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Car Accident

To: Triumph Newsgroup <triumphs@autox.team.net>, Friends of Triumph <fot@autox.team.net>
Subject: Car Accident
From: J Wagner <jmwagner@greenheart.com>
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 20:02:59 -0700
User-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.0.2) Gecko/20021120 Netscape/7.01
A few hours ago I was in a car accident. There was nothing I could have 
done.  A teenager coming out of our local high school just drove right 
into the street and right into the car I was driving.  Just as mobile 
homes seem to attract tornados, Triumphs and new cars seem to attract 
drivers that aren't paying attention.   My Triumph was spared, I was 
driving my Mom's 2003 Mercedes, with less than 3000 miles on the odometer.

There was full deployment of side impact air bags.  They slapped my arm 
good and whacked my ear, but the alternative might have been my head in 
the door glass.  I don't know.  It was a good impact and quite dramatic, 
but all at relatively low speed.   While I think the air bags were 
incredible, I'm not sharing the story to just dramatize their 
importance...  it's something else.

This was my 72 year old mom's car, that I happened to be driving.  (She 
was in the passenger seat.)  Immediately after the impact, just like in 
the commercials, a voice came on in the car, "This is On-Star, we have 
notice of an air bag deployment, is everyone okay?"   This kind sounding 
woman asked all the right questions, called the police for us, called 
the auto club, and of course, offered to get an ambulance, etc., which, 
fortunately, we did not need.

The driver of the other car was also unhurt and it looks like she was 
insured.   The Mercedes was damaged, but it can be repaired.   What 
really came out of this was incredible peace of mind for my mother and 
I.  We both knew she had this service, but this really drove it home. 
 When her car is back, she'll know that there's this guardian angel 
there, ready to help (also at a push of a button), and I'll feel so much 
better knowing my brothers and I got her into a car with such safety 
features.  Having a cell phone in the car just isn't the same 
particularly in the confusion that follows an accident.

This all said, of course, I will still drive my 67 TR 4A, with 
aeroscreens, and enjoy the wind in the face and all.   My advice, 
however, is for anyone looking for a car for an aging parent or loved 
one, family,  etc... look into this technology and don't let the cost 
deter you.

--Justin Wagner

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