undefined | Better HN

0 pointsmikestew7y ago0 comments

How often have you considered taking the money for a new Camry and applying to any of a plethora of defensive driving schools or track schools? My thinking is that those fancy airbags only do you any good if something sets them off.

But I am curious what progress you feel has been made in auto safety in the last ten years that is "staggering". By 2008, I think we got the low-hanging fruit: 1. ABS 2. Airbags 3. Side-curtain airbags 4. Sacrificial crumble zones

I do not consider lane keeping and automatic braking to be "staggering" progress, but incremental.

If a brand new Camry saves you from a single ER visit

That is the very definition of begging the question.

0 comments

2 comments · 1 top-level

mywittyname7y ago· 1 in thread

I used to be a fixture in the local SCCA, but my wife has been in far few accidents than me, so probably not a great use of time/money.

As far as safety progress over the past ten years -

2008: SID-II Crash test dummies. These dummies are designed to simulate smaller humans (women and children).

2010: NHSTA revamps five star rating because cars became "too safe." Almost every vehicle on the road had a five star rating so they made the requirements more stringent.

2014: NHSTA adds small-overlap tests to accident ratings. Many cars failed during the first year.

2015: NHSTA revamps safety standards again, this time adding considerations for rollover and crash avoidance technology (automatic braking).

Other considerations added over the past decade, but I can't find an exact date implemented for: side pole crash, fuel system integrity assurances, deformation barrier tests. There's a bunch more but I'm tired of reading research papers on teh subject.

Suffice to say, advances in safety from 2008-2018 were staggering.

mikestewOP7y ago

There's a bunch more but I'm tired of reading research papers on teh subject.

Well, thank you for taking the time to post what you did in response to my question.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse