89 I T-Bone a old guy in a station wagen that pulled out infront of me, luckly I had my seat belt on (just after the seat belt law passed). I was driving a 70 beetle pushed the whole front end flat! I have 2 herniated disc's in my neck to this day and my left forearm wrapped around the wing window post (had my elbow on the window sill). I was 22, the cops were pretty ignorant to me until they found out it wasnt my fault! :shock:

My car was hauled to a inside holding area, someone stole my tools, then to the salvage yard. The day before I when to pick up the car (bought it back) someone stripped the it clean!!! The owner said someone must have broken in over night! Yah right....

Good thing I kept all the reciepts, the insurance company ended up paying every sent....

Chris

Sat May 21, 2005 4:13 pm

I'vr found people are more agressive when I'm in the bug. It's like they just want to test my car to see how it holds up. I'm 17 too, but I haven't been able to drive my bug too much.

Sat May 21, 2005 6:03 pm

On a four lane road with a suicide lane, the lady to my left wasn't paying attention to the car in front of her and she moved quickly into the suicide lane to avoid hitting the rear of the car in front of her; however, there was a car in the suicide lane stopped and making a left hand turn. It had been raining earlier that morning so the roads were wet and there was still a fine mist in the air. When she hit her brakes, she lost control of the car, slid sideways back across her lane and hit the left rear quarter panel and fender of my Beetle.

My tire blew instantly and due to extensive damage to the rear trailing arm and cv joints, the wheel locked up. The force knocked me into the right curb but instead of flipping, I bounced off the curb and was sent in a spin through the middle of a busy intersection across four lanes of traffic. By some miracle, I missed every car in the intersection including a large Crystal Springs water truck. When the car came to a rest, I was in the far left lane facing north.

When I got out of the car, I expected to find the rear of the car dangling or missing completely yet I was suprised to find minimum damage and I was able to get the car back on the road for $450 (not counting paint and repair of the rear quarter which I pulled out and primed up). The car had held up real well.

Sat May 21, 2005 6:10 pm

Yeah, i think people see a bug, and assume it's slow without actually seeing how fast it's going. I can be going 50 in a 40 and people will see the bug and decide to fly around me just so they can go 40 again.

Sun May 22, 2005 9:33 am

Hobbes wrote: Yeah, i think people see a bug, and assume it's slow without actually seeing how fast it's going.

i tend to agree with you on that.

i rear ended someone in my 65 bug a few months ago. if i had worn a full 3-point seatbelt, i would have been a lot better off, since i had about 50 stitches placed on my chin from hitting the steering wheel. the guy in front of me was almost stopped and i was going 40. the front end of the bug was pushed in, but nothing too serious. both fenders were also pushed back, but i think the spare tire absorbed a lot of the impact, or at least that is where the center of the impact seemed to be. so, as long as you have a good seatbelt and as long as you wear it, i think you should be ok.

Sun May 22, 2005 10:21 am

tell him "i dont own a Super Beetle" on super the tire lays horizontal not upright to absorb impact like standard beetle. i got hit one time in 40 years of driving them. olds cutless hit drivers fender and frt. fender,running board,rear fender fell of of it . i put the crap in back seat and drove it him. 320,000 miles on it. put engine from this 62 into a 70,000 mile 63 i was building a bigger motor for.

Sun May 22, 2005 12:47 pm

joe56vw wrote: I think part of the problem is most people don't understand
their car these kids today don't learn a thing about what's
under the hood or anything else on the car
i know people who can't even change a tire or check there oil
they souldn't be on the road
Your argument is BS. I bet you don't know how a television works, but I bet you know how to operate it.

Sun May 22, 2005 2:22 pm

I was rear-ended in my 68 beedle while stopped in the fast lane due to heavy traffic on a freeway. I saw the guy in my mirror coming at me at about 50 mph and he was looking to his left not noticing I was stopped. I had the presence of mind to take my foot off the brake because I knew I was going to get hit hard. When he hit me, I hit the brake but the impact pushed me into the car in front of me. The 3 point seat belt really kept me from serious injury but the rebound of my body broke the seat back and threw me into the back seat. The damage to the car was not a total but it was extensive. The rear bumper and deck were crushed, the motor was hit but pushed forward enough to crack the transmission nose cone and the front was damaged bumper, hood and fender.

The good news is that I walked away from the wreck with a sore neck. I strongly believe that the coccoon of the beedle passenger compartment is very strong. I have 4 daughters, bought each of them their first car, a beedle and taught them how to drive safely. thankfully, none of them have had an accident but if they did I believe the beedle will protect them. Enjoy your beedle.