What do you feel safer in, classic or plastic?

[ozute]

I was just wondering what you folks felt safer in.. I personally miss the old tougher classics, and feel safer in them having a tough shell around me, rather than these flimsy aluminium foil things they're building these days..

What do you feel safer in?

 

[Torana]

Hmmmmm... a very interesting question with potential for some interesting arguments. I'd say classic because they don't crumple and are stronger in terms of rigidity but then again the plastic cars have better equipment like ABS... but then again classics don't have airbags which I believe kill more people than they save.....

 

[Julie]

I'm gonna definately go with plastic. More safety features, and even though as torana said they crumple, isn't that a good thing? I always thought the crumple zones were there to absorb some of the force out of the impact. Newer models tend to have things like airbags, ABS, better brakes, traction control. I guess I am also a bit biased too having witness and being first on the scene to a fatal accident, which involved a 'classic' being ripped in to half and pieces of it flying left right and centre. After seeing that I would never drive an old car.

 

[DazVYSS]

The problem with a classic is when you have a big head on your car is strong and does not have any give you take the full inpact eg your doing 80 kph and the other car is doing 80 kph when you colide your body is now doing 160 kph about the same as a sky diver without a parachute at that speed the are thrown onto the dash and steering wheel not much fun .Now you in a new car say my vyss (plastic)first of all theres every chance due to modernday refinements ABS excellent susspention etc I may actualy avoid the accident if I dont and collide my car will statigeically crumplr absorbing much of the inpact the I will inevitably meat the air bag like a stunt man lands on from great hights and more than likely walk away with minor injurys the other(classic) will more than likely be burried.Air bags do save lives and although my car may look alot worse after an accident than a kingswood its because its designed to so witch would you rather.

 

[jacko]

I always say prevention rather than cure. The newer cars (plastic) have the features to avoid crashes (prevention), such as ABS, traction control, ESP & BA (some models), etc., whereas the older cars (classic) don't. Also, I think the newer cars are much easier to handle, and respond better.

When it comes down to the crash though, sure, the older cars might have a tougher shell, but that isn't always a good thing, and doesn't mean you're more protected. The newer cars are designed to crumple away, and absorb the impact force (as Julie said) and the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners there to protect the occupants. The older cars don't absorb the force of the impact, and therefore pass it on to the occupants, who get thrown around more, and can have serious injuries (esp. 'cause there's no airbags)..

 

[ozute]

With the majority of people saying that the newer cars are designed to absorb the impact, what about a multiple impact, say on a freeway where you are impacted on both ends. In a multiple impact accident, will a new car still be providing any sort of protection after all the airbags have gone off, and you're a sitting duck? Does shell strength improve your chances then?

 

[DazVYSS]

With the majority of people saying that the newer cars are designed to absorb the impact, what about a multiple impact, say on a freeway where you are impacted on both ends. In a multiple impact accident, will a new car still be providing any sort of protection after all the airbags have gone off, and you're a sitting duck? Does shell strength improve your chances then?

In a classic you died in the first impact anyway.

 

[ozute]

In a classic you died in the first impact anyway.

Why so black and white Daz?

 

[cizocizo]

i say plastic only because i had a pretty hard stack in a vs and the outside was rooted, but the inside was fine. makes me feel pretty safe cruising in my vs

 

[ozute]

For a new twist, what if you had to make a choice, and 2 identical cars sat side by side. One was built with the same toughness as the old days, and with all the latest safety features, and the other was the newer plastic version with the latest same safety features....? Which would you choose and why?