Fact is, speeding doesn't kill, its the impact when you hit something that does. A corolla is just as capable of doing 150 km/h as a sports car.
True - to the extent that a speed of 150kph IS achievable by both a sports sedan and a lowly Corolla, except that standard Corolla safety features (suspension, brakes, harnesses, seats, chassis strength, tyres etc, etc) are NOWHERE near as capable of safely stopping or swerving that car in "an emergency" at those speeds, nor offering the occupants a reasonable chance to survive an impact at that speed compared to, say, a standard optioned BMW M3, Porsche or Merc sports sedan etc!! For example, this from Merc's current 2010 E-Class sports sedan specs make enlighteniong reading -
Automatic emergency braking when a collision is imminent.
The well-proven, radar based assistance systems from the S-Class are now also optionally available to E-Class customers. A further development of the long-range radar sensor now has a range of 200 metres (previously 150 metres), and is able to monitor the mid-distance so that dynamic events such as a vehicle ahead suddenly pulling out to overtake can be detected even more effectively. The two wide-angle short-range radar sensors, which have a range of around 30 metres, continue to be included in the system.
The radar-supported systems are able to assist the driver with emergency braking. Their sensors are linked to the Brake Assist PLUS system, which automatically calculates the braking pressure to prevent a collision in critical situations. The driver is given an acoustic and visual warning at the same time. When the brake pedal is depressed, the system immediately activates the calculated level of braking assistance.
If the driver fails to respond to the warnings, the radar system first initiates partial braking action. As a second stage, if there is still no driver response and a collision is unavoidable, emergency braking is initiated. This can considerably lessen the severity of an accident, i.e. the system acts as something like an "electronic crumple zone".
Active bonnet, seven airbags and PRE-SAFE ® as standard
During the course of its development, the new E-Class was subjected to more than 150 high-speed crash tests and a total of more than 17,000 realistic crash simulations. The crumple zone principle invented by the Mercedes safety pioneer B̩la Bar̩nyi has been continuously improved by the engineers in Sindelfingen. The front-end deformation zone of the E-Class acts on four independent levels, and is even more effective than before. The increased use of highest-strength steel alloys also helps to ensure that the bodyshell is able to withstand high impact forces. Around 72 percent of all the body panels are made from these high-tech steels Рyet another unrivalled figure in passenger car development.
With seven airbags as standard, belt tensioners, belt force limiters, crash-responsive head restraints and ISOFIX child seat attachments, the new E-Class has even more extensive safety features than the preceding model. Another new feature is the active bonnet, which is a continuation of many years of commitment to pedestrian protection on the part of Mercedes-Benz. It is standard equipment in the new E-Class. In the event of an impact, a system of springs raises the rear section of the bonnet by 50 millimetres within fractions of a second, thereby increasing the available deformation space. Thanks to the cleverly conceived mechanism, the driver is able to reset the active bonnet to its normal position himself, without visiting a workshop.
Another standard feature is the preventive occupant protection system PRE-SAFE ®. In potentially hazardous situations this reflexively activates precautionary protective measures for the vehicle occupants, so that the seat belts and airbags are able to fulfil their protective function to the full during an impact.
http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cach...m+speed+crashes+2010&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au
BMW, Audi and other high spec manufacturers are also moving slowly towards this level of inbuilt safety, so, at least SOME manufacturers are making a bit of progress, but generally for the top dollar, non-mainstream models.
Speaking of high speed impacts, have you noticed how many race drivers (F1, Rally, Drag etc) walk away with minor injuries from truly horrendous high speed crashes (many over 200+kph) that TOTALLY and UTTERLY destroy the vehicle - except for one very important piece - the driver/passenger compartment. They generally have NO AIRBAGS fitted!
Surely, the
scientific proof beyond any reasonable doubt that big improvements in recent years of reducing driver/passenger compartment crushing in all these thousands of high speed, survivable motorsport crashes is all legislators need to take the next BIG step forward in motor vehicle crash safety for the general population? Clearly, IMO the best way to increase crash survivability under almost ANY circumstance for the mainstream population is for ALL car manufacturers to be FORCED BY LEGISLATION if necessary to significantly beef up passenger compartment crash survivability (much better deformation resistance using beefier roll cage technology etc, better driver/passenger seats and harnesses etc)?
Sure, this WILL add extra weight and cost, but SO WHAT? Most other options that authorities are looking at are "soft" or "cheap" options - and won't ultimately provide anywhere near the beneficial results of
significantly beefing up passenger compartment crash strength and survivability in ALL new cars.
Driver education is what is severely lacking, restricting cars or access to "high performance" cars isn't a solution. Its about educating people about the limits of vehicles in a controlled environment so they don't experience it on the road. If you want to drive fast, go to a race track or out to WSID or one of the other drag strips.
Great idea! Totally agree there. Exactly what I did for myself and son shortly after he got his "P's in Perth in 1986. I signed us both up to Wanneroo Sporting Car Club, after which we undertook their basic race driver course and then regularly attended "track days" at Barbagallo Raceway where members could race their street cars alongside the best race machinery in the West at the time (it's a brilliant driver's track, BTW). We swapped drives in his (my old) "modified sports sedan" (a Datsun Skyline with de-tuned 280Z overbore 3.0ltr race motor, race suspension & beefed up brakes - entirely road legal at the time!) and a modified Mazda 626 1.8ltr (again "race" suspension and beefed up brakes). We had some of the best fun ever driving fast "on the edge" with an array of local machinery on the track at the same time, including the likes of club stalwart Brian Smith (Ricciardello Alfa sports sedan). We had some amazing friendly "battles" with the HQ Racing boys - they could outbrake our Skyline (but not the Mazda) at the end of the two straights since they had race slicks to our street rubber-shod cars - but the Skyline could just out-accelerate them and get back past in the straights.
I was proud as punch to see how my son progressed from spinning like a top every lap when he first started driving at track days, to only being 1/2 a sec slower than his old man in that beast, when we left the club in 1994. I have no doubt whatsoever that we both became technically much better drivers for the experience. I still find myself subconsciously looking for "bail-out" areas wherever I drive, in case of some mechanical failure or some idiot launching themselves at me! When you are driving at the limit on a racetrack with high-powered 300kph "beasts" like Smithy blasting past, your self-preservation reflexes certainly turn up a notch!
After those track days, we would be exhausted from the extra G loads and subsequently carefully drive the 50 or so km back to Kelmscott without exceeding the limit - while noting how many other idiots were racing each other in heavy traffic. That is the first thing that hits you when you get back into the traffic on public roads. You feel
much less safe than the racetrack you just left, where you had been hitting 200+kph and on the edge, door to door!!
Power of the vehicles isn't the problem, its the education of drivers and the simplicity of obtaining a licence that is the issue.
Too true. I guess what I just waffled on about goes someway to supporting that view too. Which brings this thought to mind - instead of KRudd 'N Co. blowing $AUBillions on empty halls for every school in the land, it may have been better to allocate at least half to building a large number of Federal School Driving Education Centres across the nation? You know, school based centres that would have a small fleet of cars and qualified instructors available to give advanced driver training to 15-16 year olds BEFORE they even get their "P"'s? There are plenty of race tracks that could be used for student track days to give the real budding "petrol heads" the opportunity to impress their peers (more likely a touch of humble pie!) and a taste of the "real thing" that could even lead to motor sport careers if such a national program was linked to motorsport organisations around the country? Who knows, we might even get a new F1 Champ out of it?
Yeah, I know - Pie In The Sky And Pigs Might Fly...
Anyway, my further