Crashed The V

[The Edge]

The accident was my fault but i definately agree with your tire comment. I hate these Continental tires. They have locked up on me several times during routine braking on wet roads. As soon as I can I'm gonna upgrade.

PS: I'll be posting exactly what they are changing. I got the estimate in the mail with all the repairs that will be done.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

I had my fronts changed at 10500, and I had them rotated around 8000. The stock ones are terrible.

[The Edge]

Okay so here is a complete list of what they are doing to my car

1) R & I bumper cover

2) Bumper paint and clear coat

3) LT/Front Wheel,Alloy replace

4) LT/Front Tire replace (they pro rated the wear on my current tire and charged me $10 for this new one)

5) Replace LT Lower control arm

6) Replace LT Stabilizer Link

7) Replace LT Strut

8) Replace LT axle assy manual trans

9) Replace Flex additive (have no idea what this is)

Total price is $1433.72 and my deductable is $1000.

So why don't I just pay out of pocket since it's only 433 over my deductable

Apparently Nissan gives insurance companies discounts I'm assuming because they get alot of business from them because the invoice states labor is $44 per hour and I know they charge $95 an hour according to the sign posted there.

Also, The alloy wheel is listed at $156 which seems like a discounted price. The other parts did not have a price listed.

If I were to do it at my own expense I think it would be closer to $3000

What do you guys think?

[Vahagn23]

I seen better alloy wheels for $70-99, but I would go with the insurance, because you pay them for something, let them do some work.

[fjwagner]

I posted what happened here just to let you guys know since we are all versa owners. I don't need back seat driver's telling me what I did wrong or what I should've done. Even you so called experts should know that when put in a situaion when you have 1-3 seconds to react that sometimes you WILL do the wrong thing or the right thing. I'm 32 and have been driving since I was 16 and this is my first accident. AND that is exactyl what it was an ACCIDENT. So thanks to everyone who offered their sympathy and to those who critisized how I reacted you can keep the comments to yourself......yes that means you driving instructor.

Could have this been avoided if I were going slower....of course but it doesn't take a genius or driving instructor to figure that out.

Not sure why you are being so sensitive as their is a lesson for all of us. Your reactions probably put you into the collision, so an analysis of that helps you and helps the rest of us. Almost all accidents can or should be avoided with a few exceptions. How one reacts will dictate which side one falls on. I strongly suggest that you use this as a learning and not criticize those that are critiquing to help you and the rest of us. Fred

[feloniousmonk]

What do you guys think?

I think you got lucky again. For comparison, labor out here in LA is at least $100 per hour.

[The Edge]

All the training and critiqueing in the world will not change the fact that when you have 1-2 seconds to react you don't know how you will react whether good or bad. I just don't like someone telling me "no comment" or I was wrong. It was an accident and that's all there is to it....it happens, i tried to avoid it but i couldn't at that moment.

Enough with the should've, would've, could've's

[feloniousmonk]

All the training and critiqueing in the world will not change the fact that when you have 1-2 seconds to react you don't know how you will react whether good or bad. I just don't like someone telling me "no comment" or I was wrong. It was an accident and that's all there is to it....it happens, i tried to avoid it but i couldn't at that moment.

Look, no one is saying you could turn back time and change the past. Plain and simple, put aside your pride, keep an open mind on the discussion and learn from your mistake. Knowing what you did will help you make that right split second decision the next time. It's common sense that you shouldn't attempt to shed speed in the way you did in a front end heavy, front wheel drive car. Number of years behind the wheel doesn't make you an expert. What you did to cause the accident proves it. Most of the drivers on the Formula One circuit are much younger than you are (some by at least 10 years). Does that make them less of an expert driver than you are? If what you are implying is true, then this morning I wouldn't have nearly been side-swiped by the geriatric who changed lanes without looking.

Proper car control is a skill learned not through practice alone. It needs to be studied and analyzed. Plus, there is a difference between accidents and avoidable incidents. Yours was complete avoidable and you admitted to it.

If you had taken the corner slow, could you have avoided the accident? of course! But slow isn't the only way to go around corners. Done properly, you can still corner fast... wet or dry (within limits of the given equipment, of course).

Quote »Enough with the should've, would've, could've's[/quote]Pointless to post and ask questions if you're not willing to accept feedback. With an attitude like that, you'll take away nothing from your mistake. Contrary to reality, everyone likes to think they're the best driver in the world. This is a public forum. While you think you are too good for the information discussed here, others may actually benefit from it. Purpose of forums is to exchange and share information... it's a collection of knowledge (a searchable one even).

[fjwagner]

You got to learn how to tap the breaks. I tap my breaks on rainy and snow weather. Better than ABS . On a sharp curve you cant slam breaks, especially on rain, its obvious your cars gona start sliding. Did you try pulling the hand break as well?

V - I beg to differ. your odds are much greater to go into a slide with non ABS brakes than with ABS; especially on water. The brake tapping shifts vehicle weight which loads and unloads your tires on the curve when you are much better off with all four wheels equally on the pavement.

[boingo82]

You got to learn how to tap the breaks. I tap my breaks on rainy and snow weather. Better than ABS . On a sharp curve you cant slam breaks, especially on rain, its obvious your cars gona start sliding. Did you try pulling the hand break as well?

Tapping the brakes is a TERRIBLE idea. That's what led to me wiping out on ice at 40mph. Just a slight tap locked all 4 wheels of my Sentra. Never have I been so glad for a plowed bank of snow just to the side of the road. NO DAMAGE to the car!

We can talk all day about tapping the brakes and downshifting (and yes I HAVE driven stick, lots) but the end of it is, we should try to drive in such a way that we do not NEED to emergency brake.

OP, you screwed up, goodness knows we all have, and it's just a matter of being lucky when we do. Hoping that the invisible car's driver was watching when we almost change lanes into it. Hoping we are able to maintain control of the car when we're going too fast, hoping the results are painless and cheap when we fail to do that.

Please just be careful. I don't have an uncle right now because of a road that was wet from the first summer rain. All the oil that's been deposited there floats to the top of the water, making the road almost as slick as if it were ice. If you live in Cali or somewhere there's never ice on the road, this is the most dangerous natural road condition you'll come across.

We have to remember to adjust our driving for conditions. None of us are perfect - see above where I neglected to do that! But once we screw up, and we all do in one way or another, we just gotta learn from it.

I am glad that you got off CHEAP in terms of injury, and damage! No airbags deployed, thank goodness! In no time you will have the V back on the road only with a healthy fear of wet downhill curves this time. Take 'em like a grandma.

[boingo82]

All the training and critiqueing in the world will not change the fact that when you have 1-2 seconds to react you don't know how you will react whether good or bad. I just don't like someone telling me "no comment" or I was wrong. It was an accident and that's all there is to it....it happens, i tried to avoid it but i couldn't at that moment.

Enough with the should've, would've, could've's

If you have any money left after repairs, you might want to look into BMW's Performance Driving School.

They will actually put you through several controlled "emergencies" on a skidpad, and teach you to maintain control of the car on wet, icy, and other conditions.

Part of the problem is that just about NONE of us get to practice controlling a car when it's skidding until it happens, then you have split seconds to act and no f***ing idea what you are doing.

If you take the classes though, it will be familiar, and more predictable. Plus their classes just look FUN.

http://www.relearntodrive.com

[feloniousmonk]

If you have any money left after repairs, you might want to look into BMW's Performance Driving School.

Good suggestion, but probably not the right school. BMWs are all rear wheel drive and behave differently than front wheel drive cars. Most, if not all, tracks across the country offer performance driving classes for different skill levels. Some of these classes aren't even geared towards competition, but specifically for developing real world car control skills. Some classes are even designed so that you can drive your own car on the track, and instruction is tailored specificially to that car.

It can be costly, so an alternative is to buy one of many great performance driving books from amazon and study it like your life depends on it.

[V Chai]

Any suggestion which books are good?

[feloniousmonk]

Any suggestion which books are good?

I read Bondurant's book years ago. It's pretty good, but not front wheel drive specific. There are probably more front wheel drive specific info online, you just have to do your own leg work to find them. Try the road racing and auto-x forums here on Nico, that should be a good place to start.

[boingo82]

Good suggestion, but probably not the right school. BMWs are all rear wheel drive and behave differently than front wheel drive cars. Most, if not all, tracks across the country offer performance driving classes for different skill levels. Some of these classes aren't even geared towards competition, but specifically for developing real world car control skills. Some classes are even designed so that you can drive your own car on the track, and instruction is tailored specificially to that car.

It can be costly, so an alternative is to buy one of many great performance driving books from amazon and study it like your life depends on it.

Good point on FWD and RWD. I didn't think of that, but you're right. Still, some kind of school, reading and/or skidpad practice would probably be good.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

I work for a parts company specializing in collision parts. When there is a collision and you get you insurance company involved, they are supposed to give you a quote on how much the repair will cost given the list price of all of the part and normally a discounted rate on labor. The list price on OE parts are standard across the field all around the U.S. The insurance company pays this price to the shop to fix your car however the body shops normally end up getting the parts for about half the list price...wheels being the one exception. Long story short anytime you get your car fixed at a body shop or have insurance involved you are getting ripped off by the system. Repairs would be a hell of a lot cheaper without any Insurance involvement.

btw, I backed into a car damaging my bumper and quarter panel, it cost 1500 to repair and no new parts were used...

[fjwagner]

If you have any money left after repairs, you might want to look into BMW's Performance Driving School.

I took my son when he was 16 to that course and I took the two day adult course. He is already told me that the skills he learned have kept him out of a couple accidents. The ABS high speed braking and turning drill was one of the best. Emergency lane changing, skid pad and on and on. However, they are all rear wheel drive cars as a previous poster pointed out. Fred

[The Edge]

[The Edge]

I work for a parts company specializing in collision parts. When there is a collision and you get you insurance company involved, they are supposed to give you a quote on how much the repair will cost given the list price of all of the part and normally a discounted rate on labor. The list price on OE parts are standard across the field all around the U.S. The insurance company pays this price to the shop to fix your car however the body shops normally end up getting the parts for about half the list price...wheels being the one exception. Long story short anytime you get your car fixed at a body shop or have insurance involved you are getting ripped off by the system. Repairs would be a hell of a lot cheaper without any Insurance involvement.

btw, I backed into a car damaging my bumper and quarter panel, it cost 1500 to repair and no new parts were used...

I disagree with that statement. Look at everything I stated that is being replaced and the total bill was $1433. There is no way I would get all that done cheaper at a Nissan dealership if I did it on my own.

[The Edge]

Disregard my statement I guess you were referring to body shops only, not body and mechanical.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

Yeah body shops only. The dealerships will have a marked up price too, if you buy a part from them directly most the times it wont be an OE part unless you specify that,and they will probably tell you the same list price as the insurance companies get.

[feloniousmonk]

btw, I backed into a car damaging my bumper and quarter panel, it cost 1500 to repair and no new parts were used...

I think by law they are required to use new parts.

[ITasteLightBulbs]

I paid for it out of pocket, didnt want my rates going up. The paint cost me the most because of the 3m protective coating.

[The Edge]

I paid for it out of pocket, didnt want my rates going up. The paint cost me the most because of the 3m protective coating.

spoke with Geico today and the rep told me that my premium will not be going up because i'm a premium customer. been with them 9 years and this is my first claim with them. Then again this accident only cost them $433