>>>>>The new standard proposes this for passenger cars.
>>>>>But only two exceed this now- the Insight and the Prius.
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> about 50 or so (with another car stopped in front of me). Glad it
> wasn't a Pinto,,,,,
>>>>>>The new standard proposes this for passenger cars.
>>>>>>But only two exceed this now- the Insight and the Prius.
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> Being rear ended by a large car doing "about 50" is right in the
> range of no survivability. You were lucky period.
I saw him coming in my RV mirror, so I laid back in the seat and
closed my eyes....I ened up in the back seat (front seat back broke
off instantly), the entire back end of the car was pushed around and
under the back tires. Nothing more then a scratch on me. I was
lucky, big time.
> There are those that espouse safety at any cost but realistically,
> this just is not justifiable. At some point, cost vs. benefit ratios
> must take precedence. If not, we'll all go broke.
Well, if the guy was driving a smaller car similar to mine, he would
have hit me with maybe 50% less force (figuring that his car was twice
the weigt of mine). It's next to impossible to engineer for the
maximum amount of probable force, so one must engineer for the most
probable amount of force, or else we would all be driving tanks that
would be getting heavier on a log scale.
> I don't consider my Gen II Hondas very safe in a passive accident.
> I'm fully willing to take that risk in return to low operating cost.
> That's my decision but it may not be share by many.
For anyone that purchases a smaller vehicle (such as both of us), it
should always be an informed decision on all aspects of the vehicle as
one can absorb.
> If I were the grand poopah, I would let the marketplace determine
> what features personal autos offered. Currently, there is way too
> much in the way of guv'ment mandates. I would offer only basic
> features such as seatbelts, ample padding and STRONGER bumpers but
> that's it! Let everything else be an option.
Next thing you know, the government (and by default, we the people)
will be buying into American industry.
> But that's just me and no one ever listens to grumpy old men...
Maybe other grumpy though not yet as old men.
> JT