Record LOW road toll

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Yeah, I should have mentioned seat belts - I guess I just took that for granted.
Maybe also airbags.
Not sure about the big vs small car argument though. I think I'd rather crash in the Yaris with its airbags than in the old Disco - I'm not even sure if its airbags still work.

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Airbags make only a marginal difference in most cases where seatbelts are worn. And I am afraid if your Disco and a Yaris collided, you are a lot better off in the Disco even if the airbags did not work. Of course, in a collision with a B-double or a bridge abutment or tree, it does not matter which you are in - you are almost certainly dead, airbags or not. Airbags extend the margin of survival a small amount beyond what seatbelts do, but the margin is small, and will cover only a relatively few accidents.

Other vehicle factors are likely to be more important, particularly those that affect the probability of an accident in the first place or its severity, but also the simple physics that in an collision between a light and heavy vehicle, there will be more damage to the small vehicle.

MUARC research shows no overall correlation between deaths/injuries and safety features, although there is a correlation between these features and deaths/injuries if you only look at accidents that have actually occurred.

John

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Originally Posted by cripesamighty

I recall reading this many years ago and very little has changed numbers wise.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...messages/33358

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Of course, the problem with this study is that it assumes that accidents have a single cause - and all serious accident investigators know that there are multiple factors contributing to any accident. (have a look at any aviation accident investigation)

But lawyers, as opposed to anyone trying to solve problems, like single causes, so that they can assign blame!

John

Also contributing are the stability control systems and collision avoidance technology slowly becoming a significant representation of the number of vehicles on the road (have I mentioned in other threads how many cool features are in the Merc GL so similarly priced to the Disco HSE? :( such as corrective steering and braking)

I saw signs on the Hume Hwy when off to the sleet last school hols, suggesting people switch to vehicles with collision avoidance technology.

New tonight has the NSW Roads Minister is seriously considering upgrading some 110 areas like sections of the Hume highway to 120kph.

These sort of roads should be even higher, say 130kph.

Garry

I was just assuming if I crashed the Disco badly enough the steering column would impale my chest.

ABS Statistics
Passenger vehicles per 1000 people in Australia
1955 = 153 2013 568

Passenger vehicle use
71% used a passenger vehicle to travel to work. (16% took public transport)

Passenger vehicles by Household 2011

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@....ElemFormat=gif

Passenger vehicles by State 2013

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment...-ownership.jpg

Road Transport Deaths 2011
51% of all deaths were occupants of cars.
72.4% male
median age at death for males 39.9 years
median age at death for females 44.7 years.

Source ABS: 4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, July 2013

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I was just assuming if I crashed the Disco badly enough the steering column would impale my chest.

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"Safety" steering columns have been around a long time (1955 Citroen DS is the earliest I know of), and all post Series Landrovers have them - for that matter, Series columns are fairly safe due to their angle and short length.

These have been mandated by ADRs since around 1980, long before the Discovery, and combined with a properly fastened seat belt provide almost as much protection as an airbag.

John

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I was just assuming if I crashed the Disco badly enough the steering column would impale my chest.

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Not likely as steering column safety have been in place since the late 60s.

More of a worry for a Disco I is that crash testing of non airbag models showed you will loose your legs at the knees and the safety of airbag models only met the same safety standards of non airbag cars (not 4wds) of the same time.

When ordering my 94Disco I looked at the crash reports to help me determine if I should get the then optional airbags - $3500 at side at the time. I did get them but it was often in the back of my mind.

Garry