Roof Strength - Model S vs Chevy Bolt

[mmd]

The roof strength test should really factor likihood to roll on the roof as a metric. It is using a weight factor and not actual raw strength so it is measuring safety in case you roll rather than something falling on your car. You would be much safer in a 4x weight strength roof in a low and wide car (eg Model S) that is hard to roll than a 5x weight strength roof on a tippy SUV or tall hatch.

Rolling over isn't the only scenario though. I can think of tree branch/tree falling on top, some jerk dropping his dumbbell from his fourth floor window, hammer falling from building under construction, etc.
IIRC, Elon has tweeted out an accident picture where a tree branch fell on a Model S roof where occupants were unharmed.

But rollover seems to be the reason IIHS does this roof test. It says, only 2% of accidents are rollover crashes, but those 2% result in 1/3rd of traffic deaths. Combining the roof strength with probability of rollover can make it overly complicated, since the probability of rollover depends on many things. IIHS says electronic stability control has reduced rollovers significantly.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/ra.../iihs/ratings/ratings-info/roof-strength-test

Does anyone know if the Tesla roof test was performed on an all glass roof model or metal roof model? See the roof test in the link above, and see how the metal roof holds up okay but the windshield just shatters right at the beginning. My guess is, the glass roof will have a much poorer rating. But I am very curious to know, what IIHS has found on this.

Here is the Tesla roof testing page. I'm not finding the video or pic of roof testing. Or any description of what type of roof the test case had. I find that puzzling that the roof strength is mentioned without saying what type of roof was tested.
2017 Tesla Model S

The roof test car was a Model S 60. So for Model S P100/90 D etc., the relative strength will likely be < 4, making it an 'A'.

 

[SageBrush]

Combining the roof strength with probability of rollover can make it overly complicated

I'm not sure what 'it' is, but this thread is a good example of how not to extend a standardized test out to mean things it may not. In the end, most of us care about actual road safety a lot more than an arbitrary threshold set at 4G and roll-over likelihood is a huge part of roll-over accidents.

If someone has injury and death frequency data, I'd like to see it.

 

[scaesare]

Ants can sustain force 5,000 times their body weight. Humans can only sustain a few times their own body weight.

Therefore, ants are stronger than humans.

 

[Spidy]

But no, both Volvo and Mercedes-Benz had major We Are Safest marketing campaigns before Tesla made a car.

Can you show me where they(!) actually officially claimed to have the safest car in the world?

Usually it's something like "one of the safest cars", "our safest cars ever" or "the safest car according to crash agency xyz".

 

[McRat]

Can you show me where they(!) actually officially claimed to have the safest car in the world?

Usually it's something like "one of the safest cars", "our safest cars ever" or "the safest car according to crash agency xyz".

Both Mercedes Benz and Volvo marketed their cars in the USA in roughly the 1980's? as having the best levels of safety and safety equipment on the market. This was eventually abandoned.

Tesla said: Tesla Model S Achieves Best Safety Rating of Any Car Ever Tested

Which is pretty similar to what MB and Volvo did. I vaguely remember Volvo getting challenged in a US court about their marketing.

 

[Jeff N]

But rollover seems to be the reason IIHS does this roof test. It says, only 2% of accidents are rollover crashes, but those 2% result in 1/3rd of traffic deaths.

But a car like a Tesla with a heavy battery under the floor and a relatively wide body and wheelbase is much less likely to rollover than other vehicles.