Thread: Defender tdi and a baby

I think the lack of safety equipment such as air bags lost me the sale of the 110. Nice couple, very enthusiastic to get out and about but with one youngster and another on the way, a Defender wasn't going to fit their needs.
I personally couldn't give a **** about most of these so called "driving aids" especially the one about rear crossing traffic!!!! WTF is that about? Who gives a flying fig about who's crossing behind you?
When I need all the garbage which is supposed to be about road safety, I'll give up driving. As far as I'm concerned all they do is take the drivers mind off what they should be doing.... looking out of the windscreen in front of them and constantly checking the mirrors to know what's happening around them.
AlanH.

Oh, I forgot to mention to the OP... The rattle and hum of a defender puts the little ones right to sleep.

Distraction these days is everywhere. All these new car ads saying they've got google apps or siri or whatever all that stuff is, that cannot be helping. I see them at night, massive bright TV screen in the dash, I would hate that. There is a lot to be said for the simple things

(typed on smart phone whilst on the dunny, sigh)

I have installed a roll cage and was shocked by how the truck was put together. The firewall has no diagonal bracing but two bolts on the our riggers, which are also the anchor points for my roll cage. The skin is made of thin aluminum. The chassis is narrow and we as the driver and passenger are laterally seating outside and our juicy meat bag protecting the defender (that's some true love.
The pillars are soft and some of us even cut the roof and replace it with a pop up roof tent.

we all love our defenders but I think we have been talking about two different things.
First topics is how safe is the defender as a vehicle. And the answer is very unsafe and dangerous in a car crash.the only way to do it is to raise the truck so that the defender can encroach the other vehicle's cabin. thats to get on top

The second one is can you drive the defender safely and yes of course you can. The fact that not many of us ever be in a high speed car crash may suggest we are the best and safest driver in the world?

whether you put your kids in the defender is none of my business. I couldn't care less. It is your job to make a concoius decision, balancing the perceived danger and the joy you get

Originally Posted by Tombie

Good discussion....

With the DSC mentioned - who here has tested it taken the vehicle out onto loose surface and pushed the vehicle until it starts to yaw?

You may be very surprised - it can make some situations better, but it can also spear you off the road without any chance of recovery..


With Ancap - please all consider the ratings don’t equate between vehicles sizes - that’s where Physics exceeds ratings!

Ancap also doesn’t cover (last I looked) - roll over (roof strength) or rear end collisions...

These 2 vehicles are both Ancap 4... they met at high speed...

As my disco was the first vehicle I've owned with DCS I've taken it out and delibratly tested how it works with some agressive evassive manouvers. Im actually quite impressed with how agressivly it kicks in and with what I've done I havent found it want to spear me off the road - it merely straighens the car up, which you could take for spearing off the road if thats the direction that straigtening up a slide would take you. But the benifet is as its so agressive in its brake application I found it does actually wash of a reasonable amount of speed.
I know the US IIHS does a roof strength test, fairly sure both Euro NCAP and ANCAP dont. My biggest issue with ANCAP is the star rating system itself. A 5 star rated car from 10 years ago is not the same as a 5 star rated car today -they should have been adding additional stars above the current 5 to allow for newer tecnology. Plus cars can also earn points just for doing a test - side impact pole test for example, 2 points just for completing the test regardless of outcome. Your also correct Tombie that theres also big differences between differnt mass vehicles. I've found the most usefull part of the ratings to be the driver and passenger injury scores from the frontal offset crash - its what makes up the bulk of the points score anway.

I think it's very clear that Defenders are not good vehicles to crash in. That's why they couldn't be made to meet the latest crash rules and LR has had to start from scratch on a new model.
Personally, I agree with the person who suggested a cargo barrier, as it could save our lives in a rollover. I will be installing one soon.
As for airbags, I remember the day my wife and I had the following conversation:
Wife: "So, how many airbags does this have?"
Me: "None"
Wife: "None. Oh..."
A long silence followed.

I can't believe we need to elaborate this

Check out the bolt that holds the seat belt on thn the B pillar. Have you noticed the height and location of it? (Also the height of belt is Not adjustable
I reckon in a car crash that bolt head will do quite a bit of damage.
Now it should be a common sense that the headrest and seat should be adjusted so that passenger's head is unlikely to hit the B pillar. But it is physically impossible to do so in a defender

Not to mention,with the after market seat rails fitted, the bolt is possible aiming right at your pterion. That's the area right behind temple and weakest point of our human skull. There is an artery right behind it

I don't know why there is no cushion on that bolt head.

I see the way land rover get away from it is to classify the defender as a light commercial vhicel instead of passenger vehicle. I think that is deceiving because not many of use are aware of this and often believe we drive a passenger vehicle just like that discovery 4

I am obviously ignorant about this but do we have a lower safety standard for comericla trucks?

Anyway before I bought the defender I have done my research. I am fully aware of the danger and willing to pay to price

Btw Land Rover stop the production of defender ,I think, is mainly due to crash safety concerns, rather than emmision rules.
Cheers

Originally Posted by MJA

Hi all.

Thinking of getting myself a defender soon. And I’m after a 300tdi. At the moment I’ve got an 07 dual cab hilux. Which is comfortable, but boring. We did a lap of oz in a 94 troopy and love the character of older trucks.

However we have a 1 month old baby girl. How practical are these older defenders with younger children and babies. I know the air con is pretty useless, and worry about her cooking in the back on summer trips. We plan to use it for weekends away and extended touring trips. Am I just being precious? Or is it a legit concern? Any thoughts appreciated

Just throwing it out there, have you considered a Discovery 2?? Will do what you've described re weekends and touring, but in style and comfort

Thanks everyone. Appreciate all points of view. I guess was asking more about comfort rather than safety. Heat and noise etc. Obviously the defender won’t be the safest vehicle in the world. Similar to the old cruisers I’ve owned. But I do drive more carefully in older trucks. More so than the hilux, which handles more like a car.

The d2 wouldn’t suit my needs. I’m after the space that the 110 has. As I’ll be using it for work as well (carpenter).

Originally Posted by synthium

Iv had my 300tdi 130 for about 5 years now. I have a 3yo and a 15month old. Upgradinginh the aircon was a must - we currently live in Alice Springs. Specially in the baby seats the kids get hot. They do like the noise and the height.

Can I ask how you improved the air con?