Safety of small cars.
Discussion
I'm looking to change my car soon, and as i'm now 30, safety has become more of a concern to me in which car I choose. I see small cars getting 5 star crash ratings, but part of me thinks, "surely a bigger car is safer as there's more distance between you and the object you hit?" (sure i've got this mindset from top gear!). I also think, if someone is going to go into the back of you at the lights, surely a saloon of some sort is better than a small hatchback?
Maybe the safety tech has a lot to do with it but I can't help thinking, if a Fiesta and a Range Rover collided, I know which one I'd rather be in!
There are loads of tiny cars these days that feel like tissue boxes to drive around in. A kia picanto courtesy car springs to mind. That thing did not feel safe at all.
So, am I wrong? Can a small car be a safe as a large one?
Maybe the safety tech has a lot to do with it but I can't help thinking, if a Fiesta and a Range Rover collided, I know which one I'd rather be in!
There are loads of tiny cars these days that feel like tissue boxes to drive around in. A kia picanto courtesy car springs to mind. That thing did not feel safe at all.
So, am I wrong? Can a small car be a safe as a large one?
The NCAP ratings can only be compared within a class of car - a 5-star supermini is not claimed to be as safe as a 5-star large car.
http://www.which.co.uk/cars/choosing-a-car/how-we-...
http://www.which.co.uk/cars/choosing-a-car/how-we-...
Of course bigger cars are safer, Volvo take safety very seriously
Always did.
Volvo 940 (a HUGE tank) v Renault Modus
Head on, off centre, 40mph crash. Which would you prefer to be in?
Watch here for clip
Always did.Volvo 940 (a HUGE tank)
v Renault ModusHead on, off centre, 40mph crash. Which would you prefer to be in?
Watch here for clip
itcaptainslow said:
IMO the best thing you can do for your safety is do something like the IAM/RoSPA course. You'll greatly reduce your risk of being involved in a collision, including one that is "someone else's fault". 
This!If you can improve your skills in spotting accidents before they happen, and in maintaining a zone of relative safety around your car, you'll be far less likely to have an accident.
A small amount invested in improving your observation skills can have a much greater effect than airbags and side impact protection, which are only useful when it's become too late.
It's an investment you can take with you every time you change your car too!
Many crash tests have shown that a small modern car will tear a big older car to shreds in a crash.
Just one example here, "Which is better - a 5 star EuroNCAP supermini or a big old estate from a car maker reputed to have extremely safe cars? 5th Gear finds out..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emtLLvXrrFs
Just one example here, "Which is better - a 5 star EuroNCAP supermini or a big old estate from a car maker reputed to have extremely safe cars? 5th Gear finds out..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emtLLvXrrFs
Sir Bagalot said:
Of course bigger cars are safer, Volvo take safety very seriously Always did.
Volvo 940 (a HUGE tank) v Renault Modus
Head on, off centre, 40mph crash. Which would you prefer to be in?
Watch here for clip
The end result of that clip surprised me. I'd have said I'd rather be in the Volvo, but clearly not the best choice. Would have been better at 40 or 50mph as thats more like a country road collision. Always did.Volvo 940 (a HUGE tank)
v Renault ModusHead on, off centre, 40mph crash. Which would you prefer to be in?
Watch here for clip
Surely any more modern large car would have the same safety kit so therefore still be the better choice.
The overwhelming response in favour of a larger car being safer has put paid to any idea I had of replacing my 3 Series with an Eco box.
Plus I need something that can get 3 blokes with luggage and camping equipment to Le Mans so it looks like I need to head over to the barges thread!
R_U_LOCAL said:
itcaptainslow said:
IMO the best thing you can do for your safety is do something like the IAM/RoSPA course. You'll greatly reduce your risk of being involved in a collision, including one that is "someone else's fault".
This!If you can improve your skills in spotting accidents before they happen, and in maintaining a zone of relative safety around your car, you'll be far less likely to have an accident.
A small amount invested in improving your observation skills can have a much greater effect than airbags and side impact protection, which are only useful when it's become too late.
It's an investment you can take with you every time you change your car too!
JamieBurford said:
put paid to any idea I had of replacing my 3 Series with an Eco box.
But that logic is somewhat flawed, a 3 series isn't the biggest car on the road so if you want to be safe using that logic you need the biggest car you can afford. Have you considered an armoured personnel carrier, you know just in case the crash is with a Range Rover or something...It's all about how strong the safety cell is. No point crashing a big car if the weakest part is the passenger cell, because that's the bit that will crumple or fold.
So modern cars, from the NCAP era and after will trump older, bigger cars, but when comparing cars of similar technology then bigger will be better, the more crumple space it has, the less energy will make it through to the passengers, and the less likely passengers are to strike some solid part of the interior. BUT, it is easier to make a small box rigid than a large one.
Either way I understand that a lot of the problem is - or was - to do with the incompatible heights of the crash structures, so the big car tends to ride over the top of the small one and sidesteps some or all of the lower car's crash protection before entering through the windscreen or something.
So modern cars, from the NCAP era and after will trump older, bigger cars, but when comparing cars of similar technology then bigger will be better, the more crumple space it has, the less energy will make it through to the passengers, and the less likely passengers are to strike some solid part of the interior. BUT, it is easier to make a small box rigid than a large one.
Either way I understand that a lot of the problem is - or was - to do with the incompatible heights of the crash structures, so the big car tends to ride over the top of the small one and sidesteps some or all of the lower car's crash protection before entering through the windscreen or something.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
New small car wreaks havoc on 20-30 year old big car in crash *shocker*
Crash the modus in to a New RR or similar and see who ends up being the paraplegic.
As far as small cars go the R56 MINI is very good, and for older cars the R50 was excellent for its time. I read somewhere they have one of the strongest roof sections/pillars in any production car, so fare very well in rollover type crashes.
NB. the huge tank Volvo's kerb weight is only about 200kg than the Modus, so theres really not that much difference in terms of momentum etc.
This is my thinking, I'm not going to go for anything as old as that volvo, so will have a decent level of safety kit. Unfortunately I cannot afford a new Range Rover but a 2005 X5 must be a safe bet? Crash the modus in to a New RR or similar and see who ends up being the paraplegic.
As far as small cars go the R56 MINI is very good, and for older cars the R50 was excellent for its time. I read somewhere they have one of the strongest roof sections/pillars in any production car, so fare very well in rollover type crashes.
NB. the huge tank Volvo's kerb weight is only about 200kg than the Modus, so theres really not that much difference in terms of momentum etc.
Edited by kapiteinlangzaam on Saturday 7th March 13:42
JamieBurford said:
This is my thinking, I'm not going to go for anything as old as that volvo, so will have a decent level of safety kit. Unfortunately I cannot afford a new Range Rover but a 2005 X5 must be a safe bet?
Audi Q7 is ok if the thing you hit is a Fiat 500https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58zqJCtUjSI
ETA: don't buy any of these - although we don't get most them but the Mazda was a bit of shock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRyAB1aC0bw&fe...
Edited by poing on Saturday 7th March 14:23
Also on the web somewhere is a crash of a Smart Car into a Mercedes. Again, I'd rather be in the Mercedes, despite the Smart's array of technology. No amount of airbags, pre-tensioners etc can offset the high deceleration, when a heavy car will reduce the deceleration forces on your body.
All too often when thinking about crash safety of large vs small cars, people fail to mention that smaller ligther vehicles are generally better when crashing into imovable objects (eg. trees, lamps posts etc).
Newton's 3rd law of motion - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I.E if you twack a tree with a 2 tonne Rangie, it's going to smack you back just as hard.
Newton's 3rd law of motion - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I.E if you twack a tree with a 2 tonne Rangie, it's going to smack you back just as hard.
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