How to make my Corolla safer

[IndyIan]

You could get a cage welded up for your corolla, you pretty much have to go all the way though once you start. You need a good seat with a 4 or 5 point harness and most likely wear a helmet all the time depending on how big you are and where the bars are.
Basically you are making your corolla into a rally car. I know a couple people who use their rally cars as daily drivers and don't wear a helmet all the time but none of them have ever been in a serious accident in them.
You can also see on youtube rally accidents that tear a F-350 in half and the drivers walks away.
There are still some road accidents where a rally preped car could still fail enough to kill the driver but I imagine its alot less probable.
I'd guess $3-5k would outfit your corolla pretty well so it is cost effective, but you'd have to accept the comprimises of belting in and wearing a helmet, having no back seats, noise from a stripped interior, etc.

I drive a car that is statistically less safe than your Corolla even so I drive like it. I watch for red light runners, and slow down if someone does a bonehead pass towards me. I also use snowtires.
Ian

 

[Mr_Incredible]

DANG! I don't even want to leave the house now!

It's a good thing I drove my Super Duty today and not the CRX...

 

[StevieC]

I have driven more miles in the last 10 years for my job than most people will in a life-time and I have only had 2 accidents both which were not my fault and were minor, and then 1 accident that I totaled the car because I hit a deer. Small car and I survived with nothing more than a few scrapes/bruises.

 

[Quest]

I take on the morality/mentality that:

(a) you may not be able to out-run a corvette in your small econobox, but when done right(suspension, brakes, tires, etc.), you can surely out-maneouvre those big-rigs, 18-wheelers, AsssYouVees, large pickups and caravans.

(b) you have to be mentally aware/alert as always, when you drive down the road no matter how fast/slow the speed is. Speed can be drowning and deceptive for your reaction time will definitely shorten as your speed goes up.

(c) how many of daily avg drivers have received the proper defensive driving course and learned how to drive properly/defensively?

.......

Q.

 

[brianl703]

Want to make your Corolla safer?

Learn to drive better.

 

[mstrjon32]

I want a super duty.

 

[PandaBear]

To improve a 92 Corolla, your only shot is better handling and out maneuver the wobbly SUV and truck that may hit you. So tire with less than 400 trend wear rating, sway bar, high performance street brake pads, louder exhaust (so people can hear you if you are in their blind spot), brighter headlights, etc....

In other word, rice it out. Just kidding about the headlight and exhaust part.

Engine from 97 is the same series as the 92: 4AFE or 7AFE, but there may be some minor difference.





BTW, for those who claim a Civic driver will be killed if hit by an F series. I've personally seen a Civic ran a stop and T boned an explorer and send it rolling down the street, groceries flying everywhere, but the civic only lost a bumper.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
To improve a 92 Corolla, your only shot is better handling and out maneuver the wobbly SUV and truck that may hit you. So tire with less than 400 trend wear rating, sway bar, high performance street brake pads, louder exhaust (so people can hear you if you are in their blind spot), brighter headlights, etc....

In other word, rice it out. Just kidding about the headlight and exhaust part.

Engine from 97 is the same series as the 92: 4AFE or 7AFE, but there may be some minor difference.





BTW, for those who claim a Civic driver will be killed if hit by an F series. I've personally seen a Civic ran a stop and T boned an explorer and send it rolling down the street, groceries flying everywhere, but the civic only lost a bumper.



The Explorer is based on the RANGER, NOT the F-series. A Super Duty truck weighs in excess of 7,000lbs. My buddy's Diesel is 7,986lbs with him in it and 1/4 tank of fuel. You aren't rolling that with a Civic, but I bet the frame rail would catch you right at face level as you are piling underneath it......

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
To improve a 92 Corolla, your only shot is better handling and out maneuver the wobbly SUV and truck that may hit you. So tire with less than 400 trend wear rating, sway bar, high performance street brake pads, louder exhaust (so people can hear you if you are in their blind spot), brighter headlights, etc....

In other word, rice it out. Just kidding about the headlight and exhaust part.

Engine from 97 is the same series as the 92: 4AFE or 7AFE, but there may be some minor difference.





BTW, for those who claim a Civic driver will be killed if hit by an F series. I've personally seen a Civic ran a stop and T boned an explorer and send it rolling down the street, groceries flying everywhere, but the civic only lost a bumper.



The Explorer is based on the RANGER, NOT the F-series. A Super Duty truck weighs in excess of 7,000lbs. My buddy's Diesel is 7,986lbs with him in it and 1/4 tank of fuel. You aren't rolling that with a Civic, but I bet the frame rail would catch you right at face level as you are piling underneath it......


LOL. So true.

Trucks might not hold up well against immovable objects but they hold up just fine agianst 2,900lb Civics and Corollas.

This is the difference in real life vs crash tests.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
To improve a 92 Corolla, your only shot is better handling and out maneuver the wobbly SUV and truck that may hit you. So tire with less than 400 trend wear rating, sway bar, high performance street brake pads, louder exhaust (so people can hear you if you are in their blind spot), brighter headlights, etc....

In other word, rice it out. Just kidding about the headlight and exhaust part.

Engine from 97 is the same series as the 92: 4AFE or 7AFE, but there may be some minor difference.





BTW, for those who claim a Civic driver will be killed if hit by an F series. I've personally seen a Civic ran a stop and T boned an explorer and send it rolling down the street, groceries flying everywhere, but the civic only lost a bumper.



The Explorer is based on the RANGER, NOT the F-series. A Super Duty truck weighs in excess of 7,000lbs. My buddy's Diesel is 7,986lbs with him in it and 1/4 tank of fuel. You aren't rolling that with a Civic, but I bet the frame rail would catch you right at face level as you are piling underneath it......


LOL. So true.

Trucks might not hold up well against immovable objects but they hold up just fine agianst 2,900lb Civics and Corollas.

This is the difference in real life vs crash tests.





Exactly. The real-life pictures I posted earlier are what happens when a 3/4 or 1-ton pick-up has an intimate encounter with a car. In all cases save one, the occupants of the car were killed. In all cases, the occupant of the truck had at the most minor injuries.

A 5-star crash test rating means SFA when the bumper of the vehicle you are colliding with is at the level of your face.

Short story:
A good friend of mine had a Saturn SC1. Great little car. Quite zippy, light, maneuvered well. One day, we pulled into our driveway (he and his wife were my roommates at the time) and there was a newer body-style F-250. It was NOT lifted. Stock height, empty box. We were parking behind it with the Saturn.

As we were parking, Noah observed the height of the Saturn VS that of the rear of the pick-up. So he crept the car closer. And closer. We got the Reese hitch about 12" from the windshield before the nose of the car was getting close to tires. We both felt a lot less safe in that car at that moment.

I have no problem with people driving small cars. I thoroughly enjoy my Mustang, which is far from being a large car. But I also know that getting hit in that car by something large is a lot more dangerous than it is in the Expedition. I find many people think they are invincible in their small car because it handles well and has a good crash test rating. I'm sure that young kid in Toronto who died when his Civic was cut in half was thinking that same thing..... A safe DRIVER is the most important piece of safety equipment you can have in a car.

 

[Quest]

OVERKILL:

Actualy, it's more like this:

Too many bad drivers on NA road driving large vehicles causing deaths just because they thought that larger vehicles are "Safer" to that of smaller ones.

Unfortunately, they just don't realise that it's the human being which is the biggest cause of fatality in these cases.

NA shall follow Germany's course of action when it comes to application of driver's license: gradual driver licensing program, which takes up to 2 yrs of gradual introductions, road tests and driving instructor's programs and certifications before they can get on to the road. That way, you can be certain that the road would be so much more safer (factoring out medical and alcohol-related incidents) than, say, mom or dad with poor/ill driving skills behind the wheels teaching their kids how to drive/pass the road test for drivers license.

My 2c's worth.

Q.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Quest

Too many bad drivers on NA road driving large vehicles causing deaths just because they thought that larger vehicles are "Safer" to that of smaller ones.


Most of the more aggressive drivers in large vehicles tend to be women, who, I'd wager, aren't making the payments on them.

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: Quest

Too many bad drivers on NA road driving large vehicles causing deaths just because they thought that larger vehicles are "Safer" to that of smaller ones.


Most of the more aggressive drivers in large vehicles tend to be women, who, I'd wager, aren't making the payments on them.


Very true. 99% of the time a truck would come up on me hard and slam on brakes at the last minute (when I'm going over the speed limit already) and get as close to my bumper as possible, it was a woman. There were two instances at night where I couldn't see the headlights because they were so close and they laid on the horn, I slammed on brakes and made them stop, got out of my car thinking they wanted to fight only to find a small blonde 20 something yr old behind the wheel.

 

[meep]

I think drivers of large vehicles (i am one, 2008 grand chero) have an EXTRA responsibility. The cars with more mass must exercise greater restraints against speed, abrupt maneuvers and aggressive driving. A large vehicle has greater potential to destroy lives and property than smaller ones. Unfortunately, I do see some drivers of large vehicles "bullying" smaller cars so that they can go faster, advance one car length in traffic, etc. Not all-- as there are many who really do follow speed limits, follow at a safe distance, etc.. I have great respect for those folks in trucks and expi's and whatever that just hang back, are courteous and attentive drivers. Oddly enuf I'll note those drivers usually aren't on the phone either. I have even greater respect (I am not perfect and do get judgemental sometimes) if it appears that they actually need/use the vehicle's capabilities.

And this isn't discriminatory... it's not that small cars should be allowed more leeway in traffic law, and large vehicles shouldn't... it's social responsibility. The greater the capability to do harm, the greater the personal responsibility.

I have 2 kids who will one day turn 16. I fear for their safety. I see many teens being given fullsize trucks, suv's, etc. for their safety. But then they fill them up with their friends, yap on the phones, and get CARELESS. They scare me as much as the aggressive, rage-ridden drivers I saw in DC. When I can, I get out of their way, stop for a minute, make distance between us, whatever, b/c I don't want to be part of that risk, and I don't want to get sucked into getting angry either. My kids will get sedans, not compacts, but not 6000lb vehicles either.

[rant off]

Mike

Mike

 

[PandaBear]

I do see more and more SUV in college campus compare to 10 years ago. Back then they were mostly small to mid size cars and now most spots on parking lot are occupied with SUV.

While I have no problem with a responsible driver under SUV. I do not like the arm race of vehicle weight that ends up good for nobody, due to the loss in handling, braking, fuel economy, visibility, and the potential of hitting a pedestrian which cannot increase his/her weight to compete.

IMO heavier vehicles should be build with external crumble zone to offset its momentum, and/or have a momentum regulator that makes them slower in non-highway traffic.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear

While I have no problem with a responsible driver under SUV. I do not like the arm race of vehicle weight that ends up good for nobody, due to the loss in handling, braking, fuel economy, visibility, and the potential of hitting a pedestrian which cannot increase his/her weight to compete.

IMO heavier vehicles should be build with external crumble zone to offset its momentum, and/or have a momentum regulator that makes them slower in non-highway traffic.


I agree that the larger vehicles should be made to be accident compatible atleast with all cars. Bumpers need to be at a standard height to give cars a chance at least.

Probably there needs to be class action lawsuit against the government by the victims of traffic accidents where people were killed due to collision incompatibility between high vehicles and low ones. Or maybe Ralph Nader needs to go on the war path again...

Otherwise I might have to drive one of these! It would go through a F350 like it was made of styrofoam...

 

[Quest]

One of the biggest pet-peeves I have are those "hillbillies" that intentionally jacked up their F150s, etc. to a dangerous height with bumpers raised to your eyebrow level on a camry (or rooftop level of your typical corollas) and keep driving up and down the street.

These vehicles shall be categorised as "unsafe" and "extemely modified" vehicles that are deemed unsafe at all cost/all circumstances, and shall bear a much heavier insurance cost and penality if they ever get into an accident.

Afterall: what gives them the rights to jack up their vehicles to an unsafe level and run them alongside with ordinary vehicles on the road?

Q.

 

[brianl703]

Virginia has a bumper height law, so you don't see much of that here.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: Quest

Too many bad drivers on NA road driving large vehicles causing deaths just because they thought that larger vehicles are "Safer" to that of smaller ones.


Most of the more aggressive drivers in large vehicles tend to be women, who, I'd wager, aren't making the payments on them.


As the saying goes - women drivers, no survivors.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: Quest

Too many bad drivers on NA road driving large vehicles causing deaths just because they thought that larger vehicles are "Safer" to that of smaller ones.


Most of the more aggressive drivers in large vehicles tend to be women, who, I'd wager, aren't making the payments on them.


Had one on my a$$ today in a mini van. Inches from my bumper, gabbing on her cell phone and we are coming to an abrupt halt and I thought she was going to pile into the back of the Expedition.

She looked like her head was going to come apart as she's trying to stop, steer and listen to the phone at the same time.