Binned it [with pics]
 

Just a salutory warning to everyone out there who enjoys a nice mountain drive. I was heading along the Healesville-Kinglake road yesterday afternoon, lovely sunny day, mid week so not much traffic, when a large B-double logging truck ruined my day. I was doing about 60-70km/h around the outside of a right hand hairpin (left hand drive in Aus remember), and was confronted with the large semi oncoming in my lane. The trucks are so big they have to swing all the way to the wrong side of the road to get around the hairpins without tipping their trailer. I had nowhere to go but off the side of the road, and down the steep shoulder into the trees. Only hit at about 30km/h and didn't even trigger the airbags but the car is toast.
:(

Moral: Even when you leave a margin for error and stick to your own side of the road, and keep within the speed limit... things can happen. Expect the unexpected.

Here's a link to the location. Not much room even when trucks stay on their own side of the road.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-37....OLM04X_mfA!2e0

Damn. My worst nightmare. Are you getting another?

It's only a year old, so insurance should replace it with a new one. Waiting to hear.

Ouch... In this case, would the insurer rule in your favour?

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Sorry for your loss... you have my sincerest condolences!

Did the truck stop?

atleast you are okay!

You are lucky! Things could have been worse! Hopefully insurance will cover everything!

How much for the exhaust tips shipped to the US?


(Too soon?)


Erm... Glad your okay! :thumbsup:

Those aren't OE exhaust tips?

Sorry to see this, I've almost been taken out by logging and coal trucks a few times.

USA has tiny tips.

Looking at the damage it is odd to me that the airbags did not deploy. Almost seems like they are either poorly calibrated or something is wrong.

What makes you think insurance is going to total it out? That looks to be very salvageable.

agreed.

Does Takata make these airbags? Lord knows there's already a million recalls.

Sorry for your loss. The handling of the BRZ has helped me escape many crazy circumstances.. too bad it didn't work out in this case

He said he only hit at about 30 km/hr. That's likely not hard enough to deploy the airbags. People always seem to think that airbags are big soft pillows that should deploy in all situations. This is not the case. Airbags are incredibly dangerous, even when they AREN'T being manufacturerd by Takata, and you don't want them deploying unless absolutely necessary. They are there to provide a marginally softer impact surface than your steering column, but they can still break bones. If the impact is such that the seat belt alone can keep your head from smashing something, then the airbags will not deploy.

He is alive and well. The car functioned properly. Unless he is horribly disfigured from his face smacking the steering wheel, nothing happened that wasn't within the design parameters.

True, 30mph would've sufficed for airbags.

I agree, not going to be totaled, especially since the airbags didn't deploy.

At least you are okay!

Glad you're okay! Checked the link and that's a beautiful road! Looks like I'll be taking a trip there..

At least you are ok ! Cars can be fixed/replaced :D

That first picture ...

Now it looks like a Lexus! Woot!

As everyone else has mentioned, glad you're okay.

Allow the rest of the outcome to fall in place naturally... I've had my share of accidents in the past, so I can understand the horror.

Looking at those trees - you aren't the first to go down there. Glad you are OK. GL with the next auto!

Another reason I just don't do this sort of shit on the street. Be thankful you are okay. Take it to a track next time.

Wait...so we shouldn't drive within the speed limit on beautiful roads? Ugh looks like I'm walking everywhere from now on.

He wasn't going balls out, he was just driving his car. Seems like the circumstances were just shitty to me.

After seeing that accident, I'm scared of walking at higher speeds than 2 mph... might get pushed over by another pedestrian.

He's Canadian, he can't help it.

Thanks for all the kind comments. I wasn't drifting or speeding (speed limit is 100km\h on this road) or being stupid. I came around a hairpin completely on my side of the road to face a large truck, who had swung into the wrong side of the road in order to get around the hairpin corner. I swerved onto the shoulder to miss the truck, but there's only a couple of feet of very soft gravel before you drop over the edge into the trees.

If I had been cutting the corner I would have hit the truck. If I'd been in an SUV I may not have been able to swerve in time, or rolled it. Of all the outcomes of this situation, I thank God that this is the best one. I walked away without a scratch.

Insurance has written off the car. I don't have any pictures of the left side of the car, but it was a mess.

(Those exhaust tips are OE in Australia BTW)

My policy provides "new for old" within the first 2 years, so they are currently calling dealers to find a new BRZ ☺

Bummer mate- glad you're okay and insurance is taking care of it for you

Better in the Subie than on a bike. When I lived in Melbourne, we'd often go for rides up on that route and too many times we saw bikes go over the edge or in one case, get knocked off the road by a truck... after a handful of close calls, I stopped all together - roads are too narrow and trucks too big.

Looking forward to seeing photos of the new Z!