[extropy-chat] now that's fuel efficiency

[Brian Lee]

Mass and weight are only one factor in vehicle safety.

Seeing as how I was hit by an oncoming chevy avalanche about two years ago 
and survived pretty much unscathed, I'll go with my saab over a heavier 
towncar (whose frame is not as intelligently designed with safety in mind).

Do you know that the safety ratings are partly formed by side and front 
impact crash testing? It seems comical to ignore these tests just because 
one vehicle is heavier than another. It's not like a bunch of eggheads think 
up which is best, they smash them into stuff to figure out how the car 
responds.

Additionally, saab keeps track of all saab accidents so they can refine 
design.

So the relative safety of vehicles isn't just theoretical or on paper.

BAL

>From: Al Brooks <kerry_prez at yahoo.com>
>To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
>Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] now that's fuel efficiency
>Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 10:42:54 -0800 (PST)
>
>Your Saab may be safer on paper, but when the crunch came would you be 
>safer than if you were in a larger heavier vehicle? There is only one way 
>to find out. Safety ratings don't mean much until you are in an accident. 
>Personally I will choose a larger heavier auto over a Saab no matter what 
>the Saab's safety ratings are.
>BTW an auto worker in Detroit told me he was making over $30 an hour. No 
>wonder the price of autos is so high.
>
>
>Brian Lee <brian_a_lee at hotmail.com> wrote:
>It's not just size and weight though. My saab 9-3 has better safety ratings
>than a lincoln towncar and weighs 1000 lbs less (3285 vs. 4359). It is also
>nimbler and faster so I can better avoid accidents.
>
>BAL
>
> >From: Al Brooks
> >To: ExI chat list
> >Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] now that's fuel efficiency
> >Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 20:05:53 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >--- Alan Eliasen wrote:
> >Yes, I was being hard on Detroit, they have to keep
> >their prices affordable while paying high salaries to
> >their workers.
> >Anyhow, though heavy vehicles are fuel gulpers they do
> >offer more protection in accidents. I got sideswiped
> >by an 18 wheeler once while driving a Lincoln; could
> >have been killed had I been driving a lighter vehicle.
> >
> >
> > >Considering that the thruster has a thrust of a
> > > whopping 70 millinewtons,
> > > (that's the force exerted by about 7 U.S. dollar
> > > bills, or about 7 raisins,
> > > sitting in earth's gravity) a 2000-lb car could go
> > > from 0 to 60 mph in ... 4
> > > days? If you eliminate all sources of friction,
> > > that is. That's probably the
> > > guy who was in front of me in traffic tonight.
> >
> >
> >
> >
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