The industry is spectacular technological advances in the last century, but one of the largest and most important areas for development is security. But what is "safe" car?
The broad umbrella of "security" is usually divided into two categories: active and passive safety. Active capacity safety car to avoid an accident. Passive safety car is the ability to protect its citizens when it is actually an accident. For example, anti-lock breaks an element of active safety, airbags are passive safety function. In this paper, the first of the three-part series, we look at passive safety. In the next article we look at the security force, and final delivery in search of what you can do with the car you drive to make it safer.
Passive safety
most people tend to associate the "security" with "passive safety" and not to avoid the accident in the first place. No wonder, since most state regulations and the most important programs, such as the EuroNCAP safety assessment to focus primarily on how to protect yourself from car accidents. Devices such as airbags and seat belts are highly regulated, and cars must meet a certain level of performance when it crashed into the barriers and posts at certain speeds.
Improvement of passive safety in the last thirty years is overwhelming. Spend some time watching videos of EuroNCAP crash tests or the YouTube website and was surprised by the violent car accident, at full speed. And for those who believe that the airbag is a big soft cushion that extends from the wheel likes to hug you when you get off is unpleasantly surprised by the explosive an airbag is triggered. 'Explosive' is the right word, because the airbags and seat belts for the use of fireworks (explosion, for example) to pass the seat belt and air bag fixed on the trigger in milliseconds when the accident began. Air bags save lives but also give you a broken nose and cheekbone in this process. Seat belts to hold in place, but you can take a picture of the collarbone, which he did.
Seat belts modern technological marvel compared to the original idea for a specified period, the belt tight in the right place. Century 21, the belt gives you the flexibility to move as needed under normal driving, but in case of accident will be carefully, but quickly back in the chair and let you know if you need to determine how quickly you (and your internal organs), the brake that the car is divided around. Seat belts and air bags are designed to work well together. The air bag deployment in certain directions at a given speed and belt ensures that you stay in the right place for use. It makes no sense to have to go airbags to cushion the impact of their activities, if you forget, as they were thrown around the cabin space. U.S. automobile airbags are designed for much bigger and stronger than European cars because fewer Americans use seat belts and airbags should try to stop uncontrolled population instead of a belt. Fortunately, the use of seat belts in the United States has improved considerably in recent years but still lags behind the rest of the civilized world. In fact, New Hampshire, there is still no law requiring seat belts to wear!
Modern cars are designed to deform in a very specific way to absorb and deflect impact energy as possible out of the cab. Cabin itself is much greater, so that is not distorted, so that the columns of the cars were much stronger in recent years, while in the same spirit of the time window is much higher. When you look at the car in 1960 or 1970, you see that has a beautiful slender columns and lots of glass everywhere, which is great for visibility, but do not stop going to the cabin. Robust shielded looks almost modern cars are perhaps not so many beautiful, and certainly keep the eye, but will protect you much better if it happened during the accident. The doors are reinforced with small windows and rows of the upper window to protect them in case of side impact. Fuel tanks must be installed in a certain way and so that will not crack and leak fuel in a crash to reduce the risk of fire. Headrests have been carefully designed to protect the head and neck whiplash in rear impacts. The steering column to collapse some reason, not through the driver in a frontal collision. Engine breaks your support and slide under the car, and nearly all components on the car are designed to break a way to absorb and divert impact energy of the cabin.
This defeat and absorption of energy is the reason I still hear the old cliche that "new car that breaks down very easily," compared to older cars. This is completely false - older cars are less safe in an accident, simply because they overload the gradual and controlled manner. If an old car accident on a wall / tree / another vehicle at 40 km / h, it stops immediately and effectively all energy transferred to the people inside, so to keep moving for about 40 km / h usually on the dashboard or windshield.
The crash test standards become more difficult. EuroNCAP has recently completed its rating system in 2009, so that the test results of 5 stars in 2009, which is much more difficult than in the year 2008 and earlier. As for the car crash tests, it is important to verify that the experimental design was used. The comments are given for the protection of adults and children traveling, but also pedestrians, in 2009, the new protocols.
All this is just an overview of the technology behind how the car behaves in an accident. In the next part of this series, we examine how your car will help you avoid an accident in the first place, that is to what extent the development is in progress.
Stuart Masson is an automotive expert, who is based in London, one. Independent and impartial to all who want to buy a new or used car
originally from Australia, Stuart has a passion for cars and the automotive industry for almost thirty years and has spent the last seven years working in the automotive industry, both in Australia and London.
Stuart combines his extensive knowledge about everything related to cars with their own experience in selling cars and providing a high degree of customer satisfaction, so unique and personal car buyers of consulting services in London. Auto Expert provides specific advice tailored to those seeking a new or used car in London.
