Bugs in accidents

[H7GEORGIA]

Hello!

After reading many posts I realise that a bug seems a very safe car, especially after reading about poor Frank and the Truck who crashed into the purple bug. I was wondering if any other Bugs have been in accidents and what was the outcome?

Are NBC's as safe as NB's? I mean if a car or Truck squished the top, would it crumble more as it was a convertible?

Have seen some horror stories of some car accidents, I work in a hospital. Would never get a Smart car "girl broke back, both arms, every bone in her face" it was horrific. And never get a convertible that didnt have those protective bars at the back, one girl skidded along the highway on her head, she did survive though.

I am glad I will be getting a car that seems very safe

Roll on getting my NBC (I think I may call him Oscar!)

[Moviequill]

the NB is one of the safest cars on the market... watch the crash test video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lw7Q7wfFaK0

[73standard]

Yea, they are pretty safe cars. Now if they could just something about those blind spots that are the size of Texas.

[73standard]

Originally Posted by H7GEORGIA

Hello!

After reading many posts I realise that a bug seems a very safe car, especially after reading about poor Frank and the Truck who crashed into the purple bug. I was wondering if any other Bugs have been in accidents and what was the outcome?

Are NBC's as safe as NB's? I mean if a car or Truck squished the top, would it crumble more as it was a convertible?

Have seen some horror stories of some car accidents, I work in a hospital. Would never get a Smart car "girl broke back, both arms, every bone in her face" it was horrific. And never get a convertible that didnt have those protective bars at the back, one girl skidded along the highway on her head, she did survive though.

I am glad I will be getting a car that seems very safe

Roll on getting my NBC (I think I may call him Oscar!)

The Convertable is not going to be as safe. There is more support structure to the hard tops.

[Breez]

If you search here on the org, you will faind some other wreck threads. But here is a 2006 in a t-bone... poor Moonie and her sweet owners, but the car did her job and protected the person in it. http://www.newbeetle.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8144

I feel very safe in my New beetle, I was in an accident in a VW, and everything deployed as it should, and the car was 8 years old. So I went right out and got another VW.

Hope that helps.

[JuggBug]

Originally Posted by Breez

If you search here on the org, you will faind some other wreck threads. But here is a 2006 in a t-bone... poor Moonie and her sweet owners, but the car did her job and protected the person in it. http://www.newbeetle.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8144

Sue and her vert too! But I'm just too tired and lazy to find the thread...

I was in a small fender bender right after I got JuggBug, like right after! The pieces that were hit easily came off and were replaceable, no sweat.

[kelly]

last month, I totalled my black 2000 hardtop, Phoebe,...somehow lost control of her on a curvy woodsy road, she skidded back and forth on the road, then rolled over a few times airborn on the side of the road....skidded along on the topside (directly above my sons head), then ended up rightside up in a cement ditch. We both walked away from it safely A few scrapes & bruises on each of us, a sprained back & neck for me. We were extremely lucky, a few more feet down the road and we would have went off a bridge. The body shop and my allstate agents were shocked at the amount of damage, none had seen anything comparable down to a new beetle. Most of the damage occured to the axles (both were broken and the wheels were folded up, the whole front of the car was destoyed, but the roof where it skidded along was just barely dented in... thankfully Phoebe protected us I full trust the new beetle, especially her roof! haha. I bought a 2001 techno blue Turbo GLX hardtop last week and am so happy to be back in a beetle

[Breez]

Ive seen a video of a 'vert rolling, and the roll bars worked great... so if you want to be able to really feel the wind in your hair, I wouldnt be too afraid of a 'vert.

Ive also seen a vert t boned and I was amazed at how it held up.

I feel good that these are small but safe cars. Kelly! I am so glad you and your son are okay!!! Thats CRAZY!!!

[kcfoxie]

The top to the convertible is some 250+ pounds of cross beamed steel with three layers of headliner and insulation. In short: with the top up the car is just as solid as the hardtop, if not more so because the hard top *does not* have cross members in the belly of the roof like the convertible. Also the convertible has cross beams in the doors to protect on side or frontal crashes.

This is not the 1970s. The new beetle convertible has been toted as one of the safest convertibles by a few magazines (AutoWeek? I think).

[73standard]

Originally Posted by kcfoxie

This is not the 1970s. The new beetle convertible has been toted as one of the safest convertibles by a few magazines (AutoWeek? I think).

But what is that saying?
Kind of like if you're going to get shot this is the safest place to get shot?
In general convertibles aren't as safe as a normal car.

[dnyed]

Des? Talk about Milen?

There have been a few Org members that have had accidents, and all of them are still here.

I have not been in any accidents, but I feel very safe in my New Beetle. Not invincible, like Volvo drivers, ( ) but safe.

In 1998, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the New Beetle a "Top Pick" for safety, over the Honda Accord, and of course, the Hyundai Elantra.

[Billsbug]

Originally Posted by 73standard

But what is that saying?
Kind of like if you're going to get shot this is the safest place to get shot?
In general convertibles aren't as safe as a normal car.

Yes and no. Sure, if a meteor landed on top of it, it wouldn't bounce off it like a tintop.

HOWEVER, the vert has added support beams in the doors and is more survivable in a direct side impact than the tintop, front and back impact results are the same.

BTW, I totalled a Turbo S in '03 and walked away without a scratch.

[kcfoxie]

Thanks for backing me up bill.

Again, this is NOT 1970. Convertibles have come a VERY long way in under-the-skin support and top safety. You can't cut into the top on the NBC because of the crossmembers. I feel just as safe, if not safer, in a NBC than my NB. Primarily because I know that it's got a much stronger, heaiver top.

Show me an accident where someone died in one, and the top played the death knell, and I'll recant my statement. Until then, I stand by it.

[Billsbug]

My only complaint is I almost rolled the vert the 1st day I had it. I thought it could take a wide sweeping turn at speed like my Turbo S.

Once I lowered it, added stiffer suspension and a rear sway bar, I felt MUCH more in control.

[Billsbug]

Originally Posted by 73standard

There is more support structure to the hard tops.

Oh yeah, the vert uniquely also has a thick, metal skid plate (not like the deiselgeek one btw), that ties the front end together as well as protects the underbelly of the engine. The service manager calls it 'the sub-frame'.

[Akothan]

I feel safe in my NB. Not like driving in the Mazda MX-6 I had, where I had a piece of sheetmetal between me and the 2000+ LBS of other vehicles... I did not feel safe in that.

The only other car I felt as safe as a NB was in my Pontiac Fiero GT... But it had the safety rating of a Volvo DL...

*shrugs* I feel safe, comfy and happy to know that in a crunch (pun intended) Silouette will be there to protect me

[LadybugEwa]

I never had an accident in my NB, but it did roll into a heavy gauge steel overhead door all by itself. The door was totally mangled, and required $3600 in repairs. And my NB? The only spot that sustained ANY damage was my plastic license plate frame. I couldn't believe my eyes! Tough little bugger

[Breez]

Originally Posted by Moviequill

the NB is one of the safest cars on the market... watch the crash test video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lw7Q7wfFaK0

Thanks to Neko finding the vert one, you can see the roll "bars" doing their job...

http://www.oeamtc.at/netautor/html_s.../vw_beetle.mpg

[AriesGuy85]

I still consider my New Beetle very safe. I mean in 98' it was beating out cars and still is in crash test. My roommate bought an 06' Honda Civic and the new "ACE" body structure that they has is modeled after the New Beetles looong dash and front crash protection, even the folks at Honda Dealership verified that- look and you'll see. So I think of it as cars companies catching up with what the Beetle has been doing for almost 9 years now.

HA

Jay 2006 PKG 2 New Beetle

[kelly]

Originally Posted by Breez

I feel good that these are small but safe cars. Kelly! I am so glad you and your son are okay!!! Thats CRAZY!!!

Thanks Breeze We were very lucky! I wish I had taken pictures to show how little damage was on the roof after skidding along so far on it. Tough little guys, these bugs are