My daughter was in an accident with our 1990 240 DL sedan. (Everyone's ok, thanks for asking) The Volvo rear-ended a Ford Escort on a rain-slick road, at a stoplight. The driver of the Volvo was applying the brakes pretty hard, but was unable to stop the car. We think it may have been in a "hydroplane" skid.

Here's the question:

A witness claims the front end of the car did not nose down at all, implying that the driver did not attempt to slow down. What are the physics involved, here? If the car was hydroplaning, and the brakes were being applied, would the front end of the car nose down? The front bumper sustained cosmetic damage only, but the headlights and grill were smashed back, so my guess is it _was_ nosed down and went under the back of the Escort. It's a messy, contradictory question.

Any enlightenment would be gratefully accepted!

The air bag did not deploy, so either they were going slower than 12 mph (per the Volvo owner's manual description of impact-speed deployment, and yes I know there are issues of relative mass and the Escort absorbing some energy) or the air-bag system is non-functional.

By the way, the engine still runs, and there does not seem to be any coolant leaking, so I'm hoping to get it back on the road, but I expect to have to fight the insurance company so they don't total it. For its age and mileage, it's in exceptional condition, I think, with minimal rust, which is unusual for New York State. I'm also faced with transporting it 225 miles home.

Charles Grammer