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Bang! - Richard Hall
Driving to work this morning along the A14 in my newly inherited Citroen AX. 70mph, outside lane, about to overtake a truck, everything under control - BANG! And my forward visibility disappeared.

The bonnet had flipped up and smashed into the windscreen. Braked hard, hazards on, located verge by looking out of side window. Aren't I lucky that:

1. It was a straight, wide piece of road.
2. There was nothing immediately behind me.
3. It didn't happen ten seconds later when I would have been alongside a 38 tonne artic.
4. Even cheap old Citroens have laminated windscreens.

Anyway, the bonnet is hopelessly crumpled, plastic scuttle panel badly gouged, windscreen broken and the roof is dented where the leading edge of the bonnet hit the roof mount for the aerial. And I guess the bonnet latch needs replacing as well.... At 8 years and 95,000 miles, it could well be 'game over' for this little car. It is still insured in the name of my mother, who died two weeks ago - my sister rang the insurance company, explained the circumstances and got them to issue a cover note valid until the 23rd, with myself as named driver. So presumably an insurance claim won't cost me the NCD on my policy.

Question - if rear-hinged doors were outlawed years ago, why are car makers still allowed to fit rear hinged bonnets? If my mother's old car had been a Renault, this would never have happened.

Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
Bang! - Steve S
Richard,

Glad you're OK. I'm not sure that "if rear-hinged doors were outlawed years ago" is true.

The new Mazda RX8 is supposed to have them, admittedly they cannot be opened without the front door having been.

Does make you think though, when it comes to rear hinges on the bonnet. Had the bonnet release coroded?
Bang! - jud
And the new rolla
Bang! - Mark (RLBS)
It will not affect the NCD on your policy.

You are going to have to declare it though.
Bang! - Big Vern
It will not affect the NCD on your policy.
You are going to have to declare it though.


And your premiums will rise!! NCD is the worlds biggest fraud!!!

I have full NCD but 2 no fault claims and get shafted every year because of it!!

Walk avay from the citroen and save yourself some money.

Sorry
Bang! - Mark (RLBS)
>>And your premiums will rise!! NCD is the worlds biggest fraud!!!

And exactly *how* many times have I said that ???

Although it is unlikely that your premium would rise for one claim, particularly when someon's NCD somewhere has been lsot for your incident.
Bang! - Godfrey H {P}
Richard my condolences on the recent death of your mother.

GH
Bang! - Richard Hall
Mark / Big Vern - good point. I'd forgotten about the premium loading - still in shock I suppose. Anyone got a bonnet and scuttle panel for a red Citroen AX?

Godfrey - thank you.

Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
Bang! - volvoman
Glad to hear you're OK !





It's a good job you're not a perpetual speeder - God only knows what the result might have been at 90 or 100 mph ?
Bang! - Dave_TD
A Guiness Book of Records entry, in a Citroen AX, I would have thought!!
Bang! - blank
LOL!!
Bang! - DavidHM
Sorry to hear of your mother, and the accident involving her car.

I think I'd probably claim if it's fully comp. The insurance company might pay out £800, enough to get two of them at an auction, but only one at a dealer's, if the car was in decent condition.

I don't know how old you are, or what your driving history is like, but don't forget that even if you don't claim you are supposed to declare an incident like this on a proposal form. Given that it would be a non-fault claim, and you'd keep your existing NCD, the increase in premium is likely to be very small indeed compared to the payout. (My father's car was written off by someone hitting him from behind; he kept his NCD and paid an extra tenner a year for the privilege over three years).

Also, if you are a trustee in your mother's estate or anything like that, you might actually be obliged to get the most value from her property so that it can be distributed to other benficiaries under the will. I'm not saying that your family will want to sue you, of course, but the issue could arise in some circumstances.
Bang! - andymc {P}
Sounds like it was an extremely frightening experience. Although it was a freak incident, you've had a bit of good fortune to not be injured yourself or have been connected to injuring or killing someone else, through no fault of your own.

My condolences on your loss.
Bang! - HF
I would just like to add my own condolences to you too, Richard, at this terrible time.
Bang! - BrianW
I would like to add my condolances as well.

Back to motoring though, bonnets usually have two catches, the normal and safety one. Was the bonnet not properly shut, by any chance?

Personally, I try to give the bonnet a tug upwards after shutting it, just to make sure the catch has engaged.

However, front hinges really ought to be the norm, it makes more sense from the safety angle than some of the other daft ideas in legislation.
Bang! - KB.
May I also wish you well following your recent loss, Richard?

Re. the bonnet.......when cars catch light and it takes hold, the bonnet release cable and it's associated gubbins cease to work. It then becomes a case of a crowbar to try to prise the bonnet open in order to add water to what remains of the engine compartment. You would not believe the sweat you can build up trying to get the blessed thing open - it becomes embarrasing with people standing by watching as you wield this high tech crowbar for ten minutes with little success.

And yet you can adopt 'auto open' mode on your Mum's car without even trying! I think you have due and just cause to feel a tad miffed at the way things are going right now for you and I hope things improve.

Good wishes,
KB.