The offset crash tests are meant more accurately to represent the most common type of real world frontal impact. Cars very rarely run head on into each other on the roads. It's for the same reason that crash tests are now done against a deformable barrier rather than a concrete block, because most accidents are car to car and very few people crash their cars into solid walls

 

I managed to crash mine into a solid wall...

Silly thing jumped out at me at the last minute. Never did get its insurance details...

 

Funnily enough Mike, that was similar to this drivers excuse!
http://www.cargolaw.com/2006nightmare_mv.alvastar.html (and scroll down a bit)

It's a site that will entertain you for the rest of the day by the way.

 

 

Oi! I know a quick short cut .....


Accident report forms.

"I swerved to avoid the moth and wrote my car off against a wall" ( Thanks to Jasper Carrot for that gem)

More seriously, one of the worse responses on Insurance Report Forms must be the all too frequent:

" I never saw the other vehicle"

How about try looking next time.....

Anyway ~ my car scored 100% in these safety tests which means I do not need to drive as carefully as you peasants do in your lesser vehicles.

 

One more thing, the only frontal impacts focus on the 'driver side off centre' position. Is this giving a false view that safety for the front passenger is better?

 

Why would it be? The passenger has much less to worry about. There is no steering wheel or pedals to jam into their face, chest or legs.

 

Just out of interest Chris, why's Hyacinth on your avatar?

 

Some don't do too well...

 

 

Didn't test prove that your more likely to survive being hit by a metro at 40mph than actually being in one at 40mph

 

Yeah it's pedestrian score was 2 stars and its passenger score was 1 star.

 

Aston Martin Vanquish^

 

Aston Martin Vanquished!!!

 

My own Crash showed the Focus to be pretty strong, when a Lorry hit me on a main A road and sent me into a concrete underpass wall. I escaped with broken ribs, broken breast bone and having surgery to correct internal injuries and to remove my spleen. Had I been in another car, maybe I wouldn't have been so lucky.

Picture is from the local Evening Echo whos reporter was caught in the traffic jam that ensued as a result of the crash.

 

Was the Lorry driver held to account Ian?

 

The ZMA Oka minicar probably falls under the "bad" category. Apparantly, there's actually been several attempts to sell these in the West.

 

However, one thing does bemuse me more. Why does NCAP do off centre crashes and not head on with the middle of the bonnet touching the concrete barrier first? I really cannot understand why this happens?

Its to be a more realistic representation of what happens and its also ensures that the impact is concentrated on one particular point, rather than evenly spread across the front. I suspect its biased towards the drivers side becuase you pass another car driver-to-driver (regardless of driving on the left or right).

Have a look at a "walking wounded" car that's obviously been swiped along the side and I bet the centre of impact will be the driver's side headlamp.


Incidentally, I don't know why I suspect this MGR_Petrolhead, but are you quite young/don't drive/haven't been driving long?

 

yes I am young, probably a reason for 'inexperience'.

 

has the truck driver been convicted of owt?

 

Nope he hasn't, as yet