At 9:46 PM +1200 10/21/01, Andrew Grebneff wrote:
>  >It all depends on crush space in the front, and the
>>Vanagon doesn't have much.
>
>The T3 is designed solid, with only a small crush zone to soften initial
>impact. After that the solid structure stoutly resists bending. That "S"UV
>(what's sporty about a tank that's so clumsy it can't avoid itself?) is
>unlikely to come in and get you.

That's right.  Your own Vanagon will get you first.  Remember: it's
the second collision that counts.  The first collision is just bent
metal; the second is flesh and bones against the restraint system (or
worse, the inside of the car).

Why all the focus on a car that doesn't get bent up in a hard crash?
Bending is good--it means energy is being absorbed so I don't have to
absorb it myself.  I'll be happy pay my insurance deductible if it
means I can walk away from a totalled car.  I'm happy happy happy to
have my car torn to shreds in a hard hit--just as long as the
passenger compartment remains intact.  I don't care what the wrecked
car looks like--what matters to me is how well the occupants faired.

Mass can be good, occupant height can be good, but it's keeping the
passenger compartment sound and the delta V *for the occupant* that
matters.  If my car totals itself absorbing energy on my behalf, I
couldn't be happier.

Just my CDN$0.02,

T.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin Copley        Bowen Island, BC, Canada      49deg 23'N-123deg 19'W

'82 Westfalia 1.6L NA diesel ("Stinky")
'97 son Russell                                   =============
'99 daughter Margaret                            /_| |_L| |__|:| clatter
1995: 'Round US, Mexico, Canada 15,000 mi       {.            .| clatter!
1996: Vancouver to Inuvik, NWT   7,400 km        ~-()-==----()-~
Previous buses: '76 westy deluxe (Daisy), '76 westy standard (Mango)
http://www.sfu.ca/~tcopley/vw/