How much safer are newer trucks?

[Big Ray]

I've been looking at he 94-95-ish 'burbs. Give us some comfort on trips in our older days. They're still square body-ish, just a bit more aerodynamic.

I had an 89 pickup, I like that body style.

 

[b454rat]

gimme something old any day of the week. Cars today are totaled after hitting a friggin' deer.....more electronics than the space shuttle...

 

[Mikey von]

I think a lot of surviving on the roads is a combination of common sense,experience,and a lot of plain old LUCK...today your chances of being hurt or killed are a lot greater despite all the safety stuff like air bags,etc,because there is a few million more morons who shouldn't even be allowed to drive on the roads,who feel invincible in their super-safe new SUV's and are doing everything BUT paying attention to their driving,instead they are yapping on cell phones,playing with GPS's and the stereos,and not giving a crap about the "rules" about speeding and DWI on whatever drugs they can get...

I disagree. The road is a much safer place today. http://www.alertdriving.com/home/fleet-alert-magazine/north-america/us-traffic-fatalities-fall-lowest-level-60-years

 

[cybrfire]

I've kinda been wondering what will happen in a few years when some of the more advanced vehicles that stop for you, so you can not pay attention, start having technical problems. Its just a matter of time before we hear the excuse, the car didn't push the brakes for me.

Now I hear GM doesn't want you to make repairs to your own vehicle. Some sort of copy right infringement BS or another. Gotta be done by a GM garage.

 

[Chief Brody]

New cars are definitely safer...it's what they have been working on the last 35 years...I'd be insulted if they weren't safer after all this research.

That's not to say old cars are unsafe...but new technology is safer...it is designed to crumple and take the impact.

And if it weren't for new cars there would be anything special about the old ones would there?

 

[Greg72]

If you get hit head-on by a logging truck it won't matter how new your vehicle is...

Big, heavy truck wins. You lose.


Sometimes people use arguments about safety to justify a purchase that they want to make. Of course, newer cars are designed to be safer but they aren't magical. Some crashes aren't survivable no matter what you drive.

-G

 

[Chief Brody]

If you get hit head-on by a logging truck it won't matter how new your vehicle is...

Big, heavy truck wins. You lose.


Sometimes people use arguments about safety to justify a purchase that they want to make. Of course, newer cars are designed to be safer but they aren't magical. Some crashes aren't survivable no matter what you drive.

-G

exactly...and most of those safety statistics that are used as selling points are for 45 mph impacts.

45 mph hour impacts used to be deadly because of no seat belt and airbag and crumple areas. The old cars just hit big bumper to bumper and the whole thing took the shock...the people inside got shaken and tossed like a rag doll. Not wearing a seat belt because we weren't forced to back then.

Still, I have seen impacts where the old car with the big steel bumper suffered almost no damage and the new car crumpled like it was built to do and nobody was injured.

Most every accident is user error though...

 

[Big Ray]

I've kinda been wondering what will happen in a few years when some of the more advanced vehicles that stop for you, so you can not pay attention, start having technical problems. Its just a matter of time before we hear the excuse, the car didn't push the brakes for me.

Now I hear GM doesn't want you to make repairs to your own vehicle. Some sort of copy right infringement BS or another. Gotta be done by a GM garage.

There was a driverless vehicle that completed a cross country trip last week...click

 

[BlazerFarm]

Here's a 78 Blazer that should give you an idea of how your 'Burb would fair:

Hated to see that '78 get destroyed but it was kind of disturbing too. It looks like the shoulder belts weren't even working. The crash dummy's head plowed into the steering wheel. Also, the latch holding down the rear seat failed and it rocketed forward. That would have come forward with anyone belted in back there as well.

2:49 mark.

 

[Mikey von]

Decided to keep the Suburban. Let the fun begin! (or keep going). Now I just have to convince the wife to let me spend some dough. Seats, seat belts, and parking brake are first up.

 

[Blue85]

I've kinda been wondering what will happen in a few years when some of the more advanced vehicles that stop for you, so you can not pay attention, start having technical problems. Its just a matter of time before we hear the excuse, the car didn't push the brakes for me.

In a way we're already there. Remember the Prius sticking throttles? We already have adaptive cruise control on the road, collision avoidance and automatic parking. Keep in mind that all these systems are designed to "fail safe" and are loaded with diagnostics to the point where the primary function (like modulate brake pressure) is a small part of the software. It's like your furnace - there are 100 failures that result in no heat, but hardly any that result in uncontrolled flame. It's like all the cars driving around with the ABS lamp lit - you still have brakes, just no antilock feature. Same with electronic steering. When something fails you can still steer the car - it just takes more effort. I've never heard of a court case where the driver stood on the brake pedal with the ABS lamp on, slid into something and won a court case because the car didn't modulate pressure for them.

Come to think of it, nobody has actual control of their throttle in newer cars. Why not fight a speeding ticket by claiming the PCM was at fault?

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out - especially as younger drivers learn on cars that brake, steer and park for them.

 

[BlazerFarm]