Comments on: Safety Advocates Accuse NHTSA of “Starflation”

By: offroadinfrontier

offroadinfrontier — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:57:28 +0000

Why don’t we test our dummies with arms in the US?

By: Bancho

Bancho — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:03:09 +0000

Landcrusher :

I know what you mean. Someone would cry that “their rights are being violated” or that we’re singling out a particular group. The thing is when I was in the USAF we weren’t allowed to operate any vehicle we hadn’t been trained and licensed on (even if it were a Chevy pickup truck or Blazer).

I had a good time with it though and qualified on everything from the MRC-107 Jeep, HMMVW, deuce and a half, 5 ton trucks and some forklifts for variety.

By: rpn453

rpn453 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:00:37 +0000

virages,

When I watched that video (an excellent test, BTW), I paused it before the crash to check the weights. The Modus is about 2600 lb while the Volvo is about 3200 lb, so there’s not as big of a difference as it seems.

Good to see that cars are getting safer. Sounds like it’s time to up the speed on the crash tests again!

By: Redbarchetta

Redbarchetta — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:59:09 +0000

Bancho I think it’s a great idea also. Testing in this country is pathetic right now and seriously needs to be fixed for all our sakes. And the cost to impliment this would easily be recouped by the drop in injuries and property loss from the crap driving we have now.

By: Landcrusher

Landcrusher — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:43:34 +0000

Bancho,

I am with you, but it won’t happen. The requirement would cost money that the legislators want to use to stuff pockets. Besides, aren’t requirements like that really just an attack on elderly drivers?

If you think we can make it happen though, you have my support.

By: virages

virages — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:37:26 +0000

Bancho

Cool video seeing the crash test between the Renault Modus and the older Volvo. Although they say that the Volvo is a bigger car, they don’t actually state the weights of each car. The Renault is shorter, but I would wager that this “small” car is pretty close in total mass to the Volvo. All those energy dissipating beams and cross members have to add weight.

By: Bancho

Bancho — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:18:42 +0000

I’m all for a tiered licensing structure. If you want a larger vehicle which can be more dangerous if operated improperly than smaller vehicles then you need to prove you can manage it.

I think better driver training would help alleviate some of the problems more effectively than ever increasing safety equipment. As it is, driver training in the US is pretty weak.

By: OldandSlow

OldandSlow — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:59:39 +0000

Yaris versus the Tahoe anyone?

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:21:08 +0000

It seems kind of two faced to scream for safer cars then claim foul because cars have become safer.

By: alexdykes

alexdykes — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:24:13 +0000

I have to agree with this, especially considering that the NHTSA test is not as extensive or revealing as the EuroNCAP. This is how a Chrysler minivan canget a great score in the US and one/two stars in Europe.

By: Bancho

Bancho — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:18:04 +0000

I agree with windswords and so does this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ygYUYia9I

By: tijjer

tijjer — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:17:20 +0000

Is the NHTSA trying to rate cars relative to one another or relative to a safety scale based on dummy acceleration and kinematics? If the latter, a bunch of 4 and 5 star cars are certainly possible without grade inflation.

By: windswords

windswords — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:49:10 +0000

You know, you can’t even compare older car ratings with new ones because over time they make the tests more difficult. First 30 mph crash, then 35, then 40, full frontal, then offset to focus all the energy on one spot. Today’s cars with 3 stars are probably better than older cars with 5 stars.

I remember a cartoon, I think it was in Automotive News. There were two engineers with clipboards and a crashed vehicle (side impact). The title was something like new side impact regulations. The one engineer said to the other “Maybe this will satisfy them”. The car in cartoon had a cruise missle sticking out of the door.

By: menno

menno — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:45:28 +0000

Wait a second.

Did the vehicles get tested, and obtain the scores they are labelled with, or not? From what I’m reading, they did.

So, what’s wrong with labelling the vehicles according to the rules already set-forth?

Isn’t it a GOOD thing for the safety of millions that cars are now safer?

Go look (just for an example) at the earlier and later generation of Hyundai Sonata in their respective crash tests, and it becomes evident that cars ARE getting safer.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/safety-recalls/carcrashtest/crashtestvideo.htm

By: talldude07

talldude07 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:34:37 +0000

Well im just shocked! This is the first time this US government has mislead the innocent people. This is just like the 21 MPG claims for the body-on-frame SUV’s that get close to 16 MPG. Its all a bunch of political smoke and mirrors, to get “Consumer Confidence” back in the game and get people to buy more new cars. Your gonna tell me that 5-stars is “Five-Stars”. “Dont worry mam’ your Toyota Yaris is just as safe as the Tundra monster of a pickup we sell, see its says 5 stars…” I think the system should be based on a 10-star system to be honest and give the people the real data not that a Kia Rio scored the same as a Volvo, come on folks you get what you pay for right?