Seat collapse deaths.

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Only because I've run these tests and because I've seen many crash tests over the years I can only guess you are grossly underestimating the severity of a 30 mph rear impact. This IS NOT a fender bender.

In a frontal crash, the government requirements keep you alive UNBELTED in a 30 mph crash. Horrific to watch by the way. If you are belted, that goes up to 35 mph. So getting plowed into from behind at those speeds is a much "softer" crash. But still horrific in the energy involved.

This issue has been going on in the courts for many many years so for the lawyers this is a 30 year old issue, not new as the video might indicate.

Keep in mind there is a counter point that also suggests that making the seats stiffer would increase injury to the front seat passenger/driver.

Very hard to make a car that can protect you from everything. Easy to make a 6 minute video for the news.

Also if you do some research you will find seats today are 2 to 3x better than the standard.

Yes, they can certainly be made stronger. That isn't in question.

But if you get rear ended at 55 mph? You've got far worse issues than your seat back. And hopefully you have your seat belt on, which the dummy in the video did not for obvious dramatic effect.

I'm not grossly underestimating anything. I almost lost my wife in a mid speed collision. I'm sure the fact that you work or have worked in the automoble industry that it has created a bias for you on this subject. I can read it very clearly in your post. It's like the cig manufacturers trying to sell the idea that cigs aren't that bad for you. It will be impossible to have a rastional conversation with you on this subject as you have ,in your mind, all the data to proof the topic wrong. I leave with this point though, you make no mention of the rear seat occupants, many of which were kids, that lost their lives. That was the entire point of the article. A seat that collapses will never be safer for them than one that does.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by motorhead

I'm not grossly underestimating anything. I almost lost my wife in a mid speed collision. I'm sure the fact that you work or have worked in the automoble industry that it has created a bias for you on this subject. I can read it very clearly in your post. It's like the cig manufacturers trying to sell the idea that cigs aren't that bad for you. It will be impossible to have a rastional conversation with you on this subject as you have ,in your mind, all the data to proof the topic wrong. I leave with this point though, you make no mention of the rear seat occupants, many of which were kids, that lost their lives. That was the entire point of the article. A seat that collapses will never be safer for them than one that does.

It is clear that this is an important matter to you, and that it deeply angers and upsets you. Given what happened, thats totally understandable.

However you have to understand that your own personal experience has made you biased too. And by your own logic of what bias does to people, its going to be impossibly for anyone to have a rational discussion about this subject with you.