Safety smafety

[Stephen Williams <mannlaw@indy.net>]

	My ole net buddy Bob thinks I suffer from "down the throat 
advertising" regarding the safety of the volvo....Hmmmmm

	As we all know, the term "safety" can mean a gazillion things.

	Front, rear, side, roof, off-center, rollover [still difficult to 
test--accurately, repeatedly], restraint sys., etc.,etc.,etc.  I used the 
term first, so, my bad.  

	Contrary to Bob's view, the down the throat thing is not the 
reason for the opinion--which should not have been stated to begin with.  
If you review the real world crash data, you will see that the 240 pretty 
well stands alone in occupant fatalities.  Now, if you don't want to 
believe it, hey, knock yourself out.  That does not change the numbers 
though.

	BUT, the numbers for *some* Audi's are very good too.  As Bob and 
Peter point out.  Frankly, this is a debate that cannot be "won" on the 
'net. I will say this though, I *wish* the auto manufacturers did not 
require the depth of confidentiality they do.  But they do, and, I can't 
show you what I know you would like to see.  One interesting point 
though, during breakfast in Detroit with one of the gods of auto 
crashworthiness engineering, I asked him what the key was.  His answer?  
Drop all the nerdy stuff and "...put as much metal as you can between you 
and the other guy...."  Thought that was pretty cool, and, pretty telling 
[caddy v. civic--where do you want to be?].


	Bruce