Off Topic- Auto Safety

[Bill H.]

First off, if this offends anyone- I apologise. These are photos of my Mothers Car. I want to Emplore people to check the side impact safety record of there Cars..............

Mom passed away today from the injuries in this Accident, and I discovered that we should have had her in a safer Car........

Go to the National Highway traffic safety site and check your respective autos out to see if they have a good side impact safety rating

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

God Bless you all...........

[colterphoto1]

Bill, I'm terribly sorry to hear of your Mother's tragic passing.My condolences to your entire family.

I lost my Grandfather in two vehicle T-bone accident like this one a few years back. He was too old to drive, the small truck was not safe and he was not wearing a seat belt.

Let's all look after the ones we love a bit more. Check out the vehicles your Folks and kids are driving, make sure they are in safe vehicles and that the drivers know good defensive driving habits.

Good advice Bill.

Michael

[jacksonbart]

Bill - Very sorry for your loss, actually my grandmother (has since passed of natural causes) had an Old 98,just like that. Again very sorry and thanks for the info.

[fletcherkane]

I am terribly sorry for your loss.

May God grant her peace.

[michael hurd]

Sorry to hear of the loss of a loved one... it can be devastating to deal with, my condolences go out to you. Working in the industry ( towing ) I have seen some pretty horrific things that most people would cringe at. Unfortunately it is a job that someone has to do, and getting to clean up the aftermath at the scene can leave lasting impressions.

I also work on vehicles, and I can see the differences in build quality. I had a ' 91 honda sedan in the body shop where I worked previously, and had a 5 ton pull on it to move the front crossmember forward less than 3/16". ( suffered front mash on the driver's side ) Very strong aprons and rails compared to most domestic products. I would not hesitate to own a Honda / Acura, VW, or Toyota over a comparable domestic product.

[michael hurd]

This Grand Am is a total loss, having been rolled and hit in the front. There are many other pics, most too graphic to post.

[lech]

Sorry for the lost from me to.

As a car designer/engineer since 1972 within VOLVO ,now a FORD company i also want to flag for SIPS ( Side Impact Protection System ) as a must. To many people left this outside their creteria for baying a car.

BR

Lech

[Bill H.]

Thank you one and all for your kindness....................the observations made here will hopefully wake folks up to upgrade to a Better/safer automobile!

Again, this Klipsch website shows what a great open form this is! Stay safe. Bill Hamilton

[j-malotky]

Your pic and story reminded me about my wifes friend who died when her Volvo was struck from the side.

She was T-Boned at low speed by one of those stupid jacked up pickups. His bumper went right over the safety zone and through her window, she never had a chance.

You can have a safe car, and still be killed needlessly.

If you think your truck looks cool jacked up, your an idiot. All you are doing is putting everyone else on the road in unnecessary danger. Keep your bumper where it was meant to be.

JM

[Islander]

First, to Bill: my condolences for your tragic loss.

Second, to mdeneen: here in Victoria, there are over 500 smart fortwo cars running around. They sell better here than possibly anywhere else. Due to being a small city on the end of an island, small cars are very practical. Speed limits are low and due to the twisty mountain roads, even the highway speed limit is 90km/hr (55mph) until you get more than 90 minutes north of Victoria. They're popular with security firms (like the Commissionaires), as well as with the general public. There are even some small car metered parking spots now that fit only smart-sized cars. Safety-wise, they're sometimes described as a roll cage on wheels, and I haven't heard of any being involved in a serious crash. However, they are a town car, and get a little skittery on rough pavement at highway speeds (over 60mph or so). As well, the small wheels don't deal well with potholes. An acquaintance who has a smart car has broken two wheels and now drives through construction zones very slowly and cautiously.

The Toyota Prius is really popular here as a taxi, outnumbering private Priuses very noticeably.

Third, there oughtta be a law: bumper heights should be standardized, and any vehicle with altered ride height should be required to have its bumpers at the standard height, regardless of looks or lack of cool. "Bumper over-riding" collisions have killed many and should never happen, since they do seem preventable.

[Gilbert]

Bill, my sincerest condolences to you and your family.

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People, the 1st. Line of defence is to drive smart, by being alert at all times. So stop using mobile phones (hand held or otherwise), and stop fidiling with the stereo knobs, unless you are totally familiar with your immediate surroundings. And then, only if really necessary. Drive your car as a good pilot would fly his craft...... have everything prepared and where it belongs, long before you ever even consider taxying down the runway.

Then as a secondary line of defence, if you need feel you must upgrade to a safer vehicle, consider one with a strong and current safety record. Lord knows there are enough automotive publications out there to help you do your research. In these big SUV days, head and side impact bags are a must. So with that said, research responsibly, and what ever you do, know everything about the car you've decided on long before take the $$ leap, take the car salesman's advice with a heavy dose of salt, and I do mean HEAVY.

USE YOUR MIRRORS, SCAN THE SIDES PERIODICALLY, ALWAYS LOOK AT WHAT THE TRAFFIC AHEAD IS DOING (Say 200 to 500FT ahead). NEVER BE CAUGHT OFF-GUARD, NEVER. GOT THE GREEN LIGHT, GOOD, BUT DOES THE BOZO COMMING FROM THE SIDE REALIZE HE/SHE HAS THE RED.

From the internet, www.Edmunds.com is a good place to start your research. Automobile Magazine, and Autoweek Magazine are just a few of my favorite reads. Informative, and unbias.

Bill, you take care, and God Bless.

[dtel]

I don't know what to say, so I will borrow a line from another post ahead of me, that says it all.

May God grant her peace

[PhilMays]

Bill,

I too am hurt by your loss. You and your family will be in our prayers.

Phil

[LarryC]

I'm awfully sorry about your mom, neither of you deserved losing her this soon. My condolences --

Larry

[Jay481985]

Lech---

I never understood something about Volvo: They once had the premier position in auto safety, and then they switched to become "high performance." Why? As I see it right now, no one has grabbed the place that Volvo left vacant.

Honda

[Jay481985]

Michael-

You have some obvious experience. What thinks you of small'ish cars like the Prius or Civic hybrid? Or the even smaller Mercedes Smart Car? I am rabidly interested to get a "super mileage" car, but I don't want to compromise safety too much.

M Ddeneen, its not how big the car is though it does help. Its how well designed the car is, I would much rather have a car with adequate crumple zone and steel where it is needed but not too strong or the energy of the crash will go through the person (whiplash, broken bones) but With advances like side door airbags and side curtain airbags, it does help alot more. Also Bill H I am sorry for your loss.

[Jay481985]

First, to Bill: my condolences for your tragic loss.

Third, there oughtta be a law: bumper heights should be standardized, and any vehicle with altered ride height should be required to have its bumpers at the standard height, regardless of looks or lack of cool. "Bumper over-riding" collisions have killed many and should never happen, since they do seem preventable.

It is being addressed with the newer cars as they are being designed with pedestrains in mind, note that the bumpers are a bit higher and the hood is too to prevent hitting the knee cap and lower and having the person flip over the car.

[Guest " "]

It's a sad thing to happen to anyone...my prayers are with you and your family.

I lost my older sister to a car accident in 1977. She was 21 at the time, serving her country overseas in Germany.

I was pretty bitter about it and put too much thought into the how, why's and if's.

After a few decades, it became clear to me, no matter what kind of car she was in, she would not have made it.

[Daddy Dee]

Bill,

I am so sorry to hear of your mother's death. There are just no words for your loss.

Thanks for sharing a word about car safety here.

[boom3]

My condolences.

The primary cause of the T-bone wreck (there are no such things as accidents) is running red lights. Yet when red light cameras are installed, people scream that their "privacy' is being invavded. What expectation of privacy should one have on public roads?

At least pre-Katrina, red light running was a blood sport in New Orleans. I still look twice before I move out on a green. Some years ago I was nearly nailed by a guy doing 50 (at least) up Caliborne Avenue at Elysian Fields. Claiborne is a four lane, divided road, heavily traveled and I think is marked for 40 at most and 30 in some spots. Guess what he was driving? A Volvo...