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island911 island911 is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: an island, upper left coast, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jyl View Post
That's a more complicated issue than you'd think just from comparing the mass and size of the cars.
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So now you know how I think? ....and that I must be lacking an understanding of this topic?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jyl View Post
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Old American cars are tanks, true, so you're may not be crushed by the crumpling car. But you are at great risk of being killed as you decelerate from 50 MPH to 0 MPH against the dashboard, ricochet around the interior, or fly out into the street.
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Not from hitting a prious at a closing speed of 50mph (25 each). "Ricochet" will be the Prius stopped and reversed, while the big boy keeps its forward motion.

Hitting a cement wall, or a another big American car sure would suck. But that is a different topic.

Understand, a prius hitting a wall is just the weight of the car. . . .When hit by a car with an extra ~1500_lbs, well that is going to not just stop the pious, but send if backwards. Furthermore, the old cars were not soft - think battering ram. I think that if you went to some demo-derbies you would have some appreciation for what survives, and how.
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Old 07-07-2008, 10:46 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #78 (permalink)