PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

ramonajim · #8 03-20-2008, 03:03 PM

May have a bit of a bias (currently own three miata's and my 97 has been my daily driver for the last 80k miles) but I wouldn't blink an eye - once a roll bar was installed.

One of the miata's I no longer own was going to be for my then 17 year old daughter. I was driving it one fine SoCal day when a very nice but obviously inattentive lady pulled away from the intersection she was stopped at when the car next to her turned right. Problem was, her light was still red and I was just entering said intersection from the other direction. At right about 55 mph.

Threw both feet in (too late and intersection too narrow to try and maneuver around) and managed to threshold brake (tangent: send your daughter to defensive driving school no matter what she drives!) but still broadsided her at what the cop on the scene reported as "approximately 45 mph on impact".

I walked away with a couple broken ribs (which I can break by coughing hard due to my arthritis) and a set of sore knuckles on my right hand (downshifted from 5th to 3rd and my hand flew forward on impact - punched the stereo head unit out of the dash).

Both cars were totaled. Air bag went off in mine (yes, all miata's have 'em on the driver side unless the steering wheel has been replaced with a non-stock - OP's 91 will not have one on the passenger side).

Being active in the miata community, I know quite a few folks who've had similar experiences. They are tough little cars. Like I said, defensive driving school and a motorcyclist's mentality (they can't see me and they ARE plotting to kill me) and she'll be fine.