Thread: All discussions relating to the Defenders end of production

Originally Posted by JDNSW

They certainly do, but insurance and other statistics show that accident and injury rates have very little to do with the safety equipment fitted to the car. The colour of the car seems to be more relevant. In fact, the very highest accident and injury/death rates are seen in cars that have the highest safety ratings. Mind you, they are also the cars that have very high performance and attract car thieves!

All this points to the driver being the highest influence on accident, death and injury rates, with part of the driver effect being the driver's choice of car. And over the top of this is the simple fact that drivers with alcohol or other drug impairment are over-represented in all accidents by factors as high as twenty times more likely.

Consequently, I conclude that while modern design will prevent injury and death once you have an accident, the probability of having it in the first place is hardly affected directly by vehicle design, primary safety improvements being largely counterbalanced by the higher speeds and acceleration possible.

Accident rates have been going down virtually ever since records started, and although vehicle design may have had a small influence on this, I believe it has been mainly due to improved roads, seat belts (not airbags) and much better compliance by drivers, including, but not restricted to drink driving.

John

I am in my early 40's and I do wonder in my life time will be see cars that drive themselves being the norm?
Chris

Originally Posted by cafe latte

I am in my early 40's and I do wonder in my life time will be see cars that drive themselves being the norm?
Chris

I really hope so...

This will then get rid of the appalling standard of driving that is present here!

With the added benefit of then giving the police something important to do like catching criminals, rather than to catch motorists doing 3kph over the speed limit. Speed does not kill, stupidity does!

Originally Posted by cafe latte

I am in my early 40's and I do wonder in my life time will be see cars that drive themselves being the norm?
Chris

I don't know about "the norm", but I do expect to see self driving cars well within your lifetime, if not mine.

I have problems visualising how the self driving car can follow roads that are not on its map database, such as driiveways (and part of my access road), or how they can predict feral animal (or playing children) movements, or unusual conditions such as high winds making trees on the road just round the next corner likely, and drive accordingly. But they would do well on freeways and most city commuting.

John

I remember driving down a steep road from Helensburgh to Otford (for those who know it) and somehow was absently minded sort of daydreaming about roos jumping out of the bush. The speed limit is 80 but when I looked at my speedo I was doing 40 and it wasn't intentional - that just turned out to be the speed that I thought I'd be able to avoid a roo hit.

Originally Posted by Didge

I remember driving down a steep road from Helensburgh to Otford (for those who know it) and somehow was absently minded sort of daydreaming about roos jumping out of the bush. The speed limit is 80 but when I looked at my speedo I was doing 40 and it wasn't intentional - that just turned out to be the speed that I thought I'd be able to avoid a roo hit.

I chatted to my friend re roos the other day. He drives and owns the local school bus and has to drive in his car very early in the morning to get the bus. He told me he has hit many roos on these morning trips which is why he has a steel bull bar. He told me the only damage he has has is lights the rest of the car has been fine, which is why he fitted a steel bull bar to his new car (reason we had the conversation).
Chris

We're way off topic now but about 15 years ago I had an MQ Patrol and hit a pedestrian at about 70kmh - he shot through the air like a rag doll. It was sort of like a snooker ball reaction. Anyway, short stocky bloke - probably 70 - 80kgs at most. Collected him on the alloy bullbar right in front of the drivers headlight. His weight bent (or sprang) the bull bar back to the point where it damaged the front guard and bonnet. I'd imagine a sizeable roo would do substantially more damage. I currently have an alloy bar but reckon its only worth or value is cosmetic.

Sometimes technology does not go where we expect it to. In the 1950's predictions were that everyome would be using flying cars by the 80's. Instead the technology path of the motor vehicle has been an improvement in the experience but no substantial change to it. The actual mechanics of the role a motor vehicle performs and how you operate it has remained static since the 1900s.

Regards

Tote

Originally Posted by Didge

We're way off topic now but about 15 years ago I had an MQ Patrol and hit a pedestrian at about 70kmh - he shot through the air like a rag doll. It was sort of like a snooker ball reaction. Anyway, short stocky bloke - probably 70 - 80kgs at most. Collected him on the alloy bullbar right in front of the drivers headlight. His weight bent (or sprang) the bull bar back to the point where it damaged the front guard and bonnet. I'd imagine a sizeable roo would do substantially more damage. I currently have an alloy bar but reckon its only worth or value is cosmetic.

getting more OT, I hit a cow a few weeks ago in the Iveco, was doing 100k when I noticed it and 87k by the time I hit it, (The caravan brakes were locked but the truck brakes did SFA) saw poor cow do an airborne 180 in my mirror and landed head first 10m in from the side of the road - dead . same hit point as you, driver side headlight on the alloy bar , no damage to vehicle and minimal to bar, - if I was in anything lesser it would not have turned out in my favour.