Re: Audi 100 Gives up the Ghost for Owner

[Orin Eman <orin@wolfenet.com>]

> I wonder whether this is true.  I was always told.... In driver's ed
> anyways....that if a car swerved into my lane and if it was between the car
> or the tree, take the tree every time.  True, the tree won't really "give"
> like the car, but the car has velocity going in the opposite direction and
> it will be like getting in a wreck at your speed + most of the speed of the
> oncoming car!!!!  Really bad!

Oh dear, I sense another physics argument.  Those government crash tests
where they crash cars into a concrete barrier claim to be equivalent
to hitting an oncoming car at identical speed.  They are correct - if
the oncoming car is identical - same weight, same speed, then
the effect is the same as crashing into a solid barrier.

However, if the oncoming car has more momentum than you do,
(mass * velocity) then you are worse off than hitting a solid barrier.

Now trees are somewhat less solid than concrete barriers and I'm
sure I can't guess whether an oncoming car is bigger/faster,
so I'll have to agree - take the tree... around here, there is
always the chance that the tree is rotten anyway.

Orin.