Thank you for your link. I can see that the process you used for deciding which vehicle to buy was very logical and thoughful. Also, it's a good example of how safety is only one of the many factors involved in purchasing a vehicle.
I also hope this thread can serve a reference for other visitors to this forum, so I am trying hard to present the safety information in the most neutral way . My orignal post was in response to a woman who was told that all Honda's are unsafe because they are small and made from recycled materials (really!) so I was trying to correct this type of misonception using actual data.
You made some good points. Let me clarify my opinion a little more.
1) Of course when a person is trying to choose betwen two cars, the only factor that is constant is themselves (and their driving experience, driving conditions, etc.) But for some of these drivers, vehicle A might be safer, while for other drivers, vehicle B might be safer. As an example,
Person 1: Lives somewhere with frequent rain/snow/ice conditions, and often drives on divided highways, or in urban areas where rear and side collisions are more likely and head-on collisions are unlikely.
Person 2: Lives somewhere with dry conditions, and often drives on rural, undivided highways.
Vehicle A: Front crash performance - Good
Side and Rear crash performance - OK
Traction Control - None
Mass - 3500lbs
Vehicle B: Front crash performance - OK
Side and Rear crash performance - Good
Traction Control - Yes
Mass - 2500lbs
Vehicle A might be the safest choice for person 2, and Vehicle B might be the safest choice for person 1, even though the mass is different.
2) "when all other conditions are the same, size/mass has huge advantage."
Assuming that two vehicles are made by the same company (with the same engineering capability), use similar construction methods (e.g. high-strength steel unibody constuction), and are equiped with the same safety equipment (side airbags, torso airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, etc.) the larger/heavier vehicle should be safer if they collide. But most shoppers also consider vehicles from different manufacturers, with different options and features. Instead of using the simple rule of "bigger is better" it is worthwhile to check the test results for crash performance. That's why I posted the IIHS comparison table.
Also, the first part of safety is to avoid the accident entirely, and mass and high center of gravity is a disadvantage here. If I am driving on an icy highway, and my vehicle slides off into the ditch, I would rather be in a small car than a large SUV because it is much less likely to roll over. (of course in some other collisions, you would be safer in the SUV.) Again, I am just trying to convince people to think more deeply than the simple rule of "bigger is better."
I also hope this thread can serve a reference for other visitors to this forum, so I am trying hard to present the safety information in the most neutral way . My orignal post was in response to a woman who was told that all Honda's are unsafe because they are small and made from recycled materials (really!) so I was trying to correct this type of misonception using actual data.
You made some good points. Let me clarify my opinion a little more.
1) Of course when a person is trying to choose betwen two cars, the only factor that is constant is themselves (and their driving experience, driving conditions, etc.) But for some of these drivers, vehicle A might be safer, while for other drivers, vehicle B might be safer. As an example,
Person 1: Lives somewhere with frequent rain/snow/ice conditions, and often drives on divided highways, or in urban areas where rear and side collisions are more likely and head-on collisions are unlikely.
Person 2: Lives somewhere with dry conditions, and often drives on rural, undivided highways.
Vehicle A: Front crash performance - Good
Side and Rear crash performance - OK
Traction Control - None
Mass - 3500lbs
Vehicle B: Front crash performance - OK
Side and Rear crash performance - Good
Traction Control - Yes
Mass - 2500lbs
Vehicle A might be the safest choice for person 2, and Vehicle B might be the safest choice for person 1, even though the mass is different.
2) "when all other conditions are the same, size/mass has huge advantage."
Assuming that two vehicles are made by the same company (with the same engineering capability), use similar construction methods (e.g. high-strength steel unibody constuction), and are equiped with the same safety equipment (side airbags, torso airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, etc.) the larger/heavier vehicle should be safer if they collide. But most shoppers also consider vehicles from different manufacturers, with different options and features. Instead of using the simple rule of "bigger is better" it is worthwhile to check the test results for crash performance. That's why I posted the IIHS comparison table.
Also, the first part of safety is to avoid the accident entirely, and mass and high center of gravity is a disadvantage here. If I am driving on an icy highway, and my vehicle slides off into the ditch, I would rather be in a small car than a large SUV because it is much less likely to roll over. (of course in some other collisions, you would be safer in the SUV.) Again, I am just trying to convince people to think more deeply than the simple rule of "bigger is better."
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