crash test of the vw buses

[edwardh1]

seems they would have been terrible, you sit so close to the windshield.
anyone ever been in a wreck with one?
vw has plans to sell them with electric motors.

 

[Trav]

Never have but I have seen the aftermath on the old ones, its not pretty. The new ones should be much better but you never know.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Wow...a bit random here, but this brought back a very vivid memory of seeing a Microbus sliding out of control on 75 during a ice storm in Dallas while I was going the other way. I can't remember exactly what it hit (overpass pylon??), but I could see the driver surging forward out of his seat on impact just as I passed by him...I didn't turn to see the aftermath because I was terrified out of my mind from driving in those conditions. With this being pre-internet, there was no good way to figure out what the result was without trying to catch the local TV news. I didn't see the guy (clearly a middle aged man who was bald on top and with long hair in the back) actually hit the windshield, but I'm sure he was going to.
I used to get bored during the lengthy ice storms that were common in Dallas and eventually head out to eat or maybe go to a bookstore...I think seeing that crash cured me of that stupidity. I was probably coming back from the bookstore across from the Dr. Pepper plant on Mockingbird that night...

Yes, I would imagine that would be a terrible vehicle in which to experience a frontal impact...I guess cars didn't really have crumple zones then, but that's taking even the concept of a crumple zone out of the picture.

 

[The_Jeff]

 

[CR94]

A couple of my coworkers were on their way to work in one of those when he (the driver) had a seizure. The front of the bus hit a large tree. She died at the scene. He nearly lost a leg, but recovered. Another coworker normally car-pooled with them but happened to drive separately that day.

 

[Cujet]

My boss drives one. I always tell him that his legs are the "first line of defense" in a crash. Hahahahah, sad but nearly true.

 

[CourierDriver]

old VWs were not designed to protect us , imho....not sure about the new ones....

 

[01rangerxl]

I think safety was an inherent issue with nearly all "forward control" type light vans and trucks, which is probably why you don't see that design much anymore in light duty vehicles.

In the electric Microbus concept vehicle, the front seats are behind the front wheels, so it does have a crumple zone. It's not really like a 1960s forward control van.

 

[Trav]

Not quite as dangerous as this but close. Now they want to bring back this widow maker. Getting closer to a riding awn mower with seats.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: CourierDriver
old VWs were not designed to protect us , imho....not sure about the new ones....


Most cars these days are very safe and I know that VW has very high safety ratings. My fiancee (girlfriend at the time) was involved in a head on collision in her 2013 Jetta, she wash shaken but walked away without a scratch. The truck actually hit her on the front left side, which is the worst possible spot (watch frontal offset crash videos). She replaced it with the 2014 Jetta in my sig.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Not quite as dangerous as this but close. Now they want to bring back this widow maker. Getting closer to a riding awn mower with seats.





So how do you feel about motorcycles?

I feel I should darn well drive what I like. PROVIDING my choice of vehicle does not unduly endanger others.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

When I was a kid, my uncle on a motorcycle rear ended one, and apparently pen-knifed himself through the rear window and over the roof...had photos with nearly a foot of the roof folded in where he came to rest...lots of hospital time...

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I think safety was an inherent issue with nearly all "forward control" type light vans and trucks, which is probably why you don't see that design much anymore in light duty vehicles.

In the electric Microbus concept vehicle, the front seats are behind the front wheels, so it does have a crumple zone. It's not really like a 1960s forward control van.


they've come a long, long way...https://www.ancap.com.au/safety-ratings/toyota/hiace/d9f34a

 

[Silk]

The Hi Ace is still the top selling van in NZ, but is the only forward control van you can get now, the rest are just too unsafe. I guess we just like the Hi Ace.

 

[fsdork]

Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: Trav
Not quite as dangerous as this but close. Now they want to bring back this widow maker. Getting closer to a riding awn mower with seats.





So how do you feel about motorcycles?

I feel I should darn well drive what I like. PROVIDING my choice of vehicle does not unduly endanger others.


Agreed, as long as I, the taxpayer, don't have to foot the bill for your medical/disability expenses.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Oops...wrong car.

 

[DB_Cooper]

In real world testing the old VW Vanagons are a pretty safe vehicle..surprisingly.

 

[DB_Cooper]

And a real world crash report. Offset head on collision at 45mph. Driver was wearing seat belt and walked away with no injuries.

The complete story from the Vanagon owner here: Real life Vanagon crash test

 

[meep]

we had an '84 vanagon, the body which followed the microbus. So did a friend. He ran it off a gravel road off an embankment at ~30mph and was stopped by a tree, at about a 70degree angle, nose down. It dented the face above the headlight, below the windshield, and not much else. The tow truck driver remarked that the vanagons were unique---- they rarely crumpled, and if they hit something hard enough to crumple, the occupants were certain to be injured badly- basically he said they were very sturdy vehicles-- sturdy enough to withstand a lot of forward impact but without the crumple zones, occupants were still going to be injured, if that makes sense? His was perfectly driveable after being set back on its 4 wheels.

m

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: Trav
Not quite as dangerous as this but close. Now they want to bring back this widow maker. Getting closer to a riding awn mower with seats.





So how do you feel about motorcycles?

I feel I should darn well drive what I like. PROVIDING my choice of vehicle does not unduly endanger others.


I have been riding one before I drove a car and still do, over 500K on bikes since 1975 (I rode year round, light snow and all till I was 50) so I would say I like them just fine, wouldn't you?

It has nothing to do with dictating what you can drive or not it has to do with selling inherently dangerous vehicles to people who don't know or realize they are dangerous.
When you ride a bike or are a passenger you know full well this can be dangerous but many people have no idea a car can be even more dangerous, one front door with a movable steering column in the front isn't exactly safe for anybody inside. Yes you would be putting your passenger in a dangerous situation stuffing them in this thing and they don't know it.