One of our regular readers here, Marc S, had an unfortunate encounter on Wednesday this week.
I’ll let him tell the story:
I wanted to let you know that I had Wednesday afternoon at around 13h45 a quite massive car accident here in Luxembourg with my 2003 Saab 93 Aero 2.0T.
A Mercedes hit me nearly frontal because the German driver thought that he was on a double-lane road which he definitely was not as I was driving on the other one.
As you can see from the pictures the impact was quite heavy, and the cars are apparently scrap as they both have a bend on the roof. But the most important thing is that we both are perfectly OK and not badly injured. I have only some minor burnings on my right hand from the airbag explosion and that was it.
The police stated that we were really really lucky running with such secure cars. By the way, my engine was still running and the radio still played J
PS: the only misery is that I wanted to keep my Saab until the new 95 SW is out and now I have to look for a car to bridge that time…
I’m sure you’ll all agree that it’s great news Marc is OK. The other driver as well. Such big accidents don’t always end so well, even in cars as safe as Saab and Mercedes Benz.
I hope a new vehicle comes your way soon, Marc.
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{ 44 comments }
Glad to here you are well Marc.
Hopefully, the other driver’s insurance company will pay for your new SAAB, being that he was obviously in the wrong.
Well, it looks pretty intact, but if that would happen to me – I would temporarily die inside…
Sucks to be the one doing the right thing and still getting in trouble because of others.
Good thing you were in that Saab! It just paid for itself.
This is reason enough to go buy another one. You were in a bad car accident and you’re fine. Amazing isn’t it?
After crashing my first Saab, I was pretty bummed myself. I know the feeling. The good thing is you can get another nice Saab with the insurance money just like I did!
Impressive pictures ! Fortunately the Saab has been strong enough .Glad you’re not injured .
Saab saves life! No doubt about it.
Great to hear that you made it out of that ok, Marc – and the other guys too. Unfortunate accident – thankfully you were both in good, modern, safe cars. I suppose the bright side is the fact you were able to take these photos, and show – in real life – the effects of a collision. Note the strong looking beams behind both wings – good stuff! Again, great to hear you’re alright!!
Glad you’re okay Marc…I hope your search for your next Saab is a short one!
Mark
And it’s a 2003 Saab model, with 7 years old!
The Mercedes it
Prices from Belgium/ :
http://www.saab.be/download/18.422449f41259d1ff0ce7ffe1851/BE_PriceNew95_NL(www)+new_version.pdf
Glad to see you are ok!
At what speed/how fast would you say you were both driving at the time?
Thanks for your comments fellows.
I only hope that the insurance will pay me a fair price for my beloved Saab. It was the first new car I ever bought and my second Saab so far (and for sure not the last!).
Marc
I was not that fast, I was perhaps going 50 to 60 km/h but I can’t tell how fast the Mercedes was.
I remember only that I was seeing the Benz on my lane and saying to myself “what the f” and then i thought, well that was it and bang!!
After the crash I was looking after my glasses who flew away and feeling my head for blood, but there was nothing, nothing at all. And then i heard that the radio was still playing and the engine still running…
Marc
Lucky for you Marc you were driving a Saab. Sorry for your lose of it but then your car did what it was designed to do. Take the impact away from the passenger compartment and absorb the energy away from you. Like I always said. You can replace a car, but can’t a limb or life. Great photos you took. Good luck in your hunt for your next Saab.
Glad you’re ok Mark. Sucks. What will be your bridge car until the 9-5SW arrives?
Take a look at the pictures again, Meg. There are substantial differences between the damage on the Merc and the Saab. The Saab frame has bent slightly outwards and downwards, kind of throwing off the other vehicle, most likely due to the design of the front frame. While the frame in the Merc has bent inwards and downwards. This is a result of how the frame is build, and Saab found this out during 9000 testing that the high frame front frame (which came as a necessity as the engine and transmission prevented a big low frame) was a very good idea from a safety point of view. Also, the wheel is going in the direction of passing ooutside of the door on the Saab, while it’s going into the bottom of the A-pillar on the Merc. I think if the speeds would have been a fair bit higher, the differences would have been more obvious.
Marc, i am glad that you are well and that is what Saab is all about ,Turbo & Being safe in the cockpit.
(Meg, I meant JC, looked at the wrong header.)
It’s extremely safe to crash with a mercedes … when you’re in a saab.
Oh dear! I’m glad you’re o.k.
You can thank the guardian angel that comes as standard in every Saab
Where exactly did this accident happen?
“the German driver thought that he was on a double-lane road which he definitely was not as I was driving on the other one”
HAHAHA!! This would be really funny if it wasn’t under such sad circumstances!
Kapp h
Well, the pictures would look quite nice, if nobody would have been injured at all. The Merc guy was lucky and you were not because it’s a Saab were sitting in
Nees esou een verwirrten Bopi am Mercedes
Fro, op den Gr
The main thing is you walked away without a scratch. (or almost)
By the Way: Garage Kremer has a nice “used” 9-3X for sale.
http://www.garagekremer.lu/fr/occasions/Detail.asp?C=185
Marc,
Glad to hear that you are OK. No surprise based on your choice of vehicle. The older I get, the more safety matters.
I was rear-ended two years ago in my 2002 9-3. I was totally stopped, foot on the break. The other car was going 30 MPH. It was a 1995 Toyota and it bounced off of my car, went airborne, and plowed into a tree in somebody’s yard.
I had to replace my scuffed rear bumper. His car was a total loss. And that was with 2002′s body.
SAAB Saves lives.
Marc,
I’m glad you both were driving safe cars and are okay. I trust SAAB, and Mercedes Benz both to make safe cars.
Haha I like how you made a point of them being a “German driver”. Those dang German drivers!
Glad you are okay, Marc. Your Saab saved your life but I’d be devastated to see my car in that condition. Lets hope his insurance will help pay for a new Saab.
Glad you are okay, Marc. Your Saab saved your life but I’d be devastated to see my car in that condition. Lets hope his insurance will help pay for a new Saab.
It’s sad to see a Saab hurt, but the car did exactly what it was supposed to. It sacrificed itself for it’s passengers.
Glad you are OK!
I was hit from the side in an intersection once by a Honda Pilot SUV going at decent speed (his airbags deployed) The resulting crash totaled my 2001 Aero.
Results:
And from the inside:
You can barely tell I was hit from the inside!
I was hit at a decent speed, spun around and wound up facing the opposite direction off the side of the road.
I am glad our cars are so safe!
Interesting to see that on both cars, the left side suffered most of the damage. In a head-0n that wasn’t lined up exactly, opposite sides of the vehicles would suffer.
Sorry, Hughw, but they wouldn’t…
Two cars crashing frontally with an offset will both be hit on the same side – usually the driver’s side!
Terrific ! Always mind both german driver and benz driver
I was kind of wondering about your comment. That’s quite all right!
I’m very impressed. Glad to see that you were not hurt. I know it must be tough for you to lose your Saab 93. It is however a great excuse to buy a new Saab. I hope you enjoy your new purchase. Just a thought.
Marc S., first of all I am SO very glad that you are ok. An accident like that is quite the experience. It was certainly to your advantage that you were driving a Saab. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
One might change the Saab ad to:
“It is safe to crash with a (whatsoever) – if YOU are sitting in a SAAB!”
Here’s a message to all Merc drivers:
Don’t mess with a Saab!!!
Glad you’re OK
Interesting- the Saab 93 is a near decade old design that has performed as well as a brand new Merc design- and safety has come a long way in those 10 years.
So the proof of Saab safety research and its implementation in higher standards than legislation requires is again proven.
Of note is the way that this offset impact crash is outside edges of the front corners only -at about 10 or 15 degrees – half the EURONCAP 40 degree overlap. Such a low level of offset angle means less of each car’s frontal width structure is involved and that means that the impact and its effects on the inner wing and suspension and A psot is far more severe than in a more head-on crash
You can see that both cars have had their front wing/fender panels ripped off- sliced away – and the inner winf beams are exposed in simialr manner, but that the Saab has defelcted the forces away from the base of teh A pot and sill junction- whisl the Merc has deformed int his area – very interesting differences thats tem from Saab’s patented A post to sill anti-intrusion junction.
Note how doors have not peeled open and collapsed either..
The Merc has done well, the Saab as the older design, even better.
Imagine having this crash in a big windscreened, low fronted, low firewalled, low fendered car with thin inner wing struts, and thin A posts, soft doors and thin sills-a car perhaps like a mid-1990s product from a certain far eastern car maker. Oh and you can follow such theories by checking out the early 1990s crash tests over at TUV/ ADAC old cars crash test sites. Also check out the USA’s Insurance Institute and Highway Loss crash test critique of a certain 2005/6 model large saloon model with the worst ever offset crash test performance. Even worse was the China Brilliance model crash test.
Saab- years ahead in keeping you alive.
Which model of Mercedes was this?
well looks like a C-Class to me
On Folksam’s website, they show that the 9-3 1998-2003 received only four stars (EuroNCAP), but the 2003-onwards receives the full five stars.
Anyone remember what Saab changed? More airbags?
Which 2003 9-3 did you have Marc?
Rune,
SAAB changed the whole car!!!
The 9-3 Hatch got 4 Stars and the 9-3 SS 5.
Ah, of course. I’ve been sleeping in class! I somehow thought the generation change occured earlier.
Very similar to my accident a few years ago in our 03 9-3. The driver was drunk and didn’t make it. We barely felt the hit and he was going 50 mph and flipped in his van. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt and ran a red light. It was a total loss. My wife didn’t want any other kind of car but a SAAB. That is when we bought her the convertible. See Avatar… I’m glad you’re ok, I know it’s scary!! Perhaps a Turbo X somewhere?!?! in the meantime?
I’m glad you’re safe. Hope you find a good deal for your new Saab. Another life saved–Saab saves lives.
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