Safety concerns and crash data for Class A's?

[lss177]

So, looking at a Class A, but concerned about the crash safety of the driver/passenger cell of a Class A. With no passive restraints (air bags) and no formal crash testing, it's tough to convince the wife that we should go Class A instead of Class C.

Is there any data that shows that any particular Class A manufacturer is "better" than others when it comes to the "safety cell" for driver/passenger?

Fyi, we're looking at late-model gas coaches, 32 feet or so.

[mc_cc]

When compared to a motorcycle, I would much rather be in a class A. 🙂

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

JaxDad wrote:

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:

JaxDad wrote:

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, concerned about crash tests on a class "A" motorhome seems silly when so many of them are towing a smart car, Saturn, or any of the other little sh*t boxes of cars. This is what they drive when they get to their location. :S

Ignorant comments and fear-mongering really doesn’t help anything.

The ForTwo did so well in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that it earned their highest rating, five stars, because the car’s steel racecar-style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags

🙂 Hi, fine, let's have a smart car and a 2000 Lincoln Navigator hit head on; Which vehicle would you rather be in. Be honest.

A ForTwo has a 5 Star crash rating, the Navigator has a 4 Star crash rating.

But as a pilot and engineer I can definitely say the smaller more rigid one would be far safer.

Try THIS with a Navigator and see if you could walk up to it afterwards and open the door like that.

🙂 Hi, it wouldn't matter if the doors worked or not; The video stated that all would be DEAD. :E

[Cloud_Dancer]

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:

JaxDad wrote:

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, concerned about crash tests on a class "A" motorhome seems silly when so many of them are towing a smart car, Saturn, or any of the other little sh*t boxes of cars. This is what they drive when they get to their location. :S

Ignorant comments and fear-mongering really doesn’t help anything.

The ForTwo did so well in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that it earned their highest rating, five stars, because the car’s steel racecar-style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags

🙂 Hi, fine, let's have a smart car and a 2000 Lincoln Navigator hit head on; Which vehicle would you rather be in. Be honest.

I wanna be in the 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV Premium Luxury model when/if I head-on that small car. More better, I wanna be the luckiest person in history. Actually, ever since 1954, I have never made contact with any vehicle, on a public road. THAT'S pretty lucky already.

[camperdave]

Well this mechanical engineer will take a large crumple zone and mass of a Navigator over a ridgid smart cage any day of the week. F=ma, I'm taking the M lol.

It's like the high school egg drop. You want a nice large crumple zone to absorb the impact and keep the deceleration as low as possible.

[T18skyguy]

irishtom29 wrote:
In any event I’d rather be “thrown clear”.

I can see the reasoning of a small but strong and rigid car that would stand up to a great impact and while still subjecting the driver to large G forces prevents his being criushed or dismembered. Kind’a like a big bumper car, know what I mean?

Yes, the G forces kill you just as dead as a direct impact force. That's what happened to Princess Diana. Despite her being secured in the rear of that big Mercedes, the G force ruptured her pulmonary artery. They call it an artery, but it's actually thin walled like a vein. It's one of the first things to let go. Personally, I prefer the large crumple zone.(which I don't have in my E450 rig) Oh well, hope for the best.

[irishtom29]

In any event I’d rather be “thrown clear”.

I can see the reasoning of a small but strong and rigid car that would stand up to a great impact and while still subjecting the driver to large G forces prevents his being criushed or dismembered. Kind’a like a big bumper car, know what I mean?

[JaxDad]

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:

JaxDad wrote:

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, concerned about crash tests on a class "A" motorhome seems silly when so many of them are towing a smart car, Saturn, or any of the other little sh*t boxes of cars. This is what they drive when they get to their location. :S

Ignorant comments and fear-mongering really doesn’t help anything.

The ForTwo did so well in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that it earned their highest rating, five stars, because the car’s steel racecar-style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags

🙂 Hi, fine, let's have a smart car and a 2000 Lincoln Navigator hit head on; Which vehicle would you rather be in. Be honest.

A ForTwo has a 5 Star crash rating, the Navigator has a 4 Star crash rating.

But as a pilot and engineer I can definitely say the smaller more rigid one would be far safer.

Try THIS with a Navigator and see if you could walk up to it afterwards and open the door like that.

[ferndaleflyer]

Really? I happen to own 2 of them.....sometimes my 8th grade education fails me

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
As the owner of a Smart for 2 I realized right off that Robert Sunrus had no idea how safe these cars are. Friends wife got rear ended in hers by a pickup while stopped behind a dump truck. Lots of air bags deployed and lots of plastic panels on the ground but she was unhurt and drove it home. Let me be clear I to was skeptical of them till I drove one.

🙂 Hi, a real smart car owner knows that you don't spell it with a capital "S". :B

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

JaxDad wrote:

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, concerned about crash tests on a class "A" motorhome seems silly when so many of them are towing a smart car, Saturn, or any of the other little sh*t boxes of cars. This is what they drive when they get to their location. :S

Ignorant comments and fear-mongering really doesn’t help anything.

The ForTwo did so well in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that it earned their highest rating, five stars, because the car’s steel racecar-style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags

🙂 Hi, fine, let's have a smart car and a 2000 Lincoln Navigator hit head on; Which vehicle would you rather be in. Be honest.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Ralph Cramden wrote:

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, concerned about crash tests on a class "A" motorhome seems silly when so many of them are towing a smart car, Saturn, or any of the other little sh*t boxes of cars. This is what they drive when they get to their location. :S

Ya might get a big surprise if you compare the safety test results and ratings of a 2000 Navigator to some of those little sh*t boxes Bob LOL :S

🙂 Hi, I might, but I haven't seen anything yet that would change my mind.

[ferndaleflyer]

As the owner of a Smart for 2 I realized right off that Robert Sunrus had no idea how safe these cars are. Friends wife got rear ended in hers by a pickup while stopped behind a dump truck. Lots of air bags deployed and lots of plastic panels on the ground but she was unhurt and drove it home. Let me be clear I to was skeptical of them till I drove one.

[vjstangelo]

We had the same concerns, but went with a Class A for the sheer size vs a C. We have done a number of things to make her as safe as possible (eg Saf t steer), and I drive very defensively, and almost never go over 65 MPH. Been out west from the east coast to the Rockies with no issues, we just take it slow.

[JaxDad]

ROBERTSUNRUS wrote:
🙂 Hi, concerned about crash tests on a class "A" motorhome seems silly when so many of them are towing a smart car, Saturn, or any of the other little sh*t boxes of cars. This is what they drive when they get to their location. :S

Ignorant comments and fear-mongering really doesn’t help anything.

The ForTwo did so well in crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) that it earned their highest rating, five stars, because the car’s steel racecar-style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags