first accident

[Bob Allen]

Hi: Coming home last night from a friend's house, I crossed through an uncrontrolled intersection and a car coming down the hill from my left banged into my rear bumber. Little damage, actually.
The other driver was Chinese and didn't speak English very well, but immediately pulled out a cell phone and within minutes a woman drove up to translate, I suppose. We exchanged license numbers, etc. They insisted in calling the police, I think because they believed it was my fault. My partner told them that the police generally don't come to the scene unless there is substantial damage, the cars are immobolized or there are injuries. The police did come, however, and wrote up an accident report stating that I had the right of way and that the other driver was at fault. The policeman was very patient with the other driver and his lady translator, explaining that it is state law that the driver on the right has the right of way at uncrontrolled intersections.
As an aside: I wonder how it was determined that the car on the right should have the right of way....I know in sailing, the vessel on the right has the right of way, all other things being equal. Same for airplanes. Perhaps because sailing was the first instance where this was decided (the Royal Yacht Club in England did this in the late 19th century when writing the yacht racing rules), the convention was simply transferred to automobiles and later, to airplanes.
State Farm is a great insurance company. I called them this morning (sunday) and they authorized me to take my car to my Toyota dealer. Handily, HUMU is going in for an oil change tomorrow and State Farm told me it was fine for me to have the begin the process.
Here's the rub, and a question to all of you. I will likely need a new rear bumber and nothing else, but I expect it will take about three weeks for the bumper to arrive. Have any of you had accidents and, if so, did you have excessively long waits for parts?
My partner commented when we got home, that I seemed very calm throughout the whole thing. I was surprised myself, but when I monitored my own reactions, I wasn't angry or stressed. My only feeling is that I don't like having things "out of order" for weeks on end, which is probably how it will be.
Drive carefully and look out at uncrontrolled intersections.

[Batavier]

Ah, sorry to hear about your accident. Luckily nobody was harmed, and it's good to hear the Prius only had minor injuries.

I have no experience with ordering parts for the Prius, but that is one of my great fears. Getting the car damaged is bad enough, but having to wait a long time for parts to arrive is perhaps just as bad if not worse.

I hope your car recovers soon!

[TonyPSchaefer]

That really stinks, Bob. I feel really bad for you. Though it's really good that you and your Prius are relatively ok.

As for the law that th car on the right has the right-of-way, I was only familiar with two cars arriving at the same time at a 4-way stop in which the car on the right has the right of way. If the cars oppose each other, by the way, straight trump left turns.

And as for parts, I don't remember what color your Prius is, but all of you in Seattle might want to keep your cars in the garage until further notice. :-)

[Frank Hudon]

the bumper cover is a stocking item and will probably be at the body shop within a day. Part number 52150-47010 Paint to match. Have them make sure the absorber underneath the cover wasn't compressed, it's just a piece of foam but it's important that it's not damaged to maintain proper protection for the bumper bar underneath.

[Tideland Prius]

That's true for 4-way stops. However, at uncontrolled intersections, if an accident occurs, the person on the right is in the right-of-way. It's kind of an annoying rule since we lost the case when a Civic t-boned (and totalled) our Corolla cause he didn't bother to slow down as you should when approaching uncontrolled intersections.

[betshsu]

Okay, this thread has me curious (and feeling stupid)--how do you know when it is an uncontrolled intersection? In all my experience driving, I don't think I've ever encountered an intersection when at least one way doesn't have a stop sign. Is there some indication that it is an uncontrolled intersection? Otherwise, I can see someone not familar with the intersection assuming they had the right of way and the other side has a stop sign and not slowing down.

[Tideland Prius]

An uncontrolled intersection just means that all 4 directions do not have a stop sign.

[Dave]

My rear bumper was damaged AT THE DEALERSHIP. They had a new one shipped from Oregon in two days. It went to a contract body shop to be painted and installed. It took about two hours for the actual installation.

[BobA]

bummer, Bob... at least you all are ok... can't say that I'd have stayed calm... does he own a restaurant?

Bob Andersen

[Bob Allen]

I felt really good reading your responses to my little accident. I think this is the first time I really felt like Prius owners are bonded in some sort of ethereal, environmental way, like a flock of birds. HUMU is getting checked out tomorrow. The post about the compression of the foam underneath was good; I'm sure the body shop will check that out. It looks pretty superficial, though, and not enough of an impact to have crushed anything.
Thank God it wasn't my door panel or the rear wheel. Thank you all for responding.
Hugs,
B