Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 06:11:32 -0700
Reply-To: Sam Scholten <vwvanagon@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Sam Scholten <vwvanagon@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Crashworthiness
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Jan,
The American consumer-advocate magazine Consumer Reports, in its first
minivan road tests in '84, made some interesting observations about
minivan saftey, as the publication was not yet familiar with it. In
the introductory page, they stated that a CR staffer, driving a
Vanagon a few years prior to that issue, missed getting severe
injuries by being high enough off the ground to avoid them. The other
driver was severely injured.
The review of the Vanagon in that issue was so incredibly amusing.
Aside from their complaints about the Vanagon's slowness, which is
warranted, the rest of the time they were bitching about the effects
of the cockpit being mounted over the front wheels. It seems the
problem wasn't the van more than the fact that they couldn't hang. We
ALL know that driving a VW bus is a different discipline than driving
a car. They didn't. As a result, they concluded that the Vanagon was
an incredibly unsafe, scary vehicle.
That issue makes for some interesting reading, so check it out next
time you head for the library.
My $0.02,
Sam
---"J.W.Brier" <Jan@HRPS.DEMON.NL> wrote:
>
> > The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash
> > tested one of our beloved bricks at 35 mph head-on into a fixed
barrier.
>
> Actually that's not a very good test. You will find that there are
very few fixed barriers getting in your way. Most accidents happen
when other - moving - vehicles get in your way (or you get in theirs).
That's what is being tested more recently and leads to side airbags
etc. It also accounts for the difference in test results and
statistical data.
>
> Although often the driver of a VW bus is the first person to arrive
at the scene of the accident the statistics do not show the bus to be
overly dangerous. Having said that, all cars can be dangerous and
should be used occordingly. The VW bus is no acception, but as speed
is one of the major contributors to the severity of an accident and
our buses are generally not that fast I think it is relatively safe to
the occupants. Because they are heavy they could be harmful to other
parties involved.
>
> Also, we do care for our vehicles and have a relaxed way of life so,
as a consequence, we are the better drivers .................?!
>
>
> Jan Willem Briër (mr),
> High Rise Professional Services, The Netherlands.
>
_______________________________________________________________________
> E-mail: jan@hrps.demon.nl -- Tel. +31 (318) 548857 -- fax +31 (318)
548101
>
__________________________________________________________________________
> Personal web : http://www.hrps.demon.nl
> VW-bus page : http://www.hrps.demon.nl/jwbus.htm
> VW-bookstore: http://www.hrps.demon.nl/vw-boeken.htm
>
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