5 cars you don't want crashing into you in 2011

Hmmm... not sure about this... surely to be a good crasher a car has to absorb the energy of the impact & not pass it on to the passenger... this means having effective crumple zones rather than girder like rigidity... OK, they're designed to protect their passengers but also these could actually be the preferred SMIDSY vehicles*. I'm not actually concerned whether I spill his latte or break his arm... my concern is whether I'd walk again.

* it certainly doesn't mean that they are a group of cars you'd least like to have an accident with... at least the owners of these 5 are likely to have insurance.

Posted: 31/01/2011 at 12:25

Posted: 31/01/2011 at 13:08

Posted: 31/01/2011 at 13:09

The newer the model of car the better it's design is in relation to pedestrian impacts. (Easily deformable front bumper, bigger gap between engine and bonnet etc.) As bikers we are little better protected in an impact with a car than pedestrians so you are better off (relatively!) being hit by the latest models.

However, riding daily in London there do seem to be certain cars that feature more highly in my 'random danger car' list. All new Minis, Old Primeras with a new style minicab sticker and any Audi bigger than an A3 to name but a few...!

Posted: 31/01/2011 at 13:37

Posted: 31/01/2011 at 14:47

Safe car is utter nonsense - it only promotes the survival rate of stupid drivers.

Let's face it: driving is inherently dangerous - both to the driver and others.

My personal preference would be to ban the insurance, safe cars and seat belts.

Being personally liable for the damange done would prompt responsible behaviour (irresponsible being elliminated from driving)

I guess I'm quite alone in my theories

Posted: 31/01/2011 at 18:29

MKU, you are right, back in the day ('40s or '50s maybe, I'm not sure) the army was losing a lot of drivers in crashes, often due to reckless driving. As an experiment they tried fitting big spikes in the centre of the steering wheel pointing at the driver. Lo and behold, driver deaths from crashes dropped to virtually zero.

Proving the point that make drivers feel safe and they loose care and attention while driving. Put the responsibilty forpersonal safety back in the lap of the driver and they are suddenly aware of their actions.

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 09:17

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 11:17

MKU, I have to disagree. The same idiots would still be careering around smacking into stuff because the notion of responsibility for their actions is alien to them - like the uninsured fool who smashed into a load of parked vehicles in my street (60mph approx in a 30) then ran off. Police caught him later but it took some people two years to get their money back.

The key to survival is constant vigilance and a bit of luck. 

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 12:37

I went up to London a month or two back and the way what I'd call young yobs drive beggared belief. 40 or maybe 50 in thirty zones and carving about like crazy.  It is the old story, give them seat belts, air bags, disc brakes, ABS, radial tyres that grip well, powerful engines and what do they do?  Drive right up to the limit of the new gadgets of course.

As far as bikes go, cars with strong doors are probably safer for the biker as years ago I saw a picture where a bike had gone right inside a car. Both the car driver and the biker were killed. No anti-intrusion beams in those days.

Some modern safety features are of no help at all to motorcyclists.  In particular I am thinking of the anti-run-under-beams designed to save car drivers from going underneath articulated tractor-trailer lorries.  Somewhat over forty years ago I narrowly escaped being killed on the three lane A6 just north of Penrith. The middle lane was clear and I was in it overtaking a "long vehicle". Just when I was halfway along the trailer a lorry travelling in the opposite direction swerved into my lane! (this lorry had been hidden behind a bigger lorry but as the driver had half a mile an hour more than the competition out he came!) I could see the drivers eye-balling one another but they hadn't seen me. With only 250cc and drum brakes my options were somewhat limited but by dropping a cog and giving a quick blip on the throttle I was able to reach the highest part of the trailer and ride underneath it inches away from the tractor units rear tyres. Just as I got underneath the trailer Mr McGoos lorry passed just inches away.  I would have definitely been a gonner and saying "Sorry didn't see you mate" at the funeral just isn't adequate.  What I do know is that if the trailer had had those "safety beams" I would now be brown bread.  Motorcycling is so dangerous that I have heard about guys making their bikes look like police bikes in order to get noticed.  Years back one bloke had even fitted his bike with a dummy radio and an aerial but when you have to do this to avoid being run over its the pits.

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 15:13

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 16:44

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 17:42

Posted: 02/02/2011 at 09:35

Yes Friend i also dnt think any car is safe every thing depends on car driver or any vehicle driver.

Posted: 20/05/2011 at 06:37