[Diy_efi] Hydrogen Powered Vehicle - SUV safer?

[Gianmarco Rizzo (BE/EAS)]

I am not so sure that the big american cars (or SUV) are safer than the smaller, lighter european cars. these have advanced energy-absorbtion bodydshell that crush in an impact, but the cockpit has a extra structure that basically saves the occupants; not to mention the fact that a lighter car carries a lot less energy in case of impact.

a friend of mine hit a tree at perhaps 40mph with his lincoln towncar.

the guy got away with only bad bruises  because he was buckled. 

the car didnt show the damage that a european car would have  shown in such case (destroyed), but despite the apparent lack of damage, it was a write off.


the roof was all creased, and the frame bent. the bodyshell didnt show any sign of having absorbed the energy of the impact. in fact i think most of the impact energy was trasferred to the occupant. the guy couldnt move from bed for days

i reckon that a big, heavy car is safer when there is an impact with a small, light car, where the small car of course gets the wrong part of the stick,  but being car size equal, there shouldnt be much difference. what makes the difference is the fact that occupants are bucked, the capacity of the bodyshell to absorb energy, the airbags, etc. 

old american cars used to be huge and built like a tank, but i dont believe they were safe.
if safety is what u want, get a rollcage fitted to your car, and use 4 or 5 points seat belts. that will make for a safe car.

i think that people buy SUV's because they can, and because for them bigger is better. last time i was in US i have seen a pickup in the deck of which i could have easily u-turned my european hatchback. 
unfortunalty the SUVmania happened in europe too, and even Porsche now builts a SUV. enough said. It is common to see skinny little guys using 2000kg of metal to carry around their 50kg boney asses. 
typical scenario in some european cities is to buy a SUV to the wife so she can go shopping or collect the kids from school. all the offroad these vehicles get is the occasional curb-climbing. 

i think that in the majority of cases, the SUV is the pinnacle of stupidity, an object without real purpose, apart the vanity of the owner
rant over :-)

gm

 

 

 
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