Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-20-2008, 02:05 PM
Coming back from burnout
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: in the Pacific Northwest
Posts: 2,274
Does vehicle size really play a factor in saving your Life in an accident?

The other day I was browsing my hometown paper on the Internet and I came across the story of a PT Cruiser that was broadsided by a an 19 year old driving a RAM Dodge Diesel Truck. The two occupants of the PT Criser lost their lives.

I always make my wife drive my 85 300D because it such a heavy strong car even thouigh it has no airbags. I like the fact that that 600 poujnd engine is sitting there in front of her and those huge tires and big ass are in her rear.

I know the rule of thumb is that the bigger car is going to survive in an accident, but my officemates told thats only in maybe head on collisions.

Many collisions occur at wierd angles or as a result of lost control flipping and vehicle rollover, like the case I mention above. A PT Cruiser is not a big car but its not a microcar either.

Where am I going with all this? I see all those Microcars on the road now. perhaps they should have a special Microcar Lane. They seem so small and flimsy but I am told they are safe. I saw a Smart Car (Mercedes) on the intersate today. the thing is literally a wheelchair with an aerodynamic fairing.

I wonder what the True Data is?

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-20-2008, 02:15 PM
thesst's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Posts: 470
There's some good data from various sources on various vehicles crash safety:

NHTSA stats: http://www.safercar.gov/

A Swedish car insurance co.: http://www.folksam.se/polopoly_fs/1.11226!/sakrabilar2005.pdf

Safety info from NZ:
http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/vehicles/

There's some really interesting things on those three sites. NZ puts the 123s and 126s as only "Average" in safety. But the Swedish insurance co. listed the 200/300 MB series (at least from 86-95) as "at least 15% safer than average".
__________________
'79 300SD
'82 Chevy Chevette diesel
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-20-2008, 02:15 PM
winmutt's Avatar
85 300D 4spd+tow+h4
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Atl Gawga
Posts: 9,346
I think a better question is, what are you more likely to get in an accident in? 3 motorcycle accidents, 7 bicycle accidents. Most involved SUVs or trucks. SUV's and trucks should all but be banned from the roads. Thank god for $8/gal gas. Best thing that has ever happened to the US.
__________________
http://superturbodiesel.com/images/sig.04.10.jpg
1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-20-2008, 02:21 PM
Chad300tdt's Avatar
Benzless Scoutmaster
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: North Wales, PA
Posts: 4,001
Here's a cool crash test video for the Smart Car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s

IMHO, more car = bigger crumple zones = less damage to you.
__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-20-2008, 02:33 PM
KarTek's Avatar
<- Ryuko of Kill La Kill
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Bahama/Eno Twp, NC
Posts: 3,258
In a given collision, a simple one like head on or rear ender, if there's a size difference between the vehicles, the larger vehicle will absorb less energy than the smaller vehicle by a percentage that roughly equals how much bigger their vehicle is than the smaller one. Like a 6000 lb. vehicle hitting a 4000 lb. vehicle, the occupants of the 6000 lb. vehicle will feel 40% of the impact and the others will get 60%.

This is all offset, of course by size and construction and the presence of airbags, etc... All that energy has to go somewhere.
__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-20-2008, 02:54 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 74
Bigger cars do not necessarily survive an accident better than smaller ones. It depends a lot on how the car was built. If those same occupants were in a Mercedes Benz or a Volvo, two cars that have EXCEEDED our safety standards for decades, they might have walked away from it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzFXN9lFvws Nothing more needs to be said.
__________________
"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"

The Greatest Arizona Senator ever, Barry M Goldwater. I hope you can see from heaven how much you are missed.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:11 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Reno/Sparks, NV
Posts: 3,063
Yup, size is a factor in multi-vehicle accidents but it's not the only factor. Construction and air bags make a big difference too. In single-vehicle accidents size is irrelevant and crumple zones and airbags are everything. Car safety has improved significantly over the years. Here's an interesting head-on crash of an older Volvo against a newer Renault.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ygYUYia9I
__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:13 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,263
The only statistic that makes SUVs look safer is relative death rates in SUV v. car accidents. The fact that SUVs kill people in cars does not automatically make the SUV a safer vehicle. In fact, for various reasons they are much less safe then a sedan, especially one of ours.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:27 PM
Coming back from burnout
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: in the Pacific Northwest
Posts: 2,274
Dodge Ram and F250 drivers....

For some reason I have this feeling that drivers of the huge Ford/ Dodge Pickup trucks think they are driving Indy 500 cars, because almost without variation they are driving them aggressively and bullying people on the road with their size and power. Those things can go 100 and out accelerate a BMW M3.
It didnt surprise me to read the perpetrator of the accident was a Dodge RAM driver.

I mean this is very dumb, but when I think of a profile driver of a Dodge Ram or F250, I think of a 37 year old guy about 6' 2 220 in a rush to get to Golds Gym. I mean do you ever see some bespectacled tiny Simon Garfunkel type driving one of those trucks or some old chubby guy wearing glasses on his way to Barnes and Nobles.

Last edited by Carrameow; 05-20-2008 at 03:34 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:28 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Reno/Sparks, NV
Posts: 3,063
CNN once reported on a study that showed SUV's are no safer than cars because of the increased rollover risk. A lot of SUV deaths are from single-vehicle rollovers.

Here's another good video that shows pickups are not always safe either. Again, construction is everything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCIBOYxzqko&feature=related

Sadly though, Mercedes has not always done a great job either. Here's a crash test of an early W210, like the one I have. The crash test dummy didn't suffer major injuries and it looks worse than it is, but I'd still say it's disappointing for a Mercedes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp2N0gce0-k
__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:36 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Milford, CT
Posts: 19,318
Thats why I would never buy an early W210, they fixed that after 1998.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujEA0S9QxGI

I think the best place to be in a crash is inside the newest S class you can afford. The best of the best.
__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:54 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Reno/Sparks, NV
Posts: 3,063
I didn't know that when I was buying this car a few years ago. I was pretty surprised when I first learned about this. Still not as bad as this next one. Don't buy Chinese cars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kQGAK550LE

I wonder if the W140 and W124 are safer than the early W210's. If so, that would be progress in reverse. Newer cars are always supposed to be safer than the previous generation.
__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 05-20-2008, 03:59 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Milford, CT
Posts: 19,318
Considering how much they spent designing the W140 it better be safe. $1,000,000,000 was real money back in the late 80's.

As Reagan once said, thats billion with a B!
__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 05-20-2008, 04:57 PM
Tractors, trucks, cars...
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Lancaster, PA
Posts: 64
By the way, here is Smart's press release touting the recent crash data:

http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/1229/v187/www.smartusa.com/press/smartUSA-IIHS.pdf
__________________
Nothing cranks me like compression ignition.

- '95 Mercedes E300D "The Great White"
- '98.5 Dodge Cummins 24V 4x4 - "The Green Hammer" (Sold 12-08)
- '81 VW Rabbit diesel w/GTI suspension - "The JackRabbit"
- '00 Triumph Sprint ST for when I need speed
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 05-20-2008, 06:46 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Reno/Sparks, NV
Posts: 3,063
Here's an interesting and easy to navigate site for crash tests.
http://www.euroncap.com

As I just found out the A-pillar bending problem was not exclusive to Mercedes at that time. It seems that virtually all makes and models prior to 1998 had that problem or worse. VW and Volvo seemed better than most back then (look at the entire large-family-car list). What a major improvement in most cars since then except for some like the Chevy Aveo. Too bad this sort of crash testing doesn't go back further in time. I'd be interesting to see how the W126 and W140 and others would fare.

__________________
2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2018 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page