[GOLFFRR]

yikes! keep us posted on what happens. Hopefully everything works out the way you want, glad you are ok mate

[RR-NYC]

Glad you're okay. I dont blame you for not wanting the car back. I'd consider bringing it to BMW Manhattan. From a recent experience, I learned they have a body shop and I'd trust them with any suspension/transmission repairs

[car_fan]

In 2007 about 11pm I was rear ended on the Florida turnpike (near Deerfield) in my Infiniti FX. I was traveling at about 75 - 80 in the middle lane, thought I was all alone on the hwy per my last rear view mirror check - then boom! Car instantly started skidding, Had to fight the car - applying opposite lock left and right, to keep from spinning out, all the while saying to myself WTF could have hit me this hard. Finally was able to come to a slow stop against the center median. Some dude in a new (at the time) G35 rear ended me. He must have been going at least 100mph because he basically went under the rear bumper and bent my axle canting the rear wheels to the right. Long story short 15k in damage thought they would have totaled the car, but insurance decided to repair it. Ironically I got well over book when I sold it. Had an X5 at the time as well. I wonder how well it would have done under the same circumstances. In hindsight those E53 X5's are tanks so I probably would have been fine.

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by Wills2

I was hit from behind once by a van traveling at 40-50mph at impact, the airbags don't go off, the head restraint system fires to catch your head as it's thrown back and the belts also fire but not the airbags unlike like in a frontal or side impact.

I have never heard a head rest being active...this is super interesting. Anything online that I can reference to learn more about it?

[Razel]

Originally Posted by pimp4cheddar

I have never heard a head rest being active...this is super interesting. Anything online that I can reference to learn more about it?

My info came from the guy at the collision center, verbally. TBH, I never thought about confirming it although my trip after the accident (finished the drive to Portland) was with "something weird" with the seat back

Found this, but other than "Active Headrest", which engages in a small accident, no references to what happens when "deployed".

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by pimp4cheddar

I have never heard a head rest being active...this is super interesting. Anything online that I can reference to learn more about it?

The comfort seats on the 5/7/X5/6/7 have active head restraints.

Here is a picture of my 740d xdrive's restraints after a rear impact as you can see they have deployed forward to minimise whip lash due to rear end collision as contrary to popular belief the head goes backwards not forwards when hit from behind (hence the front airbags don't go off):

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by RR-NYC

That entirely depends on whether you were moving at the time and the speed at which you were hit

I was rear rear ended while sitting at a red light. I was thrown into the windshield before the seatbelt could lock. I broke my nose and has a 1 inch gash above my eye.

I was stationary at the time, I went no where near the steering wheel or the windshield, everything fired instantly the seats and the belts (the car a brand new F10 5 series and was written off by the impact) I was strapped really tightly in the seat couldn't move after the impact.

The impact was massive, enough to punt me 100 feet up the road and lift the rear up, I'm not sure of your position at the point of impact what you were doing how the belt was fastened whether you'd loosened any of the belt out etc....but you only have to look online to see the demonstrated dynamics of of rear end collision to know that you do not get thrown into the windscreen. (or have real life experience as I have)

So I'd say we don't have the full story here or your belts failed to fire which I find difficult to believe however nothing would surprise me given the cars are made in Spartanburg.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by kzg1969

Focusing on the SIDE impact - if I was in that rear passenger seat and got hit on the side like that, i would want those curtain airbags to go off to reduce head impacts. Or maybe the car is clever enough to know there is no-one sitting there?

The OP states he was hit from the REAR (not sure why you capitalised it but if that's your thing) Yes the car knows who is sat where....

[RR-NYC]

Originally Posted by Wills2

I was stationary at the time, I went no where near the steering wheel or the windshield, everything fired instantly the seats and the belts (the car a brand new F10 5 series and was written off by the impact) I was strapped really tightly in the seat couldn't move after the impact.

The impact was massive, enough to punt me 100 feet up the road and lift the rear up, I'm not sure of your position at the point of impact what you were doing how the belt was fastened whether you'd loosened any of the belt out etc....but you only have to look online to see the demonstrated dynamics of of rear end collision to know that you do not get thrown into the windscreen. (or have real life experience as I have)

So I'd say we don't have the full story here or your belts failed to fire which I find difficult to believe however nothing would surprise me given the cars are made in Spartanburg.

You didn't take physics did you? If you're at a stand still and a car hits you from behind, you aren't simply going to fall into the back of your seat. Kinetic energy pushes the car forward and your seat will punt you out of your seat. The seat belt is the only thing keeping you attached. This obviously depends on the speed of impact but the experts who testified at the trial said speeds as low as 2 mph can eject a passenger off their seat

In my case. The truck that hit me was estimated to be going 20-25 mph. The car locked up at impact but my seatbelt didn't lock until my butt was off the seat. By that time, my face bashed into the windshield and visor. The car was thrown 15 feet forward until it hit the car ahead of me which he just began to move. And before you ask, I had already hit the windshield and was back in my seat when I hit the car ahead of me.