I almost got hit by a reckless SUV driver (Ford Explorer) running red light on a 45mph street. Any idea how well will my W202 (with side airbags) hold up in a situation like this with the driver side near the B-pillar taking the most impact if I weren't so lucky? What's the best MB ever made to survive a T-bone crash? TIA!
crash?
Well, I got rear-ended by an SUV going 70 (I was at a stoplight), was pushed into the car in front of me, and I was the only one who wasn't injured (aside from some minor back problems), and my W202 (abbreviated by about 30") was the only one that could be driven off the highway.
This is always an interesting and increasingly important question.
At the end of the day what matters is in the actual crash, but obviously once seeks to predict crash behaviour with standardardized tests, so at least one can make comparisons among different models.
EuroNCAP has made its test test programme more stringent and still a surprising range of cars are now scoring the 5-star max.
But lots more needs to be done for pedestrian safety.
The URL given links to latest results, but the left sidebar gives access to all results.
The thing I wonder about in all the tests is whether three readings are taken (i.e. 3 similar cars crashed) to comply with good experimental practice.
DAS
--
So it would seem that all Benz's are good in accidents (except for those few
1997/1998 E-classes with door popping open problems). Though, to tell another story, my dad was going fast in a 300D, hit a patch of ice on the highway, and rolled over twice landing on his wheels in a ditch. After the tow truck pulled him out, my dad started the car and drove from Ohio to Washington DC. And then traded it in for a new 300D (this was 1978 or so). RichardWhat, even against an Axor...?...
--
600 Pulman?
Lee
Maybe not. Big and strong to be sure. but maybe heavy enough that it cannot be driven sideways by the impact, with more force being abdorbed in the doors than a lighter but still strong car.
Bill Ditmire Ditmire Motorworks,Inc.
425 White Horse Pike Absecon,NJ 08201
This I'm saving!
It's kinda a testament to old MB quality, isn't it. He and his friend suffered no injury, but maybe some credit needs to be given to seat belts for that one. Richard
That may be as much luck as anything. American cars from the 1950s were not engineered with occupant safety in mind. People could be killed in crashes with speeds as low as 7-10 mph, thanks to dangerous unpadded metal dashes with sharp knobs, visors that could slice a skull open, no (or inadequate) seat belts, dangerous steering columns, poor seat anchoring and the complete absence of energy-absorption in the body or bumpers.
Ford tried in the late '50s and early '60s to design safer cars and use the safety as a selling feature, but the effort was a dismal failure--the cars touted with the greatest safety benefits sold very poorly. It took years before American automakers figured out how to market safety to consumers, and it generally took federal regulations to ram major safety improvements down the throats of the manufacturers.
--Paul
** Note "removemunged" in email address and remove to reply. **MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.