Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr
Some safety features such as a collapsible steering collumn and decent seats to prevent whiplash are undeniably worthwhile, but I'd still rather have the interior trim designed to also provide impact absorption at some extent instead of blowing money on airbags, and would still rather have lap-belts instead of 3-point belts. Too bad nowadays even in Brazil airbags are mandatory (just a few vehicles, either trucks with a payload above one metric ton, passenger vans and buses, and some 4WD vehicles, are exempt)...
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The problem with lap only belts is you will still face plant into the dash or steering wheel in an impact.
Air bags work. There was increased effort focused on preventing injuries to legs and feet after their introduction. Previously this wasn't a problem because the injuries were occurring to corpses.
Something that has stuck with me is seeing images in a magazine feature on crash safety. One was of a person (corpse) who had struck the windscreen, face first, without wearing a seat belt. Their face was the same flattened shape as the windscreen. I can post a scan of that if anyone needs convincing.
I have seen personally a laminated windscreen cracked under impact, with hair caught in the cracks. The windscreen had separated with the impact of the person's head but was held together by the plastic layer. The hair was grabbed as the cracks closed up when the head bounced back.
I wear seat belts!