How much does having a safe car bother you?

[ukzz4iroc]

In these days of multiple airbags, pre-tensioners and similar I find myself getting a little nervous if I'm in something older. Clearly it doesn't stop me driving the classics but it is in the back of my mind.

My IROC only has rear lap belts and I'm thinking that I should not let my kids travel back there really.

Any thoughts on this?

[ukzz4iroc]

Great responses chaps, feel better already. Society generally has got far more anal about everything, some of it good, most of it not so good.

IROC= 80's Camaro.

[ukzz4iroc]

It may be possible to fit rear 3 point belts, but I very infrequently drive with all 3 kids as we can't fit in the car as a family unit- we have a Galaxy for those trips

ABS is definitely one of the better devices- which of course the IROC also doesn't have (and drums on the rear...

[ukzz4iroc]

Yep- kids and wife are only going in 'safe' modern car. It doesn't guarantee anything *but* can help throw the dice in your favour.

Sadly I remember my neighbour saying just the above 2 weeks before he was killed on a Sunday hoon on his BMW motorbike. Scarey stuff.

[ukzz4iroc]

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.

[ukzz4iroc]

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.

you also need to realise that you'd be screwed anyway.........all the safety bags in the world aren't going to help you most of the time.

LOL- I know guys (am playing Devils Advocate a little tbh)

[ukzz4iroc]

Leicesterdave said:

Wait til you've had a bad crash- I don't think you'll fancy driving in your classic then.

Wow- sobering...

[ukzz4iroc]

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.

Jees Louise. You would never think that could happen to a Phaeton. When it's time to go and all that.

[ukzz4iroc]

terzo said:

I think nowadays safety is more of a concern than it used to be, as the average weight of cars has gone up so much. Go back 20 years and you didnt see a lot of off-roaders and the ones you did see tended to be a farmer in his Defender going 45mph! If you were still driving around in a classic Mini now, it's a worry that you can be smashed into by a Q7/X5/RR etc weighing 2500kg or so versus your 650kg. Plus the average speed of traffic has gone up a lot too, for me it's nice to know what you're driving is fairly substantial, more so that I know the missus' car is.

A lot of people will have seen the various head-on crash tests that Fifth Gear have done, the 2004 Modus v 1992 Volvo 940 is interesting, despite the Volvo being an absolute tank of an estate car, massive bonnet area, the small (5 star NCAP) hatchback Modus comes out much better off. What it would be like in say a 205/AX/Saxo versus an Espace - not somewhere I'd want to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBDyeWofcLY&NR=...

This is a good point. Pretty soon though there will be no Austin 7's, Mini's or anything small as we have to upsize to survive. That is why we are seeing more and more 4x4's. Don't ever want to be in the smaller car syndrome.

Balanced arguments so far.