RE: [Chevelle-List] Re: Japanese products / crumple zones

[Richard M. Pruett]

This deserves to be said again!

 

If my new car folds up to protect myself and my family from harm in a wreck I'll trade a car for survival any day.

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Bill Vander Werf
Sent: Sunday, May 26, 2002 9:39 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Chevelle-List] Re: Japanese products / crumple zones

I have to voice an opinion here. I've been involved in the auto body industry all my life. My Dad was a car painter who opened a paint and body supply business in the 60s that I've since bought from him.

I have watched the evolution of the automobile body firsthand. I remember seeing many wrecks as a kid where the car held up quite well in a collision but the driver or a passenger was killed. I have to tell you, the cars they sell now are much safer than our beloved chevelles. That doesn't lessen my passion for my chevelle, it just means I appreciate it for what it was, and still is. I won't deny that technology has improved my chances of surviving a crash in a newer car.

Crumple zones are a real thing designed into a car. Why would they want a car to "crumple"? To sell you another one? No, a car has areas built into it designed to crumple to absorb the energy of a collision impact. A shock absorber, if you will. They want to have as much energy absorbed as possible before it gets to the occupants so there are still occupants to sell cars to. The best way to do this is to have the car fold up in strategic places to absorb the tremendous energy of a collision and to direct the forces away from the passenger compartment.

All the energy in a collision will be absorbed, that's a given. The more energy that can be absorbed, dissipated or redirected before it reaches the passengers, the less energy the passengers have to absorb.  I've seen firsthand that the designs work.

I compare the false sense of security people get in an older car that is "built like a tank" to wearing a full face helmet on a motorcycle. Your head is well protected and you feel like you are in a safety cocoon but there are still a lot of parts of you unprotected that an injury to could prove fatal.

Kelly, I'm not directing this post at you in particular, your post just prompted me to respond to the issue. Look at your 78 though. The dash is padded, the doors have side impact beams, the steering column is designed to collapse and the steering wheel is designed to fold up upon impact with your chest. All these things were looked upon with disdain too when they were mandated, but they work.

My uncle's head bounced off the steel dashboard of his 57 Ford. The car was still driveable. To this day he's still dead. The car was tough though....By God. If my new car folds up to protect myself and my family from harm in a wreck I'll trade a car for survival any day.

Bill Vander Werf
 

"Kelly C. Hanna" wrote:

 Did you guys see the ;latest report on crash tests the other night? Sure am glad my newest car is a 1978.....they just don't build them tough anymore....crumple zones? Ha!!

Kelly & Jana Hanna
www.hannawoodworks.com