got rear ended by old JIMMY S.U.V. that was going at least 35 m.p.h. ( while waiting to for oncoming traffic to turn left ) in our '99 Chevy PRIZM and walked out w/ only stiff neck , bad nerves , and a heck of a temper at the driver of the S.U.V.. Should of been tested for booze , but wasn't . First thing came out of his mouth after crash was " I just got work done on this " , not if we were o.k..
Is safety/crash test a priority of yours?
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No, I do not pay it much mind. I usualy end up in things with better then average crash rateing due to my choices. I do not research it though and I woulod never not buy a vechile I wanted or needed just because it had a less then stellar crash test rateing!
Yep. After being hit head-on at 65 mph I started looking at those more. The guy hit me head-on on the driver's side, so it was a frontal offset collision just like they test. After watching the crash videos and seeing how much better the 4 and 5 star cars do compared to what my '87 Grand Am would do (I assume it's similar to a newer Cavalier, which fails just like my car did), I believe that I would have been able to get out of my car myself after the accident if I were driving something safer. As it was, my tibia was in many pieces and sticking out the front of my leg.
Anyone that doesn't see the value in crash test ratings simply hasn't been in a serious accident yet. I can even understand why people with more money than I believe the extra fuel cost is worth it to drive a large vehicle around (although their driving habits tend to negate the inherent safety advantage). The odds are pretty good that someone is just going to drive into you someday.
Anyone that doesn't see the value in crash test ratings simply hasn't been in a serious accident yet. I can even understand why people with more money than I believe the extra fuel cost is worth it to drive a large vehicle around (although their driving habits tend to negate the inherent safety advantage). The odds are pretty good that someone is just going to drive into you someday.
After being in a car accident with a semi, I tell you, my outlook on driving economy cars has gone out the window. Forget fuel economy, I'm going to look at the safest vehicle on the road if possible. I may compromise a little on the vehicle. however, you can't say I've never hit anyone or anything like that. Look at all the people who have been killed by someone hitting them. What's worse, there are alot of illegals driving with no insurance hitting people and sometimes killing them.
Take into consideration lift kits on the trucks and suv's .In doing lift modifications many laws are broken but the cops do not tag for the violations I have written law enforcement official they don't care about the danger.
I agree with you on it being harder to regain control and the roll over rate of the SUV's are higher but I think in most of those situations the driver was at fault so having said that I will take the odds of me being in control and making the mistake versus trusting others to not make the mistake and hit me from behind for example. I have seen how a lot of SUV's owners drive their vehicle and I think they should be in a sports car or a sporty sedan. They definitely don't drive like its a truck. So to me you can't blame the vehicle but you have to blame the driver. That is of course most situations. IMHO.
Ford is claiming the new redesigned 2008 Taurus is the safest full size car in the U.S.
Amazing how people blame the vehicle for their stupidity.
I have driven a 4x4 since 1963 and currently own 4 of them.
I have never rolled one or for the nearly 60 years that I have been driving I have never had an accident.
Traction Control , Vehicle Stability Control , and A.B.S is only needed by those who can't drive without such devices to keep them out of trouble.
I drove an 18 wheeler for 42 years averaging over 125,000 miles per year without any of those devices and not one accident.
If you watch how half the population drives it is easy to see why their are so many accidents.
No amount of gizmo's will keep them out of trouble they are just to dumb to be behind the wheel and they will continue to blame the vehicle or the other driver.
We don't need more gadgets on are cars we need to figure out a way to teach people how to drive responsibly.
I have driven a 4x4 since 1963 and currently own 4 of them.
I have never rolled one or for the nearly 60 years that I have been driving I have never had an accident.
Traction Control , Vehicle Stability Control , and A.B.S is only needed by those who can't drive without such devices to keep them out of trouble.
I drove an 18 wheeler for 42 years averaging over 125,000 miles per year without any of those devices and not one accident.
If you watch how half the population drives it is easy to see why their are so many accidents.
No amount of gizmo's will keep them out of trouble they are just to dumb to be behind the wheel and they will continue to blame the vehicle or the other driver.
We don't need more gadgets on are cars we need to figure out a way to teach people how to drive responsibly.
Dude, I've always been for replacing airbags with giant, sharp spikes. THAT will teach people to drive more carefully.
I look at crash tests, but they don't rule my decision. I don't like SUVs for the simple reason that they are not capable of handling as well as a car. I've driven them though, and never felt like they were going to roll over.
The way I figure it, anytime I'm in a car, I'm infinitely better protected than on the bike even if the car did not test well.
Personally, ABS has saved me one time in the past 150,000 miles. It was my fault that I was in the situation, but the ABS saved me from a wreck at any rate. We all make mistakes. Usually the mistakes don't cost us anything, but not always.
There have been several occasions where ABS was a convenience, taking the stress out of a situation. That alone makes it worthwhile to me. As for traction control, I don't like it. Stability control? I like it if it can truly be easily turned off on those occasions when you want to play.
If I have a choice, then I'll find an ABS equipped version of a car I'm looking at, but it does not come into play when I'm trying to make a decision.
The way I figure it, anytime I'm in a car, I'm infinitely better protected than on the bike even if the car did not test well.
Personally, ABS has saved me one time in the past 150,000 miles. It was my fault that I was in the situation, but the ABS saved me from a wreck at any rate. We all make mistakes. Usually the mistakes don't cost us anything, but not always.
There have been several occasions where ABS was a convenience, taking the stress out of a situation. That alone makes it worthwhile to me. As for traction control, I don't like it. Stability control? I like it if it can truly be easily turned off on those occasions when you want to play.
If I have a choice, then I'll find an ABS equipped version of a car I'm looking at, but it does not come into play when I'm trying to make a decision.
I drive a Volvo I think that answers your question.
But Volvos don't have the best crash test ratings just lots of marketing hype.
I agree 100%.
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Beam me up scotty
whats that suppose to mean? that you dont believe me when i said i have never been found at fault in an accident? or the fact that ive never hit anyone or anything?
glad he walked away OK, but i have a counter story to yours.
some years ago i flipped my dads 64 impala a few revolutions off into the ditch at 55mph. the rear axle broke and i couldnt control the car. freak accident. i took out a 6 inch tree with the engine. hit it so hard i cracked the block. i wasnt wearing a seatbelt, or a t shirt and i walked away OK. i dont even think the car had seatbelts installed.
i guess what i am trying to say is airbags and seatbelts are not the end all be all to safety. once you are actually committed to crashing and you pass the point of no return, i bet random chance has more to do with survivability than anything else.
I don't put much stock in the gov. ratings.
Example you hit head-on with your 5 star rated econobox with my diesel powered F 250 4x4 and you LOSE.
Example you hit head-on with your 5 star rated econobox with my diesel powered F 250 4x4 and you LOSE.
Oh, and when it comes to extreme measures, mine is to put EVERYONE on a motorcycle as their only form of transportation for a year, before they can get a cage license.
I know the years I did that made me a much more defensive driver...
I know the years I did that made me a much more defensive driver...
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