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Tesla Model 3 Accident - Why didnt Airbags Deploy?
- Thread starter jhr377
- Start date
So he died? The lethal limit for blood alcohol is about 0.40%. 11 times the legal limit of 0.08 = 0.88%. Twice the lethal limit.
These photos show the body of Tesla car is quite fragile. Repair costs are high and that's why insurance rate is also high. I hope I won't ever get into accident like this.
About 40 years ago, I drove a FORD-LTD (8 cyls) and was hit on the high way from behind as I had to stop suddenly due to a car in front of me stopped first. A sport car behind me cannot stop in time and hit the rear of my car. The front of this sport car look quite like one the photo here. And ... the rear of my car, I had to look hard to find only a minor scratch on the rubber part of the steel bumper. So I just told the driver of this sport car: it wasn't my fault, good luck taking care of your car, I have to go. He, of course, let me go
US cars in the old days are so solid as their body is entirely made from steel.
About 40 years ago, I drove a FORD-LTD (8 cyls) and was hit on the high way from behind as I had to stop suddenly due to a car in front of me stopped first. A sport car behind me cannot stop in time and hit the rear of my car. The front of this sport car look quite like one the photo here. And ... the rear of my car, I had to look hard to find only a minor scratch on the rubber part of the steel bumper. So I just told the driver of this sport car: it wasn't my fault, good luck taking care of your car, I have to go. He, of course, let me go
US cars in the old days are so solid as their body is entirely made from steel.
That's not necessarily a good thing. Yes, in a small accident against a lighter vehicle you had some protection due to the laws of physics, but overall, the stiffer solid construction transmits more force to your body instead of absorbing it if you're hit by a heavier or faster moving vehicle. And if you hit a smaller vehicle then you transfer more force to them, thus doing more damage and increasing their risk of injury. The newer construction is more 'fragile' and more expensive because cars can be totaled much easier, but they save lives and prevent major injury much more effectively.
Not sure if I agree to this statement. But this is thing of the past. Today's cars are lighter, contain lot of plastic parts and are more gas efficient. That FORD LTD swallowed gas like crazy, I had to exchange it for a small sedan (still with steel body). Also learned to drive safely, watched out for intersection, not following too close to cars in front, etc.... Had only one 'medium' accident due to my carelessness in the last 40 years.
E90alex
Active Member
Physics is physics. It doesn’t care if you agree with it or not.
Modern cars are designed to crumple and deform because that absorbs crash energy and reduces the amount that reaches the occupants’ bodies. Would you rather get hit by a 5lb bag of feathers or a 5lb bag of bricks?
Just because it looks bad visually doesn’t mean it’s not safe. Teslas are often one of the best performers in crash tests. The passenger compartment is not crushed, which is what matters. If I’m in an accident I don’t care if the frunk or trunk gets caved in. That’s much better than my chest caving in or my neck snapping from the whiplash.
In a rear end crash, the rear car typically takes worse damage than the front car. When both cars nose-dive under hard braking, the rear car's front bumper tends to go under the front car's rear bumper. The effect is similar to a car running into a parked raised truck or SUV.
If you smashed into a wall in an old car with a stiff steel body more force would be transmitted to your body than a newer car with crumple zones.
Better that the body of the car "seem" fragile, than the body of the human inside. Collisions are about physics. Where do you want the kinetic energy to go, into bits of vehicle that can be replaced, or into the soft human occupants? Vehicles have been designed to dissipate energy in a controlled way by sacrificing bits of the car. It's generally well understood nowadays