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Fender-benders in micro cars can be costly
Yahoo ^ | 6/11/2009 | Ken Thomas

Posted on 06/11/2009 6:52:45 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Even a fender-bender in a fuel-efficient mini car can lead to thousands of dollars worth of repairs, the insurance industry found in new crash tests.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported Thursday that repairing damage to microcars in low-speed crashes of 3 to 6 miles per hour could cost anywhere from $474 to $3,701.

The Institute conducted low-speed crash tests on the front and back bumpers and the front and rear corners of seven 2009 model year mini cars that have become more widely available with rising fuel costs in recent years.

The Kia Rio racked up the most damage among the tiny cars, $3,701 in repairs to the full front bumper. In the four tests, the Rio averaged $2,705 in damages.

The Smart fortwo had the lowest average bill of $899 among the seven vehicles tested. In one test, damage to the rear corner of the fortwo cost $507. The Chevrolet Aveo had the second-lowest bill, an average of $1,155 in damages for the four tests.

Among the other vehicles tested, the Hyundai Accent averaged $2,123 in damages, the Honda Fit racked up $1,960 in repairs and the Toyota Yaris would have led to an average bill of $1,951. Tests to the bumpers of the Mini Cooper generated average damages of $1,637.

Institute senior vice president Joe Nolan said bumpers should be designed to protect vehicle parts such as grilles and headlights. Damages should cost less than the typical $500 insurance deductible for a collision, he said.

"When you reach $1,000 (in damages) the bumper isn't doing its job, and anything $1,500 or higher is egregious," Nolan said.

(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agenda; democrats; economy; globalwarming; gm; greenjobs; microcars; obama; smartcar; socialism
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To: mysterio

You’re right.

A bumper cover (the plastic part you see on the outside), paint job to match the body, and labor is over a grand instantly.

For those interested in home repair, NAPA sells a special type of 2 part repair(sort of like a sophisticated bondo) for plastic bumpers. I’ve used it with success on some older cars that didn’t merit a professional job.


21 posted on 06/11/2009 7:13:39 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: ctdonath2

I agree that looks bad, although it might not be much different for a midsize or even a pickup. It’s hard to argue with 78,000# head on.


22 posted on 06/11/2009 7:14:53 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: ctdonath2

And that was a crash at 25 mph!


23 posted on 06/11/2009 7:16:40 AM PDT by Obadiah (Obama: Chains you can believe in!)
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To: Red in Blue PA
Yet Obama wants his pipe-dream (like Hitler did VW's) of everyone driving these cars.

No way Obama will take away southern red-neck trucks.

24 posted on 06/11/2009 7:17:01 AM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!
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To: Red in Blue PA

This only one of the unintended consequences of high CAFE standards.


25 posted on 06/11/2009 7:17:29 AM PDT by preacher (A government which robs from Peter to pay Paul will always have the support of Paul.)
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To: Zeddicus

Contrary to popular perception, it’s all about structural engineering.

A large car whose structure can be compared to an egg-shell for the passenger compartment, with the bulk of the mass like a lead weight behind it, isn’t going to do too well in a head-on collision. The momentum of the extra mass at the rear is going to ensure the crushing of the occupants, too. Proper weight distribution, with advanced crumple zones will go far more in protecting the occupants than just adding mass to the vehicle.


26 posted on 06/11/2009 7:18:34 AM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Red in Blue PA

can’t wait for ER nurses to come up with a catchy name for these vehicles (motorcycles are affectionately known as “donorcycles”)


27 posted on 06/11/2009 7:20:19 AM PDT by mrmargaritaville
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To: ctdonath2

Suicide clown cars ... Driven only by people with an IQ of ...


28 posted on 06/11/2009 7:20:50 AM PDT by Tarpon (You abolish your responsibilities, you surrender your rights.)
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To: ctdonath2

So, uh, how did the driver of the black car do in that? (Is this 0bama’s solution to universal health care, require tiny cars?)


29 posted on 06/11/2009 7:21:10 AM PDT by coloradan (The US has become a banana republic, except without the bananas - or the republic.)
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To: mrmargaritaville

Do they have a catchy name for SUVs that roll over and kill their occupants too?


30 posted on 06/11/2009 7:21:27 AM PDT by Zeddicus
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

Don’t know. I think he was a country boy from the midwest (probably with those intersections where you could see for miles all around). At least I would hope so...

He also told us that he never financed anything (always saved and paid cash) until he bought a car a few weeks before class started. He wanted to see how financing a purchase actually worked. He was turned down because he had no credit history. So he paid cash for the car.


31 posted on 06/11/2009 7:23:05 AM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, democrats believe every day is April 15)
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Just remember that even a Smart Car gives more protection than a motorcycle (which few loudly & frequently deride as all kinds of stupid).


32 posted on 06/11/2009 7:24:22 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (John Galt was exiled.)
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To: MyTwoCopperCoins

To its credit, the Smart Car is designed to route crash energy _around_ the passenger compartment, and presumably one reason fender-benders cost so much to repair is that the car is designed to disperse that energy by blowing the whole frame to pieces. Somewhere there’s a high-speed video of such a head-on crash test, and it’s just amazing watching the entire frame disintegrate (from one end to the other) while the passenger area is untouched.

Contrast this with, say, a motorcycle where the “crumple zone” IS the passenger.


33 posted on 06/11/2009 7:28:07 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (John Galt was exiled.)
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To: RU88

When I bought my 98 F-150 it came with a steel bumper on the rear. I was rear-ended 3 weeks after I bought it - a minor tap I thought, as I hardly felt a thing (I was stopped at a red light at the time). My bumper had a small scratch on it and the left side was slightly pushed in (barely noticable). You should have seen the damage on the little Honda. Headlight and turn signal were destroyed, front grill was destroyed. Hood was pushed up. Bumper was dragging the ground. Who knows what the damage inder the skin was. It was a mess.


34 posted on 06/11/2009 7:30:01 AM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, democrats believe every day is April 15)
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To: Zeddicus

not sure, but SUVs are incredibly safe in a rollover-provided the the occupants are intelligent enough to be wearing seat belts.


35 posted on 06/11/2009 7:34:58 AM PDT by mrmargaritaville
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To: ctdonath2

An environmentalist would look at that photo and see a tragedy - not the loss of life, but the fact that diesel fuel is spilled all over the ground.


36 posted on 06/11/2009 7:40:26 AM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: Red in Blue PA
Fender-benders in micro cars can be costly

In micro cars, crashes that would be a "fender bender" in other cars become major. Repair costs are not the main concern - survival is.

37 posted on 06/11/2009 7:41:04 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (A victim of 0bamunist 0pression!)
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To: Zeddicus

I think they are called “Idiot driver thought it was a Corvette”


38 posted on 06/11/2009 7:45:03 AM PDT by Enigo54 (What we don't have makes up for what we don't have)
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To: Red in Blue PA

These are only the costs to repair the POS cars.......

What are the costs added to the “National Health Care”??


39 posted on 06/11/2009 8:02:41 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: prophetic

but he drives nothing that give more than 8 MPG.”

HE drive nothing!!

He is chauffered in nothing that gets more than 8 mpg.


40 posted on 06/11/2009 8:09:01 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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