Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
I place some of the blame on the safety nazis and all their requirements for safety crap on new vehicles.
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I respectfully disagree.
Remember that Aero trumps weight. So, let's say that ABS, Full Airbags, Traction Control, seatbelt pre-tensioners, and door braces account for 100-150 pounds of extra weight.
If you reduce the Cd by 0.01, you've likely canceled-out that extra weight (the equation is around here somewhere).
I'd rather have these items in vehicles, first for the sake of accident prevention, and secondly to protect those we care about in case someone makes a big mistake and runs into them (or you, for that matter).
If some drunk T-boned you at an intersection and knocked you into a pole -- wouldn't you want side-airbags and frontal bags + belt tensioners and crumple zones to save your arse? If Ralph Nader didn't champion seatbelts in the 60's, would we have them today? I can say from my ER and Medic experience that the difference between a belt and no belt is dramatic. IMO, this trend must continue. Those who claim those <1% of people who become "trapped" by the belt is preventing serious injury of death is sitting on a steaming pile of crap for an excuse.
RH77