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Author: Subject: Safety - Side Impact
Jumpy Guy

posted on 1/8/03 at 01:31 PM Reply With Quote
All of this brings me to a debate Ive had with mates...

I ride a bike, and Im building this car..
which will be safer-
On a bike, you can 'Bail' from the accident- the bike may take lots of damage, but if you're fit and fairly flexible, then you'll flail down the road, fairly unharmed...
In a locost, youre strapped in, so have to suffer whatever the car does...

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Simon

posted on 1/8/03 at 02:04 PM Reply With Quote
Another thought for those that might find it amusing pulling out in front of a bike. It's worth bearing in mind that a bike travelling at reasonable speed will get halfway THRU your car before stopping, even if you're in the way!!

ATB

Simon

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mranlet

posted on 1/8/03 at 02:37 PM Reply With Quote
The 4-way stop rule is whoever gets there first, but if two people get there at the same time, the person on the right goes first. If 4 people arrive at the same time (Department of Motor Vehicles feels that this will never happen) you have to muscle it out...

There is a method of "bailing" from a Locost crach - www.locost-ejector-seat.com


-MR

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andyd

posted on 1/8/03 at 02:38 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Jumpy Guy
I ride a bike, and Im building this car..
which will be safer...


I don't fancy doing either!

Let's just all promote advanced riding/driving courses and not get dead.

[Edited on 1/8/2003 by andyd]





Andy

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Simon

posted on 1/8/03 at 02:53 PM Reply With Quote
Hear, hear

ATB

Simon

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David Jenkins

posted on 1/8/03 at 03:04 PM Reply With Quote
My main worry about the Locost is being run over by a big truck - if you got hit side-on the big wheels would just run over you, instead of being pushed along by the bumpers (or rolled over) as would happen in a saloon.

DJ






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andyd

posted on 2/8/03 at 10:02 AM Reply With Quote
David, just stay on the b-roads and keep away from trucks!

Oh and lobby your local MP to put freight back on the railways and let us have our roads back!

No dissing truckers but they do think they own the road just because they have a job to do. There should be a psychiatric test for all potential truck drivers as they are armed and dangerous with those 'kin huge 18 wheelers!





Andy

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mranlet

posted on 4/8/03 at 01:19 AM Reply With Quote
I doubt that you would really have to worry about 18 wheelers running you over - they have pretty low bumpers that are designed to aviod such an occurance... Large pickups will still not run you over (unless equipped with insanely oversize tires, but then it wouldn't matter what car you're driving). At its lowest height, the locost is still more than half the height of a big tire, so it would still push you along (ignoring the fact that there will most likely be bumper at the same height.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, but a roll cage or side impact pods wouldn't hurt in any event.

-MR

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Peteff

posted on 4/8/03 at 10:46 AM Reply With Quote
I was on a dual carriageway waiting to turn left at a roundabout when a JCB fourtrak went past to go straight on. That made me feel small. The bars down the side of the seating area are as thick as the side impact bars in car doors and the car is light enough to be pushed down the road so unless the bumper rides over the side you might be o.k. 4X4 might be a problem as they don't look where they are going anyway, too busy doing their hair and answering the phone usually or rushing to pick up kids, get to stables etc.

yours, Pete.





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

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David Jenkins

posted on 4/8/03 at 10:56 AM Reply With Quote
JCB fourtrack = 60mph tractor!

Usually heavily laden, going fast, and driven by someone with a tractor licence, not a HGV one. Not a good combo, as you can usually get a tractor licence by driving a short distance without falling into the ditch.

Get a lot of these things on the road in East Anglia... scary.

DJ






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timf

posted on 4/8/03 at 11:13 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by andyd
David, just stay on the b-roads and keep away from trucks!




quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
JCB fourtrack = 60mph tractor!

Get a lot of these things on the road in East Anglia... scary.

DJ


b roads don't help

when the farms use the big jcb to plough through the hedges at the side of their field to get to the other one .

2 big rubber marks in road and unmetionable ones elsewhere

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benedict

posted on 7/8/03 at 11:10 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Simon
benedict

"I comfort myself with the thought that motorcyclists take bigger risks everyday so at least I am not quite the stupidest motorist on the road"

Bear in mind when you make comments like this

Errrrr, I didn't make that comment!

[Edited on 7/8/03 by benedict]

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andyd

posted on 7/8/03 at 01:08 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by timf
when the farms use the big jcb to plough through the hedges at the side of their field to get to the other one .

2 big rubber marks in road and unmetionable ones elsewhere


Yeah tell me about it. I've suddenly come across Farmer Palmer and his mud slinging sharp pointy rusty wider than one lane kit plenty of times. Make sure you've got good brakes!

I guess that's the downside of living in this part of the country. No hills but loads of farms!





Andy

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Simon

posted on 7/8/03 at 02:27 PM Reply With Quote
benedict,

So you didn't - thousand apologies

ATB

Simon

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thekafer

posted on 3/9/03 at 12:41 AM Reply With Quote
side impact,suv's,rocket launchers

I've been worried about the safety of this "my god my ass is an inch off the ground" machine I'm building also.I saw where caterham has installed aluminum honeycomb panels for side and rear impact protection.It's extremely light incredibly strong and does absorb energy really well in a crash situation. I am an aircraft mechanic and work with the stuff quite a bit. It would take about $800 U.S. to do what Caterham does to theirs with certed material(approved for aircraft use)or$200 u.s. without certs. As for the american suv's and pickups,(the E.L.F. proclaimed scourge of mankind)I'm going with rocket lauchers!
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Browser

posted on 3/9/03 at 12:10 PM Reply With Quote
Luego have addressed the side impact protection thing by using rectangular tube to make the diagonal bracers around the passenger compartment of the Velocity Xt (and I assume the standard Velocity and Viento?), but at the end of the day, if side impacts concern you that greatly, better not build a seven replica! No seven replica will offer good side protection because, as stated by another member earlier, ther is no deformable bodywork beside you to absorb the crash. You'll just have to drive it in a helmet and HANS harness!






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David Jenkins

posted on 3/9/03 at 02:09 PM Reply With Quote
I categorise my Locost as "Offers nowhere near as much protection as a modern saloon, but a hell of a lot more than my old motorcycle!"

Funny - my wife is happy for me to build a Locost, 'cos she thinks it's going to be a lot safer than the motorcycles I used to ride...



David






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Browser

posted on 5/9/03 at 01:24 PM Reply With Quote
You shoudln't have told us that Dave, we'll find out your address now and blackmail you for favours, lest your wife should receive certain 'indiscriminate' mail describing the less than 110% side impact protection in a 7!






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Stu16v

posted on 5/9/03 at 04:47 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Jumpy Guy
I ride a bike, and Im building this car..
which will be safer-
On a bike, you can 'Bail' from the accident- the bike may take lots of damage, but if you're fit and fairly flexible, then you'll flail down the road, fairly unharmed...
In a locost, youre strapped in, so have to suffer whatever the car does...


I have seemed to have completly missed this thread, so here goes......

Bike V seven types? You are right, you go with the car if you crash. But I would rather do that than 'flail' into a lamppost, brick wall etc, possibly with the bike landing on top of you......

I have raced cars since the age of 14, and have been involved in some hefty shunts. I have never yet sustained serious injury *touches wood*. To do as much racing on two wheels would of probably got me some broken limbs by now I reckon....
I used to ride bikes on the road, but I am a self confessed wuss. I fell off three times, all of which were under ten mph, and it hurt. You cant fall off a car

Not when you are driving it, anyway....





Dont just build it.....make it!

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