crash ratings for our old wagons

I think occupant said it best:

 

Here is a 1973 Impala wagon (photo taken many years ago) that I heard hit another vehicle going around 55 mph. I think it held up pretty well... notice how the passenger compartment is still totally intact...

 

"Drive Accordingly", Indeed. I tend to not exceed 55 MPH or so on the highway and I also note that it seems like most people who drive, Drive in packs especially on the highway; In many instances when I was driving 55 or so maximum, Most other people would pass me by and then there would be no other cars around until the next pack of speeders. I'm not concerned with other people hitting my vehicle when they pass me by, I think it's safer than being near other cars in case of a blowout or road rage or whatnot; The more time I am away from other vehicles, The fewer opportunities there are for the vehicle I'm driving to bump into or be bumped by another vehicles.

You might be surprised of how many instances it seemed as if truck drivers tried to play "Duel" with me to bully me into going faster. Perhaps I'm slamming them rather hard with that statement and if so, Sorry; How may I not be so mean in future instances? And if you're going 65 and I'm going 55 and you won't change your speed, Please do note it well ahead of time and pass me by; If the left lane is clear you can pass.

On-subject of the image of a wrecked 73 wagon above my reply, That does look like the car sustained little damage overall. I wonder how the occupant or occupants were after the accident.

 

Appearances are deceiving. The passenger compartment is indeed relatively intact, but the lack of engineered 'crumple zone' in a 1973 vehicle means that they are not there to absorb the energy of the impact. The result? The occupants get thrown forward at a higher speed.

 

I always remember seeing a crash involving an American car here in the UK...............and I was astonished at just how well it held up in comparison.

It was a late 80's Lincoln Town car, waiting to turn across traffic into its driveway when it was rear-ended by a Volvo. The Volvo was totally decimated on the front, and thus pushing the Lincoln (with its wheels turned to the right waiting to pull-in to driveway) pushing the Linc into the driveway but also taking down the owners front garden wall! - As I say the Volvo was unrecognisable on the front, the Linc did have its rear bumper turned up slightly and cracked/smashed plastic bumper inserts, but the front (that had gone through the wall) was undamaged right down to not even a broken headlamp!

I remember feeling somewhat relieved that the Lincoln was ok! haha.

 

YOU!!!!!!



your the guy with the caprice!!!!

seriously though.....with an older car...i would take my chances over say...a motorcycle. (i love motorcycles...just making a point) and people ride those daily. you are much more likely to sustain severe injuries on a bike. because people pay them no mind. whereas a classic car tends to garner some attenetion.

as far as your late 80's Buick, Silverfox totaled his late 80's big block buick wagon by smacking a bridge abutment at highway speed....IIRC he walked away unscathed.

 

Good to know about the old cars being much safer than bikes.

Have we met on I-80 or 28 North? I was always the one driving the car since June 1st.

(Edit: I noticed the "Seriously though" Part and realized it could mean you were being sarcastic.)

 

Also, notice the passenger's face print in the windshield, too.

 

yeah, saw that before....... Remember when seat belts were not law?

 

That is the sure sign that the passenger was not wearing their seatbelt. Even back in 73, a properly worn lap and shoulder belt would prevent that 'secondary impact'.

 

Many good points on both sides of the discussion. New cars are safer for the occupants. New cars are designed to absorb impacts. Old cars are strong, and generally take a beating well in an accident(not necessarily the occupants).
I'm not afraid to drive any of my old cars. I've never been in any real accidents. Even when I have driven fast, I don't drive stupid. "stupid is as stupid does". Most of the cars on the road today don't pose much of a threat to our old cars in general. Unless someone is going so fast that any impact will be a big problem for a new car or old.

I love to drive my old cars. When I do, I pay attention. When I drive my newer cars I pay a alot of attention to the other drivers out there. Quite simply there are plenty of careless or bad drivers out there. That's what I'm most worried about when I drive any car.

I love my old car, and I will drive it as much as possible when I have the opportunity with great confidence in it. You can bet I'll be looking out for the looneys driving on the road. They are the real danger. As someone else already stated, most accidents are avoidable.

 

The new cars they sell here have poor frontal visibility, due to the thick single and double A-supports. I almost hit a moped driver at a roundabout or traffic circle, because the a-support on the van I was driving blocked my view. The angle he was approaching at made him hide behind the support. The new vehicles are made with the intention that it will indeed someday get involved in a collision. The older vehicles were made to allow you to avoid collisions. My 56 Chevy had the best windshield ever and I could see everything in front and behind me

 

So in short, The car is only as safe as the driver?

Turn your cell phone off, Stay away from the alcohol, If there's a passenger ask him/her to turn the radio on or off, Use your turn signals to signal which way you're reversing out of a parking space, Etc. Which safe measures did I not list?

 

the Bell Canada van that hit my driver's door was traveling at nearly 120kmh/70mph, I woke up in the MRI machine, lots of sprains and bruising and months of physiotherapy but I'm alive.



in this picture you can see where my hip, thigh and knee crashed through the door panel when the door and B pillar came in on me, in a smaller car the distance from the outer door skin to the driver's body is a lot less than it is in these wagons.

the Bell Canada van's driver had been distracted by communicating with his dispatcher via radio/cell phone/lap top (all mounted to the dash)

I wish people would pay more attention when driving. The pain, the suffering, the lost time and wages, lawyer fees, battles with the insurance companies, are just not worth it.

I miss my old wagon



at the time of the accident the other car I drove alot and could have been driving that moring was a 2008 mini cooper, I would not be here had I been in the mini!

within two months of the accident we replaced the mini with a new small suv with a good crash rating

 

Turning the passenger off