Re: Crash test - A4

[Alexei M Voloshin <Alexei.M.Voloshin-1@tc.umn.edu>]

On Fri, 5 Jan 1996, Eric Schumacher wrote:

> An article in today's Atlanta Journal indicates that the A4 received five
> stars for passenger protection and four stars for driver protection from
> the NHTSB
> 
> 
> FWIW
> 
> Eric Schumacher
> 


I read the article too, but to tell you the truth, I don't much trust all 
the new cars in safety. NHTSB says they are good, but a trully safe car 
can not be made of plastic. This summer I collided with a metal guard 
fence head on going about 60 MPH in my '86 5K SCT. Not much left from the 
car (I love the thing), but I had no scratches, nothing at all. Just felt 
a little push forward and that is it. Stepped out of the car and went 
about buying another one. Now, that's safety for you! Simple - the car 
was built like a tank and engineered to survive autobahn speed crashes! 
They don't make cars that solid anymore. Some friends of mine run tests 
on cars at U of California at Berkley at their mechanical engineering 
lab. They tell me that new cars are no good in terms of crash. Sure, your 
haed and chest is ok (that is what NHTSB), but what about your legs, 
arms, and back. They say Audi are ok, but worse than the ones built in 
'91. In fact '91 200 CSTQ was the best one they ever tested in Audies.


- Alex.