Close call with a double decker this morning! Advice...?

[BenN]

So on my way to work this morning, whilst sat at a cross roads waiting to turn right a double decker came from the left and turned right across the front of our brand new Leon (only 400 miles on the clock). I had left plenty of room infront of me as this junction is renown for this, and instead of letting me out (which it could have) it turned in and if i hadn't reversed the front bumper would have been taken clean off, the front parking sensors were going nuts. I gently rolled it back with the clutch to give some room, but when i came to a stop once the bus was clear, i noticed a van had appeared behind me and i was extremely close - tbh i was paying more attention to the front than the back. Got out to have a look at the rear and the driver said i had just nudged him (i felt nothing) but acknowledged the situation i was in, how the bus was inconsiderate and said he wasnt bothered in the slightest since his pug van had 250k on the clock - told me to go on my way after i had offered my details. Not a mark on his van, very very slight hairline scuff in the dirt on our rear bumper (on the flat bit above the number plate where his number plate had touched our car) and no crack in his number plate.

Ive cleaned the bumper on our car and there is no evidence whatsoever, rear parking sensors work fine etc..

Just after some advice: should i be worried about damage to the car underneath the bumper? Ive looked inside the boot, underneath the bumper etc.. and everything looks fine, no cracks, dents or even a scratch now ive cleaned it - perfect. Have just heard stories before of when car's go into the back of another doing unseen damage. The van was stationary and i was doing <1 mph in reverse. I don't usually drive this car, or have a car with parking sensors, so all of the beeping made me go WTF, lol

Kicking myself, but whatelse was i to do? Thoughts...

 

[ZBOYD]

Very unlikely you've done any damage other than superficial scuffing or scratching to the paint work, and you've said all is fine on that front.

Basically the bumper attaches to a huge meta crash bar beneath the plastic, so if you hit something hard enough the bumper will cave in towards that, sometimes peeling off its mounting points at the sides of the car where they wraparound, but that would take a fair old impact to the point that I think the crumple zones would of gone too.

Pretty tough modern cars, in fact watched a programme a few weeks back where they crashed two american Chevrolet's at 55mph.

1 was from the late 50s and the other a 2010 model. The 50's Chevy was 2 tonnes heavier made of steel where the 2010 Chevy was made form the usual mixtures of aluminium and plastics, but the 2010 has all the latest chassis and body safety elements.

The outcome, the 2010 car cut through the 1950's car like it was made of paper.

Expert said, everyone in the 50s Chevy would be dead, the 2010 occupants would of walked away with cuts and bruises.

 

[betty_swollox]

Pretty tough modern cars, in fact watched a programme a few weeks back where they crashed two american Chevrolet's at 55mph.

1 was from the late 50s and the other a 2010 model. The 50's Chevy was 2 tonnes heavier made of steel where the 2010 Chevy was made form the usual mixtures of aluminium and plastics, but the 2010 has all the latest chassis and body safety elements.

The outcome, the 2010 car cut through the 1950's car like it was made of paper.

Expert said, everyone in the 50s Chevy would be dead, the 2010 occupants would of walked away with cuts and bruises.

that is insane lol

 

[Mk1Cortina1964]

Hi BenN - I agree with ZBOYD.
Incidentally I have had an accident like yours, except I was "the van" - the car in front waiting at a corner reversed into my Mk 1 Cortina to let a lorry make the turn into our road. The only damage was that my Advanced Motorist Badge bar fell off! Poetic justice really because it is the wife who is the advanced motorist, not me!
I have only had three accidents in 45 years and was stationary in all three - hit from behind by a van coming too fast over a hump-back bridge to find a queue of standing traffic with me at the back; and hit from behind in a similar situation by another van driver not noticing we had all stopped.

 

[keithjeb]

Hi BenN - I agree with ZBOYD.
Incidentally I have had an accident like yours, except I was "the van" - the car in front waiting at a corner reversed into my Mk 1 Cortina to let a lorry make the turn into our road. The only damage was that my Advanced Motorist Badge bar fell off! Poetic justice really because it is the wife who is the advanced motorist, not me!
I have only had three accidents in 45 years and was stationary in all three - hit from behind by a van coming too fast over a hump-back bridge to find a queue of standing traffic with me at the back; and hit from behind in a similar situation by another van driver not noticing we had all stopped.

hope whatever you're driving home in has a wooden steering wheel, cos thats you jinxed.

 

[smurf123]

doubt very much if you have damaged anything underneath the rear valance as you say there are no marks if it was dented it may be another story would not worry about it at all