Significant Other probably.
Or She who must be Obeyed. No question of must be - it's just a face :-)
|
|
Fact. Confound this late night typing.
|
Sorry to hear of the accident Clear Spot.
I suppose it depends on the car that hit you, and exactly how hard.
If you were pressing hard on the brakes (I know I was *very* hard on the handbrake whilst I was been hit from behind) then the weight of the car with hard braking may have made it virtually immoveable so the shell had to absorb all of the impact energy.
I wouldn't worry, it soinds as though it has done it's job perfectly, the car behind must have hit at a fair speed to do so much damage, and yet you only got minor injuries, besides, if it hit so hard, would you want the Omega back? ;)
Blue
|
It sounds like simple physics explains this.
When one car hits another, it attempts to impart some of it's momentum on the other car - same as those desk toys with the swinging balls. However, the purpose of brakes is to absorb momentum, so rather than the car being accelerated by this imparted momentum with only minimal damage, the momentum of the hitting car is disspated through the car that is hit.
This is the purpose of crumple zones - this momentum has to go somewhere, and it is better that it is absorbed in a controlled manner than the force applied finding the weak points in the car's construction and ripping the thing apart.
Car construction is only partly about strength - the ability to absorb momentum, ideally in a small area, is more important.
|
This is the purpose of crumple zones - this momentum has to go somewhere, and it is better that it is absorbed in a controlled manner than the force applied finding the weak points in the car's construction and ripping the thing apart. Car construction is only partly about strength - the ability to absorb momentum, ideally in a small area, is more important.
The main thing is that it found the weak point was the crumple zone rather than Clear Spot's neck...
Blue
|
why aren't cars crash tested from behind, considering it happens so often?
if you haven't got a boot(5dr) then there's not much metal between back seat passengers and the car benhind!
|
Not much in the Fiesta at all. :(
Although I feel safer in my mate's Mondeo, much bigger boot, but no rear head restraints so you can expect a nicely snapped neck. :(
Blue
|
I agree that crumple zones absorb energy, and that the design worked well in that potentially serious whiplash injury was minimised (correct positioning of head restraints was a big factor). The Omega was a big heavy chunk of car 1800k kerb weight. My mind boggles as to what could have happened in a smaller car, or much smaller car - Smart?.
But my point is that the doors were jammed into each other and any harder shunt was likely to have jammed up the drivers door completely, making escape from the car extremely difficult. A more rigid passenger cage is required surely?
(btw the offending car was a Mondeo)
|
You can't make a passenger 'cell' that does not deform at all in an accident. It's probably better that it doesn't - progressive absorbtion is the key. In most cars it probably does not take a lot of movement for the doors to foul - I know when I had a prang in my mother's Saab at very low speed, it was enough to push the bonnet back just far enough to foul the front door even though the damage was very minor.
Also, don't forget that modern cars now incorporate side crumple zones which are effectively the doors, so some movement is to be expected.
Smaller cars just need to approach the problem a bit better than larger ones - more rigid safety cage and more compact crumple zones. My Yaris gets a better NCAP rating (4 stars) than many much larger cars, so it is possible. I think the main factor in the amount of damage is the fact your SO kept the brakes on hard. Less braking would have meant less rear damage to your car, but of course it might have ended up worse overall had she been shunted in to the car in front.
Not a very good example, but if you consider how boxers try to 'roll' with a punch - they absorb the impact over a period of time, but when the get caught out and take a punch full on, it knocks them out.
|
My Yaris gets a better NCAP rating (4 stars) than many much larger cars, so it is possible.
But the NCAP rating is *not* comparable outwith the same class - so a 4 star supermini is not necessarily going to be safer than say a 3 star Vectra or whatever. In an accident between a big heavy car and a little light one the driver of the big heavy car stands less chance of being injured.
|
Not that I'm disbelieving you, but where did you find this information? I can find nothing on the NCAP website to suggest different classes of car are marked differently, and the Yaris handbook suggests that the ratings are comparable on all cars.
Of course, a larger car hitting a smaller car will do more damage, as you've got more mass and therefore more momentum.
|
All cars sold in the UK have to conform to ECE regulations, which does include a rear impact test, ECE Reg. 32. This test defines "the behaviour of the structure of the impacted vehicle in a rear-end collision", and dates like most others from 1958. The requirements of this test includes, amongst others, "the opening of a number of doors sufficient to enable all the occupants to emerge shall, after the impact, continue to be possible without the use of tools." The test simulates a full width rear impact from an 1100kg vehicle at between 35 and 38 km/h (22 to 24 mph).
Broadly, as I understand this, as an automotive engineer having worked in the field of vehicle safety, a pass can be achieved (in regard to the opening of doors) if both front doors and possibly only one rear door can be opened externally without resorting to a crowbar or a similar tool. In other words the test does not insist the doors are able to opened from the inside.
A similar requirement for the doors to open after a 48 km/h (30 mph) frontal barrier crash is stipulated in ECE 33: "Behaviour of the structure of an impacted vehicle in a head-on collision".
Further info here: www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs21-40.html
Also, the NCAP (new car assessment program) run by the American NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) does not conduct rear impact crash tests due to budget limitations and the fact that "a relatively small percentage of deaths or severe injuries are associated with rear impact crashes". NCAP is designed as a consumer aid when purchasing vehicles. Further info here: www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap/Info.html
Clear Spot ? are you saying that the other doors (in their unlocked state) could not be opened at all from the outside even when tugging them as hard as possible?
At this level of impact I doubt whether much difference to the damage would have been made if the driver was not "holding the car on the brake".
I am glad there were no major injuries.
CMark
|
Sorry to hear about your shunt, but glad it was replaceable stuff that was damaged (though that could lead on to a worthless conversation about whether my own SO is irreplaceable).
Anyway, as it happens, a mate of mine is trading in his old Omega for a newer one tomorrow. I asked him about any problems with his current one (pays to be forewarned, I own one). One of the things was that the rear door won't open unless the front is opened. The Vauxhall dealer he originally bought from replaced the offside rear under warranty once, and told him it was a known fault in Omegas - probably true now it's happened again.
This might well explain why even a minimal reshaping of the passenger compartment might result in stuck doors, as there's obviously an inherent problem with Omega doors.
V
|
Final thoughts
1 - Very busy road, lots of traffic in queue, two lady drivers involved in accident with no passengers
NOT ONE B*******R STOPPED TO OFFER ASSISTANCE OR SEE IF ANYONE injured. (or a crowbar entry required). I am absolutely disgusted. (btw the Mondeo driver had a broken ankle).
2 - SO had her mobile 'phone (turned off) in her bag in the boot - took her somewhile to retrieve it - she's keeping it on her person at all times now.
3 - MK Police attended the scene and were very helpful and supportive. Insurance company have been pretty good also (Tesco) though I haven't got the money yet.
4 - Of course SO not injured is the main thing
CS
|
Re: the mobile phone:
My son had his on the passenger seat when he pranged his cat.
Took him a time to find it.
I now hook the strap of mine round the gear lever on the principle that it will be in reach unless the car turns over and it drops off.
|
Before I get wisecracks: he pranged his CAR, not cat.
Finger trouble and not proof reading!
|
I've got a wireless handsfree car kit so I can leave my mobile anywhere in the car, back seat in a jacket pocket etc. and can still dial using the small button on the dash. Even if the phone were to get flung a short distance from the car it would still dial (provided the phone wasn't physically broken of course). It's definately a good bit of kit, I only need to be able to move my left arm to dial out...
Blue
|
Well, I got to test my handsfree emergency dial thingy last night... Coming home from work and someone had dumped a Micra on the road up to our street and a fire was just taking hold of the driver's seat. (I locked my doors 'cos they were obviously still close)
It worked really well, I was speaking to the fire brigade in no time, just hope it works as effectively if I crash!
On an O/T note: Don't cars make the nicest coloured flames when the plastics start to burn?
Blue
|
|
|
