How much does having a safe car bother you?
Discussion
Hmm, classic Mini, old TVR, bunch of MGB GTs... nope I don't really have much of a consideration for safety in a car. As others have said, I try to drive on the 'don't crash' philosophy. I suppose when I think about it for a bit the cars I drive do offer very little in the way of protection but being young I thankfully still have that illusion that I am invincible intact. The thing I notice when driving 'safer' cars is that there is so little glass that you can't see out of the bloody thing, making it a hell of a lot easier to get into an accident anyway! Also, I'm of the opinion that most accidents are the result of a lack of ability to drive given the conditions, with cars being so safe nowadays perhaps this leads people to being a bit to blase about driving, if they knew they were driving a car that would collapse like a biscuit tin in an accident maybe they'd pay a bit more attention?
A lot of this is a generation thing, my dad's first car was a Standard 8 with no belts at all. We ran around 7-8 up(2-3 adults & the rest kids) at times & no one thought about the risk & I'm still here!
I also had a 59 Ford Pop 100e without belts & never thought about it, although I remember picking up an AA colleague at the time & he was horrified!
The Jag has every acronym in the book, whereas the 944 has belts & a collapsable column & that is it. I had an accident in the TR7 & the seatbelt stalk broke in that which probably didn't help the considerable whiplash I got, but the car held up very well. Probably because it was a very safely focused design when new.
Nope it doesn't really worry me either way
I also had a 59 Ford Pop 100e without belts & never thought about it, although I remember picking up an AA colleague at the time & he was horrified!
The Jag has every acronym in the book, whereas the 944 has belts & a collapsable column & that is it. I had an accident in the TR7 & the seatbelt stalk broke in that which probably didn't help the considerable whiplash I got, but the car held up very well. Probably because it was a very safely focused design when new.
Nope it doesn't really worry me either way
Safety is definitely a concern for me.
I'm yet to have a crash but with the dangerous driving I see on a regular basis, it's only a matter of time.
I went in an old mini the other day and every other car seemed massive. Admittedly it was a very fun car but I'd be worried about driving one regularly (especially on motorways).
I'm yet to have a crash but with the dangerous driving I see on a regular basis, it's only a matter of time.
I went in an old mini the other day and every other car seemed massive. Admittedly it was a very fun car but I'd be worried about driving one regularly (especially on motorways).
R11ysf said:
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.
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!
The examples you gave about bicycle helmets, crossing roads and lightning storms are of a much lower risk than driving a car or riding a motorcycle. And there's some debate about whether bicycle helmets actually help or hinder in many accidents. I would say that people are quite right placing higher priority on considering a cars safety than those examples.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!
In UK road accidents, about half of those killed are in cars. Road deaths and injuries of all kinds are dropping each year, even as traffic levels rise. This is partly due to safer cars, so there's definitely some benefit to the approach that has been taken regarding car safety. Still, transport accidents overall don't actually kill that many each year. 0.5% of all deaths or something like that.
Personally I'd like my car to have proper seat belts, some sort of working side-impact protection, and well designed crumple zones. Perhaps airbags. The NCAP rating isn't something which I've considered much when looking for a car, but perhaps I would in future. I'd probably feel less happy driving my son around in an older car (Rover P5b or early 911 930 are on the wishlist), but as he gets older that would be less of an issue.
Leicesterdave said:
Wait til you've had a bad crash- I don't think you'll fancy driving in your classic then.
There's no doubt that your chances of survival, or of minimising any injuries are hugely improved by a modern car. Road deaths have dropped year on year for reasons of improvement in car design, and in spite of many more people using the roads.That's no reason not to drive and enjoy a classic car though. The things that make modern cars safe also make them dull, uninvolving and too heavy to enjoy (in many cases - not all).
You could think of an elise as a modern car designed to the classic philosophy. If it doesn't need it it hasn't got it, and it's all the better for that.
It's also worth remembering that many, many people go through life without ever being involved in a "big crash". Should they all drive the safest cars possible, or would they (and us) have been better off getting the extra 10% of enjoyment from our cars at the expense of safety features that we may never call on?
It's a personal choice, but like most petrol heads I think safety is somewhere on the list below "how many cup holders does it have?", rightly or wrongly.
Leicesterdave said:
Wait til you've had a bad crash- I don't think you'll fancy driving in your classic then.
You say that like it's a certainty.I drive fairly defensively whichever car I'm in (unless on track in the Caterham) but even more so when I'm in the 67 Mustang. Avoiding accidents is mostly about anticipation and preparation. Of course, accidents can happen to anyone but I can reduce the risk by my own actions. One advantage of the Mustang is that I've got acres of metal around me, the bonnet and boot (sorry hood and trunk
) are huge so front and rear impacts happen miles away from me 
Edited by ewenm on Friday 7th January 11:34
Leicesterdave said:
And this s
t about the driver being the biggest safety kit. What about the others on the road. I was minding my own business when some drunk tt bumped into the back of me at 70mph. Glad I was in a modern car for sure.
Yes, it happens. t about the driver being the biggest safety kit. What about the others on the road. I was minding my own business when some drunk tt bumped into the back of me at 70mph. Glad I was in a modern car for sure.Not particularly often, though.
Leicesterdave said:
And this st about the driver being the biggest safety kit. What about the others on the road. I was minding my own business when some drunk tt bumped into the back of me at 70mph. Glad I was in a modern car for sure.
You don't believe that the driver is the single biggest factor in whether you crash or not, and the severity of that crash??t about the driver being the biggest safety kit. What about the others on the road. I was minding my own business when some drunk tt bumped into the back of me at 70mph. Glad I was in a modern car for sure.Right lads, I'm off down B+Q, now where did I put my blindfold and mittens??
hora said:
Leicesterdave said:
Wait til you've had a bad crash- I don't think you'll fancy driving in your classic then.
I was in a Fiat Croma with another PH'er back in the late 80's which somersaulted onto its roof. We survived. Even the 'safest' car in its class wont save you if you have an accident with a wooden fence on the side of the motorway, flip onto a crash barrier, t-boned, etc etc. Just look at the late Austrian Politicians crash in his Phaeton. Although not NCAP tested- its a big (very big) modern machine made by a huge advanced company.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2008/10/1...
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://media...
When a car overturns with street furniture into the equation - ALL bets are off.
A safe car is of paramount importance to me.
I drive a lot, up to 50,000 miles a year. I am statisticly five times more likely to have an accident than a normal driver.
I do everything in my power to avoid having an accident - my cars safety systems are maintained, and I drive in a non-agressive defensive manner, that means I slow down and give right of way to people always, even if the rules of the road state they are wrong, and I don't get annoyed and then give them the finger. I leave a massive gap in front of me on the motorway, even if people cut in, so that I can brake smoothly to avoid being hit from behind. I slow down or speed up to avoid people being alongside me on a motorway.
Despite this, I have had several near misses last year from other drivers, a couple of near rear enders on the motorway, a couple of times I have had to swerve or brake hard when people changed lane unexpectedly, a couple of times people have ignored right of way on roundabouts, and one incident were a guy slid past the front of my car, completely locked up, as he passed the red light. My girlfriend had a car written off when a van driver hit the back quarter of her car pulling out of a side road.
My experience seems to dictate that there are some accidents you just can't avoid. I think that no insurance payout is going to make up a painful leg everytime it rains or I use it heavily, or early loss of use of that limb later on in life, and being confined to mobility scooter or having to use a stick, or loss of a hand or movement in my arm. If you don't have your health, you have nothing.
When the inevitable big one happens, I intend to stack the odds in my favour as much as possible.
I drive a lot, up to 50,000 miles a year. I am statisticly five times more likely to have an accident than a normal driver.
I do everything in my power to avoid having an accident - my cars safety systems are maintained, and I drive in a non-agressive defensive manner, that means I slow down and give right of way to people always, even if the rules of the road state they are wrong, and I don't get annoyed and then give them the finger. I leave a massive gap in front of me on the motorway, even if people cut in, so that I can brake smoothly to avoid being hit from behind. I slow down or speed up to avoid people being alongside me on a motorway.
Despite this, I have had several near misses last year from other drivers, a couple of near rear enders on the motorway, a couple of times I have had to swerve or brake hard when people changed lane unexpectedly, a couple of times people have ignored right of way on roundabouts, and one incident were a guy slid past the front of my car, completely locked up, as he passed the red light. My girlfriend had a car written off when a van driver hit the back quarter of her car pulling out of a side road.
My experience seems to dictate that there are some accidents you just can't avoid. I think that no insurance payout is going to make up a painful leg everytime it rains or I use it heavily, or early loss of use of that limb later on in life, and being confined to mobility scooter or having to use a stick, or loss of a hand or movement in my arm. If you don't have your health, you have nothing.
When the inevitable big one happens, I intend to stack the odds in my favour as much as possible.
Leicesterdave said:
Wait til you've had a bad crash- I don't think you'll fancy driving in your classic then.
Maybe, but until then I'll take my chances. If you took that attitude to risk you would live a very restricted life, no air travel in case of an accident, safest car possible, don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't work or party too hard, don't eat too much red meat, you get the picture.I want to be here for a good time, not necessarily a long time, if I can do both all the better but I'd rather enjoy myself with the time I've got. I could die in a horrific accident in my classic but then maybe I've got something like enlarged heart syndrome that I don't know about? Perhaps I'll catch a tropical virus that might kill me? If that kind of scenario occurs I'll be glad at least I had fun while I was here rather than sitting in my really safe car eating a safe but boring diet and staying in while my friends party.
petrolsniffer said:
DannyVTS said:
It's the main thing when buying a car for me, it must be very very safe. I will not ever buy a car with lower than 5* safety rating as speed kills and if i hit her at 40 then atleast I'll be safe.
Current FleetCitroen Saxo VTS (3)
Edited by DannyVTS on Friday 7th January 11:46
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