Re: Crash test - A4

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

On Fri, 5 Jan 1996, Bob D'Amato wrote: 
> I beleive Mercedes and Volvo request the vehicles after an accident if 
> there were fatalities. This true with Audi? Now thats how to learn!
 
Here is the story on how that is done in Europe (I'm not quite sure how 
that is done here, although after I told my dealer about my '86 5K SCT 
being in an accident they asked if I would release it to them, after the 
insurance estimate was done (the car was totalled for sure).) 


In Europe however, after a person reports an accident, the company is 
notified by police and a special team is sent to the cite of the accident 
to inspect the car first hand. Approximately 100 page report is filled out 
about every little detail. After that two things can happen. If the car 
is totalled, the manufacturer will ask you (or your insurance) to release 
the car to 
them for further testing and analysis. If the car is not totalled, the 
manufacturer will ask you to release the car to them for one business day 
during which the car will be examined before going to repair shop. 

The idea was first implemented be Mercedes in 1960s when they realised 
that energy absorbtion was the best way to save people inside the 
vehicle. So they needed some real world data to design bodies that were 
better at absorbtion. Since then there are more and more manufacturers 
that have picked up and implemented this idea. 
As 
far as I know, this is done by most manufacturers in Europe - Volvo, 
Mercedes, BMW, AUDI, Ferrary, Alfa R.... There are just few exceptions 
and the one I know for sure is Opel. 
And I absolutely agree that learning from the real world is the best way.

-Alex.