Does vehicle size really play a factor in saving your Life in an accident? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Racekar · #16 05-20-2008, 06:52 PM

I would much rather be in my wifes Yukon XL than in something smaller. Here is a vid of a Smart vs. an S600. I know which one I would rather be in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02eghIfyHP0&feature=related

DieselAddict · #17 05-20-2008, 07:00 PM

I'd much rather be in that S600 than your wife's Yukon. The Smart has amazing structural stability especially given its tiny size, but naturally it bounces off the S600 like a soccer ball because the S600 weighs at least 3 times as much.

BoomInTheTrunk · #18 05-20-2008, 07:59 PM

The W123 crash test

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EqMEGA76HsE

vstech · #19 05-20-2008, 08:07 PM

that drop on the corner of the roof part of that test is awesome!!!
I would love to see how the car did with the engine and such in the car still...

Hatterasguy · #20 05-20-2008, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselAddict

I'd much rather be in that S600 than your wife's Yukon. The Smart has amazing structural stability especially given its tiny size, but naturally it bounces off the S600 like a soccer ball because the S600 weighs at least 3 times as much.

Yeah and that bouncing can break your neck. Thats why race car drivers where neck braces.

That just goes back to my statement, if you have to be in an accident be in the newest S class possible.

cphilip · #21 05-20-2008, 08:35 PM

I think what MAJOR two factors completely overlooked in the OP's scenario are

a) the car was T boned... and not a very well made car at that

b) a 19 year old driver (not that fault was explained)

Ban trucks eh? What will I pull my camper and trailers with? How will I get the band equipment to the Club so you can listen to us whilst you sip on your Whine coolers and smoke your clove Cigarettes? How will I haul all my stuff? I don't know of anything besides a truck has the towing capacity to handle them. And how will your vegetables get to market without trucks? How will your Diesel get to the station so you can smuggly discount the needs and uses of other things whilst you fiddle with your radio?

Ban SUV types... which are just trucks...and in fact are simply MiniVans of a sort... which are also Trucks... mainly needed to haul large amounts of people that nothing else will fit the need. So what haul them in then? Three cars instead? Four?

Just trying to play Devils advocate here. And yes I am being overly sarcastic because these sorts of things said are just silly. I know there are people driving needless things out there. But lets not jump to conclusions about everyone that has to use one. Its a bit over stretch to conclude anything about someone you don't know behind the wheel of something because of its size. You can't seriously think ALL of them chose to do so as a form of "Compensating" do you?

DieselAddict · #22 05-20-2008, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoomInTheTrunk

The W123 crash test

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EqMEGA76HsE

I've seen that one before, but we don't know what kind of frontal crash test it is. If it's 40 mph with an offset, then that's impressive but it doesn't look like that's what it is.

EDIT: Read some of the comments below the video.

DieselAddict · #23 05-20-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

That just goes back to my statement, if you have to be in an accident be in the newest S class possible.

I agree with that.

Toblin · #24 05-20-2008, 08:57 PM

"The BIGGER the better" , especially in modern days. Newer cars are designed to be crushable so as to absorb an impact. And the safety tests the government conducts are always performed against a static wall. Once the car body has absorbed all that it can take, all the leftover force is directed towards the passengers.

Small, fuel efficient cars find themselves at a deadly disadvantage to their heavier cousins. Modern car designers design to the test(s), and not the real world.

DieselAddict · #25 05-20-2008, 09:12 PM

The tests, especially those of the IIHS are as real-world as they get.

I'd still rather be in a small, newer, quality vehicle than a bigger, older one. The video I linked to in my post #7 shows why. I think there's a bigger difference in today's safety technology vs. 1990's technology than in big vs. small.

MTI · #26 05-20-2008, 09:15 PM

1) The former Princess of Wales died in an S-Class.

2) Engineering and design can increase survivability, such as in smaller vehicles, but there comes a point of diminishing returns in design. In other words, you can design small cars that can take a good whack, but there are limits.

3) Quite often, vehicle accident mortality rates have nothing to do with the size or design of the vehicle, but may be the result of lack of emergency medical care, such as in rural areas and the capabilities of trauma centers in particular. For instance, certain styles of door arm rests were found to cause spleen injuries in side impacts. That type of internal bleeding might not be caught in an average trauma center. The result is higher mortality.

Hatterasguy · #27 05-20-2008, 09:40 PM

She didn't have her seat belt on and I beleive the S280 she was in had a questionable history.

See the safety cage did its job.

Carrameow · #28 05-20-2008, 10:10 PM

If it were hit by a truck,or a huge SUV, ironically the frame would be intact and the driver would be safe because it would be like a train hitting a baseball. The car would be thrown or projected off of like a ping pong ball.

Does this theory sound right?

winmutt · #29 05-20-2008, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphilip

Ban trucks eh? What will I pull my camper and trailers with? How will I get the band equipment to the Club so you can listen to us whilst you sip on your Whine coolers and smoke your clove Cigarettes? How will I haul all my stuff? I don't know of anything besides a truck has the towing capacity to handle them. And how will your vegetables get to market without trucks? How will your Diesel get to the station so you can smuggly discount the needs and uses of other things whilst you fiddle with your radio?

Ban SUV types... which are just trucks...and in fact are simply MiniVans of a sort... which are also Trucks... mainly needed to haul large amounts of people that nothing else will fit the need. So what haul them in then? Three cars instead? Four?

Just trying to play Devils advocate here. And yes I am being overly sarcastic because these sorts of things said are just silly. I know there are people driving needless things out there. But lets not jump to conclusions about everyone that has to use one. Its a bit over stretch to conclude anything about someone you don't know behind the wheel of something because of its size. You can't seriously think ALL of them chose to do so as a form of "Compensating" do you?

You can't get rid of the delivery truck or the people movers. You just need to get them out of the hands of soccer moms and into the hands of class licensed specialists. $8 gal will keeps those trips to the salon at a minimum.

Whats that commercial these days? 1gal of diesel moves one ton of train freight 400+ miles? I am all for centralizing back to trains for freight and passengers. Flying is cool but 120mph on the ground aint half bad either.

cphilip · #30 05-20-2008, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winmutt

You can't get rid of the delivery truck or the people movers. You just need to get them out of the hands of soccer moms and into the hands of class licensed specialists. $8 gal will keeps those trips to the salon at a minimum.

Whats that commercial these days? 1gal of diesel moves one ton of train freight 400+ miles? I am all for centralizing back to trains for freight and passengers. Flying is cool but 120mph on the ground aint half bad either.

True indeed... but you know that some of "those types" will drive anyway. They got the money. They don't care.

I agree... we should have invested in a national rail system long ago...