On March 15th 2018 my old faithful BMW E46 was hit by another vehicle whose driver ran a red light on a busy intersection near Lisbon airport. Fortunately no one suffered any injuries as both vehicles accomplished their ultimate role: to protect their occupants.
The other vehicle was clearly a total write-off. Mine suffered heavy damage to the front too, and the estimated repair cost largely exceeded its market value, which technically made it a write-off too.
As it apparently did not suffer any structural damage other than a couple of bent supports, I considered to repair it myself in my spare time (and budget), but then my limited garage space would be completely blocked for a quite some time and it would make it impossible for me to service my other vehicles.
So I decided it was time to let it go. Afterwards I called the company who bought the vehicle and they told me it would be repaired and resold, so I might see it on the road again in the near future.
So when you decide to run a red light for the sake of saving a couple minutes from your trip, please think about the consequences it might have on yours and others’ lives. Better still, use the short time you will have to wait to appreciate any old and well maintained BMW that passes by!