Small cars not fit for purpose

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Thu 1 May 2008 09:38
Small cars not fit for purpose - TheOilBurner
The independent testing of Thatcham has found that small cars (and some larger ones) are rated very poor when it comes to whiplash protection. Given that whiplash injuries are more likely to occur in town driving, these small cars are not fit for purpose, I think.

www.thatcham.org/ncwr/

"The only two City cars to achieve an ?ACCEPTABLE? rating were the Renault Twingo and the Smart Fortwo. The majority of the other nine City cars were rated as ?MARGINAL?, with the current Ford Ka and Fiat Panda rated as ?POOR?. Even the recently released Fiat 500 ? new for 2008 ? only achieved a ?MARGINAL? rating. "

How can it be right that the government and Red Ken wants to bully us into small cars when these cars can't even protect us from the injury that is most common in city driving?

Still I wouldn't like to drive a BMW of any size: "For the last three years of Thatcham testing, BMW seats have never achieved a ?GOOD? rating." Ooops!! The Ultimate Whiplash Machine? Still, at least the new ones are better...

Edited by TheOilBurner on 01/05/2008 at 09:39

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Thu 1 May 2008 09:45
Small cars not fit for purpose - b308
I think it would be more realistic to say that the "car" is fit for purpose, but the "seat" is not!!

Interesting that the Fabia and Roomster (small cars) were accepable, and the Octavia (big car) was marginal!!

But just think how bad those seats in the 60s cars were!

Edited by b308 on 01/05/2008 at 09:48

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Thu 1 May 2008 10:21
Small cars not fit for purpose - TheOilBurner
Yes you're right, it is only the seats that are not good enough, but that is a fairly important part of the car for a driver, I would suggest. :)

The difference is from the 60s that the roads being as busy as they are and traffic lights being so much more numerous, I wouldn't be surprised to find that you're far more likely to be driven into from behind.

There's certainly been a big increase in insurance claims for whiplash, aided in part by these no win, no fee adverts on day time telly, of course.
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Thu 1 May 2008 10:58
Small cars not fit for purpose - Baskerville
But just think how bad those seats in the 60s cars were!


Whiplash less of an issue in the 1960s--avoiding head injuries as you went through the windscreen was the main concern back then.
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Thu 1 May 2008 11:09
Small cars not fit for purpose - b308
I was involved in two accidents in the mid 70s, both in 60s cars, and both were rear-end shunts! Nothing new, I suppose! I would agree with the no-win-no-fee mob, in those days you just got on with life....

(One my fault btw - adjusting the cassette player on a Mini, and the other someone elses fault!!)
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Thu 1 May 2008 11:11
Small cars not fit for purpose - Optimist
the current Ford Ka and Fiat Panda rated as ?POOR?. >>


Something's got to give, hasn't it?

You can get KAs and Pandas at amazingly low prices. I've not driven a KA but I have a Panda. I liked it, but it is a bit basic in terms of the seating, though I didn't know about the whiplash thing until now.

But if you are effectively manufacturing down to a price..............
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Thu 1 May 2008 11:25
Small cars not fit for purpose - TheOilBurner
I wonder if it's partly the physics of smaller cars too? If someone were to fit the Volvo WHIPS system or Saab active head restraints into a Fiat Panda, would it fair as well as a Saab 9-5 or Volvo S80? Who can tell for sure?
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