Car Safety Technology

[MA-Caver]

Saw this video made by our friends over the pond (from one of their programs) about a new "smart-crash" car. The results were impressive... except for one small detail. Though the car overall survived a 70 mph crash into a concrete barrier it is estimated (correctly) that the passengers wouldn't have. Watch the vid. It's really incredible to see.
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Given that, it would seem that as we move forward in technological advances (read: safer armored vehicles for the troops will equal/lead to safer cars in the future) such as this eventually engineers will figure out a way to either at least minimize the tremendous forces that come into play during a high speed collision or even better, eliminate them altogether. Far fetched? Not really. There's always a way.
Each year millions of people die or become crippled from car accidents all over the world. While advances in passenger safety are increasing with better seat-belts, air-bags and body frames, there still remains the high probability that one may not survive a high speed impact. I'm sure any LEO will tell you that even a 30 mph impact is still pretty powerful.
Just wondering if these advances are going to come soon enough or if more study and engineering testings are needed? The automobile will be around for a long time to be sure, the (hopeful) coming of hybrid and alternate fuels will keep us on the road for generations to come. Question is will each succeeding generation get their safer car soon enough?

 

[jks9199]

It's basically a roll cage with a motor.

But it's also a step backwards; we used to make cars here in the US on the bigger/stronger/more solid approach. Thing is... the forces and energy involved in the crash still have to go somewhere. They're hyping the intact windshield as evidence that the cage didn't deform -- and that's true, as far as it goes. Because that little bit of deformation and shattering glass means that the energy ISN'T going into people.

I won't post all the math, but the energy in a crash varies with the square of the velocity. It gets really big, really fast.

 

[MA-Caver]

Well yeah, I mean I seen a photo of a car crash of what used to be a Porsche and it's occupants. There wasn't much left of the occupants. So if the roll cage with an engine is a step backwards then maybe they're re-thinking it all?

 

[Rich Parsons]

I am disappointed.

If this was a US manufacturer there would be screaqms of people dying and not of how nice the FRAME stood up.

The 70 mph is not a bad test. If one looks at it is 70 MPH into a wall this is normal highway speeds. It is also 35 mph going into a 35 mph car head on.


One of the biggest things to get a 5 star rating is to have no or so little intrusioninto the the cabin that there would be no injury.

Look up the NHTS - National Highway Trafic Safety and you can find a place to search and look into the tests and results.