How much does having a safe car bother you?
Discussion
seatbelts are all you need. Everything else is just adds weight. On the road i'd have no problem with a car with no airbags, no ABS, no TC nothing. As long as it wasn't made of paper!
on the track - different......wouldn't go out without full roll cage, harness and proper personal fireproofs etc
Which I think means it's all about assessment of risk.......if I ever have a crash on the road, maybe i'd change my view
on the track - different......wouldn't go out without full roll cage, harness and proper personal fireproofs etc
Which I think means it's all about assessment of risk.......if I ever have a crash on the road, maybe i'd change my view
tes.... However, now that there's some smaller people in the backseat it's a major consideration and now tend to run larger cars. Like my old man used to say you can't beat a bigger metal cage around you.
Adding the bulk of safety features to a car is a self defeating exercise. The "safer" the car the heavier and less involving it is to drive, the net result is that people drive worse than before, increasing the percieved danger level to that which the driver finds acceptable.
The only upside to safer cars is that the passengers of a sensibly driven car have a lesser chance of injury or death, however, think about the increases in "safe" cars and then the drop in driving standards.
The big spike argument has a lot going for it.
The only upside to safer cars is that the passengers of a sensibly driven car have a lesser chance of injury or death, however, think about the increases in "safe" cars and then the drop in driving standards.
The big spike argument has a lot going for it.
I was reading that from next year ALL new cars must come with brake assist and stability control. This is in addition to the already compulsory seatbelts airbags and ABS.
My Felicia has none of these, apart from the seatbelt and I simply drive knowing this and drive accordingly.
Remember the old quote about the biggest safety feature for some people would be a 9 inch spike on the steering wheel. Something they can see and actually understand how it works!
My Felicia has none of these, apart from the seatbelt and I simply drive knowing this and drive accordingly.
Remember the old quote about the biggest safety feature for some people would be a 9 inch spike on the steering wheel. Something they can see and actually understand how it works!
When I am on my own in the Cerb I hardly ever think about how safe it would be in an accident (apart from the occasional brown undercrackers moments that you are guaranteed to get in a TVR from time to time - but they pass pretty quickly). I too work on the 'don't crash' principle.
However...
When I need to take my daughter or wife anywhere, I take the 5 series based 25% on comfort and 75% on safety. I drive much more defensively when they are in the car. I'd also have safety in mind when advising my wife about her choice of car. Frankly, I don't care if the ultimate performance or dynamics of modern cars suffer, I'd rather my family were given the best chance possible of escaping injury if they were to be in an accident.
So yes, having a safe car does bother me. There are too many idiots on the roads not to care.
However...
When I need to take my daughter or wife anywhere, I take the 5 series based 25% on comfort and 75% on safety. I drive much more defensively when they are in the car. I'd also have safety in mind when advising my wife about her choice of car. Frankly, I don't care if the ultimate performance or dynamics of modern cars suffer, I'd rather my family were given the best chance possible of escaping injury if they were to be in an accident.
So yes, having a safe car does bother me. There are too many idiots on the roads not to care.
cheadle hulme said:
I was reading that from next year ALL new cars must come with brake assist and stability control. This is in addition to the already compulsory seatbelts airbags and ABS.
My Felicia has none of these, apart from the seatbelt and I simply drive knowing this and drive accordingly.
Remember the old quote about the biggest safety feature for some people would be a 9 inch spike on the steering wheel. Something they can see and actually understand how it works!
I don`t agree with the ridiculous attitude of don`t crash, easily said, but if some idiot smashed into you that goes out of the window, what if you stationary and something rear ends you in the motorway etcMy Felicia has none of these, apart from the seatbelt and I simply drive knowing this and drive accordingly.
Remember the old quote about the biggest safety feature for some people would be a 9 inch spike on the steering wheel. Something they can see and actually understand how it works!
Seeing some pretty badly wrecked cars at salvage yards and programs like Traffic cops makes you appreciate the safety features of modern safe cars. To be fair I have a clio 182 which I cant imagine being that safe. But I think safety is an important feature.
hora said:
ukzz4iroc said:
For those that say "don't crash in the first place" have a point and one that I do subscribe to- but it doesn't account for a truck on the oncoming carriageway having a blowout, jacknifing and going through the barrier into you.
You need a less bleak outlook on life. hora said:
CampDavid said:
The short term replacement I bought was a 2005 Renault Megane. Dull, doesn't handle, not particularly well made but a superb place to be in an accident. Internet bravado aside, that's really important.
..but most NCAP tests are carried out at 30mph? I imagine an accident on a motorway at motorway speeds would potentially remove those NCAP stars very quickly?I fear blow-outs. Those are the only things that would unerve me. I've had 4 wheel drift, back out, front in/out etc and never panicked (touch wood).
My big concern in a front ender is my legs. Leg injuries are pretty much always there - I hammered my ankle in a fall about 5 years ago and it's never been perfect since. The pedal box in the Renault is designed not to move in an accident, which could well be the difference between walking away and crutches.
RacerMDR said:
hora said:
ukzz4iroc said:
For those that say "don't crash in the first place" have a point and one that I do subscribe to- but it doesn't account for a truck on the oncoming carriageway having a blowout, jacknifing and going through the barrier into you.
You need a less bleak outlook on life. ewenm said:
cheadle hulme said:
I was reading that from next year ALL new cars must come with brake assist and stability control. This is in addition to the already compulsory seatbelts airbags and ABS.
Got any links for that? I didn't think ABS was mandatory now.Edited by kambites on Friday 7th January 10:52
ewenm said:
cheadle hulme said:
I was reading that from next year ALL new cars must come with brake assist and stability control. This is in addition to the already compulsory seatbelts airbags and ABS.
Got any links for that? I didn't think ABS was mandatory now.Edited by ian_touring on Friday 7th January 10:56
ewenm said:
cheadle hulme said:
I was reading that from next year ALL new cars must come with brake assist and stability control. This is in addition to the already compulsory seatbelts airbags and ABS.
Got any links for that? I didn't think ABS was mandatory now.R11ysf said:
CampDavid said:
The average car has an insurance claim every 50k miles, meaning that the car I share with my girlfriend is going to be hit or nicked every 4 years. Most of these will of course be minor accidents, however the odd biggy will be in there.
Last month GF was hit on a roundabout by an off roader (ironically the day after I was on here saying I'd never buy an off roader because of safety) that came onto the roundabout without slowing or spotting GF. Left hand side took a big hit and the car was written off. Being a decent, modern car it held up perfectly and the end result is one less Vauxhall Astra in the world. Hardly a big issue.
Had she been in something older, an 80s Peugeot 309 for example, she'd not have been killed but probably hurt.
The short term replacement I bought was a 2005 Renault Megane. Dull, doesn't handle, not particularly well made but a superb place to be in an accident. Internet bravado aside, that's really important.
You make a valid point based on your risk assessment. You are concerned about a crash and purchase accordingly. However, everyone has a different level of or attitude to risk. I regularly have friends who say they would never buy a motorbike because they are 'too dangerous', well there are millions or motorbike riders around and although some have crashes they aren't all dead and therefore I will continue to ride mine whenever and however I want.Last month GF was hit on a roundabout by an off roader (ironically the day after I was on here saying I'd never buy an off roader because of safety) that came onto the roundabout without slowing or spotting GF. Left hand side took a big hit and the car was written off. Being a decent, modern car it held up perfectly and the end result is one less Vauxhall Astra in the world. Hardly a big issue.
Had she been in something older, an 80s Peugeot 309 for example, she'd not have been killed but probably hurt.
The short term replacement I bought was a 2005 Renault Megane. Dull, doesn't handle, not particularly well made but a superb place to be in an accident. Internet bravado aside, that's really important.
Do you wear a bike helmet every time you ride a bike? Do you look both ways every time you cross the road? Have you ever been out in a lightening storm? These are all different types of risk that can potentially be life ending but people ignore as they don't perceive them as major risks.
Personally, my dad is 65 and has driven all of those cars that you would now consider 'unsafe' and he's still here, so I'll keep the motorbikes and non-abs, non-airbag TVR and not be too concerned about snuffing it. Any crash big enough and it doesn't matter what you're driving!
Would I drive a classic? Yes, definitely, I'm offsetting the risk of driving something that won't protect me as well in an accident. If I was buying a new sports car I'd go with an Elise. For a run of the mill shopping car though safety is probably top of my list as the difference between, my (apparently dynamically pap) Megane and the Mk6 Golf we had as a loan car (apparently a great drive) is pretty negligible. Therefore I'd base the buying decision on safety
doesn't really register with me TBH, when i'm buying a car I just choose the one i want and don't even consider the safety aspect, i couldn't tell you what N-Cap rating etc my cars have, i don't even know how many air bags or what all the safety features they have are. i hope i don't live (or not live as the case may be) to regret that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PcZ0dPBask
What do you think?
The way I see it if a lorry takes me head on I think i'd be dead in a 207 or 205
What do you think?
The way I see it if a lorry takes me head on I think i'd be dead in a 207 or 205
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