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closing the gap
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Posted by James [Email] (more from James) on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:54:03 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Re: You hit the nail on the head re oddball collisions..., tsw, Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:43:55
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It is true, newer cars are much safer than they used to be, and the differences are smaller than they used to be. It's also true that one shouldn't have to buy luxury to buy safety (though innovation has its cost + trickle down takes time). Automotive safety has become more important to more people + as a result the testing has improved + overall standards have improved. As a result, now all brands try to market based on safety to some degree, but it's largely "car x gets 5 stars [in 2 tests] therefore it's the safest car in its class"...

On the flip side, there are still differences that come from having the right approach to safety vs just doing what is needed to pass the tests. It's not a tough pill to swallow, it's reality. Eg many manufacturers have fought for years to keep roof standards low. The rollover accident that killed my high school friend (collapsed roof) was eerily similar to one my brother had years prior in a c900 (without airbags) + everyone walked away unhurt.

Your comment re headrest protection based on geometry is a perfect example of the simplicity of these tests. c900 geometry would rate as inadequate because the headrest does not extend high enough. Reality is the c900 headrest was designed to reduce whiplash injuries by compressing against the lower part of the head (ie not the top!) and while not as good as SAHR, it is an excellent headrest! I have driven other modern cars that pass the "measurement test" with large, non-resiliant, non-active headrests that block the view to check blindspots. how safe is that? I would definitely rather have the c900 headrest that was designed for safety, not just to pass the test.

wrt angles, front + side are just 2 angles. Until the Swedes pointed out the SUV problem everyone would have been happy with the existing side impact test. Amazing the difference such a small shift in angle can make! or speed... Saab does some testing at closing speeds of 120km/h (and probably higher) which the cars do very well in... again, not an iihs test.

Crash testing aside, vehicle dynamics, consistency of response, and ergonomics play an equal role in overall safety. Simple things like using (boring) green lighting for displays instead of (cool) red lighting (eg many asian + domestic cars I've driven), lack of glare off of displays, seat comfort, etc make a difference. GM has influenced the ergonomics a little in recent years, hopefully some of the old ideas will make a comeback now...

It's great that all cars are improving, but Saab and Volvo still have an edge. It is important that they continue to push their edge + advertise that. FWIW, euroncap tests on the NG9-5 look very good.

James...

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