Defender Safety

Some relevant U tubes [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGh6bkF6x0I]Landrover Series 3 vs Calibra crash - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FShasIY_jI]LAND ROVER CRASHES (ACCIDENTES DE LAND ROVER) - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWSPjNr3a6U]Land Rover Crash collection - YouTube[/ame]

Not really relevant but interesting [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnra8IJwxus]Range Rover spectacular crash during Syrian desert rally 1999 - YouTube[/ame]

And yes I would not worry about carrying children or any1 in a defender. Seen too many accidents where the vechile has little bearing on if you walk away. I put it at 30% vechile, 60% circumstances and the rest driver input. As to the cause of accidents 80+% driver 5% vehicle and the rest circumstances.
Chers Scott

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Originally Posted by Psimpson7

Every time I look at those picture I am amazed you walked away. amazing!

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Yes, and that does not prove that the Defender is safe, that was against the odds.
There are people that survived the fall from tall building but that does not prove that jumping from a tall building you will survive.

IMO the Defender without proper cage is soft as butter.
Yes, I love the Defe but I am not bias :D
Here are some photos of Defenders damaged without rollcage


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/07/399.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/07/382.jpg

There is a company in Emerald Beach 2456 NSW that are selling roll cages for the Defe.
The link is HERE

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/07/397.jpg

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Originally Posted by Chucaro

There is a company in Emerald Beach 2456 NSW that are selling roll cages for the Defe.

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They are safety devices cages.

I guess something was lost in translation from the German version of the landrovertuning website.

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A roll cage antagonizes massive the softening. With the Roll Cage the vehicle sustains heavy load extreme long. The 6 times support on the chassi columns creates top stability and passenger protection by roll over accidents.

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I owned my very well set up Puma for 2 years, had kids and although I absolutely loved the car, I couldn't trust in in an accident with my kids on board so I sold it and bought a D4. I haven't looked back, very happy with the decision!

Rob

Defenders are great vehicles on many fronts, occupant safety is not one of them.

To say I have driven one for 20 years so that proved yes they are safe means nothing. I would trust a drivers knowledge more who owned one for one day and had a major crash than a driver who owned one for 20 year and didn't.

If you need to fit a roll cage to stand a chance of surviving a roll over is truly scary.

I came very close to buying a Defender however it was my wife that raised the safety issue.
I could not justify spending nearly $60k for a car with no airbags.

The silly thing is that Landrover could have fitted the airbags for very little cost & would probably sell heaps more.

Toyota had to fit airbags to the 76 series as the big mining fleets refused to buy them.

It did not help that I am a Safety Manager & would expect fleet vehicles to have airbags.

I am not saying that the Defender is unsafe just that there are safer options.

It also helped that the budget could stretch (just) to a D4.

Having said that the D4 is only 4 star rated due to the danger it poses to pedestrians.

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Originally Posted by yyeessno

After surviving this, I've no problem carrying loved ones in the car. I now have a 130 dual cab.

Some pictures:

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Thank goodness your sister & you survived that. Chills me to the bone, to see those photos. Having been thru that, would you recommend roll bars be fitted ?, Bob

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Originally Posted by chuck

I came very close to buying a Defender however it was my wife that raised the safety issue.
I could not justify spending nearly $60k for a car with no airbags.

The silly thing is that Landrover could have fitted the airbags for very little cost & would probably sell heaps more.

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Umm, no they couldn't, it would've entailed a major redesign, the firewall isn't strong enough and Land Rover couldn't justify the budget involved to redesign it.

As it is production is maxed out, it's a hand built vehicle, no one (other than Morgan) build cars the way the 90/110/130 is built anymore, and haven't for nearly fifty years.

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Originally Posted by TerryO

If you need to fit a roll cage to stand a chance of surviving a roll over is truly scary.

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It'd be no weaker than a 79 Series in a roll over, and in a major roll over I wouldn't trust any road going car.

There's a reason roll cages are fitted to competition vehicles ;)

Have to add that a number of years ago a mate reckoned a 130 like mine would make a great touring vehicle for his family.
From a passive safety standpoint I suggested he look elsewhere.