Not a good day for the 9-5

[rpiereck]

Today we were going grocery shopping and my wife wanted to drive. She just got her driver's license here in Europe two weeks ago, and since she hadn't driven since 2011 she has been driving only with me; she is definitely an inexperienced driver.

We were coming up on an intersection in Ansbach where there was a stop sign, but she didn't see the sign... A BMW was coming from the right, and just as I noticed she wasn't going to stop I yelled at her, and she slammed on the brakes. It wasn't enough to avoid the BMW and we ended up t-boning the bimmer on its left side.

No one on both cars suffered any injuries, just my wife's ego. My son was on the back seat strapped to his baby seat and was crying from the sudden stop. The driver of the BMW was pissed off (obviously), and his wife was crying like my son from the scare.

Damage to both cars was minimal, but I imagine his damages will cost more than mine. The 9-5 suffered damage to its bumper only. There is evidence that only the first two or three inches of the car actually touched the bimmer, and I will need a whole new bumper. The BMW had damage to both driver's side doors, rear left fender, as well as the rear left wheel.

We had to hang around for an hour and a half, as we called both the German Polizei (who were on scene for 20 minutes), and the US Army Military Police (who were there for a whole hour!). Since I am in the Army I have to call the MPs any time I am in an accident, and if there is an Army base nearby they dispatch a vehicle to the site.

The fault was totally on my wife, and the Polizei said so anyway. Even if it was proved that the guy on the BMW was speeding (and all Germans speed around these parts) the fault would still be hers because she ran the stop sign.

We took the 9-5 home, put the baby seat on the 900 and went to the hospital to have a pediatrician check out Arthur. You can never be 100% sure your baby is OK after a crash, even at low speeds; it was good to hear from a doctor that Arthur was fine. At leats my wife stepped on the brakes at the last second, other wise the BMW might have t-boned us on the right side where Arthur was sitting!

I am calling my insurance tomorrow morning to start the whole claims process, and then I'll have to take the 9-5 to the collision shop on Monday.

[Dave T]

Interesting post but can't "like" it for fear of sending the wrong message.

Too bad, because you wrote about another accident with an Audi recently

In Germany, I am always fearful of someone coming from the right because they may insist on right of way.

[nordwulf]

In Germany, I am always fearful of someone coming from the right because they may insist on right of way.

They may?? They do have the right of way when coming from the right and there are no signs or road markings. I think this is the same all over Europe. Circle the Arc de Triomphe in Paris a few times and you'll never forget. Italy is different though, I never forget driving in Napoli.. The one with no fear wins!

Accidents are always such a hassle but glad to hear nobody got hurt.

[rpiereck]

Too bad, because you wrote about another accident with an Audi recently

Youn know what is ironic, I never did the collision repair from that Audi collision. The damage was minor and I had this odd feeling I shouldn't do the whole claims process to get it repaired. So I drove it for a few months with a scratch and my paint chipped on the front bumper, the only damage to the car. The only thing I had repaired was installing a new left side fog light because I needed that to pass inspection. Now with this BMW crash the front bumper is destroyed anyway and I really need repair. Perhaps it was a little voice inside my head telling me not to repair the 9-5 because later I would need it repaired for sure!

They may?? They do have the right of way when coming from the right and there are no signs or road markings. I think this is the same all over Europe. Circle the Arc de Triomphe in Paris a few times and you'll never forget. Italy is different though, I never forget driving in Napoli.. The one with no fear wins!

Accidents are always such a hassle but glad to hear nobody got hurt.

That is true, and I have this impression that in this part of Germany where I live, Fraconia, northern Bavaria, people drive entirely too fast, speeding everywhere. It is not uncommon to see people going 60 to 70 km/h on a 50 km/h zone, or 40-45 on a 30. On the B roads the speed limit is 100 km/h but they all go 110 to 120. That is particularly bad here, and I wonder if that had anything do do with this crash. If the driver of the BMW had been driving the speed limit or below it we wouldn't have met at that intersection, but the fact that my wife ran the stop sign makes it all her fault regardless of his speed.

On other parts of Germany that I have been to that is not the case. On the Älsas (German side of the French Alsace) people drive slow, usually 5 to 10 km/h under the speed limit. Drive into the French side and they are even slower. Even driving my 900 I had to pass a few French on their rural roads as they drove like geriatric people. I wonder if they have more speed cameras elsewhere, here we have very few of them, none stationary. The Polizei will put speed cameras up on the roads once in a while but they are rather rare.

[Mike Brennan]

In most U S states if you are speeding you lose your "right of way" by law on the books or case law. However, you need an expert to prove the speed and that would not eve be possible in your case. Sorry about the crash, but it looks like and easy fix.

[rpiereck]

Sorry about the crash, but it looks like and easy fix.

Yeah, shit happens. No one was hurt (especially my 13 month son), so that's what matters. Tomorrow I am talking to my insurance agent, I wonder if they will pay me to repair the car myself (why not), I might just buy a used bumper off eBay.

[AT ONE SIR]

so sorry to read that your wife and baby had to go through this, but glad to hear all is well with everyone. There are a ton of non-stop 4-way intersections here in Seattle and I dread going through them.

Anyway, glad to hear all is OK with your family.

[Finding41]

I don't know how insurance works in the US or else ware but here it is nuts. We have "no fault" insurance. So your insurance pays no mater what. (my understanding)
My Insurance broker told me one day that I should never call and ask "hypothetical questions regarding my policy". He has to note it as a claim! Yep. 2 "claims" and fees go up. No Fault=no fun.
He actualy told be to call other insurance companys and not give my policy # but ask anonymously (with policy in hand) for clarification of details if I need.
I have a high deductible ($2500) supposedly to keep my fees down. I haven't made a claim but may have fixed a few things on my own.

[Dave T]

I don't know how insurance works in the US or else ware but here it is nuts. We have "no fault" insurance. So your insurance pays no mater what. (my understanding)
My Insurance broker told me one day that I should never call and ask "hypothetical questions regarding my policy". He has to note it as a claim! Yep. 2 "claims" and fees go up. No Fault=no fun.
He actualy told be to call other insurance companys and not give my policy # but ask anonymously (with policy in hand) for clarification of details if I need .

I think that in British Columbia, there's only the ICBC insurance company. ICBC is tied in with driver's license renewal and toll bridge fines so you can't run away.