How safe is the average 510?

[MicroMachinery]

Here's a couple of my wreck.

 

Got smoked by a Suburban. I don't know how I survived this one, but the car rolled 3 times, through a fence and into a tree. I wasn't wearing a seat belt. The doctor said it would have snapped by back had I been wearing one. My friend and I had gotten into a heated argument, and I kicked him out minutes before this happened. He would have died had he been in the car. At the tow yard, I got into the driver's seat, and I was able to hang my arms out both windows. It was that crunched.

 

Bruised ribs and a couple scratches were the medals I walked away with from this one.

[HRH]

Dude, sucks for the wreck, but WTF on those wheels man? :P

[I'm BLUE]

Here's a couple of my wreck.

 

What was it ? :huh:

[GT Motion]

What was it ? :huh:

 

Looks like a 90's mustang.

[MicroMachinery]

It WAS a Mustang.. not really the way I wanted to get rid of it.. would have rather sold it.

[ang94541]

Here's a pic of my 1200. I was driving "safe" making a left turn on my green light. This dude in a Dakota slammed on his brakes an slid through the intersection. He was probably doing 35mph when he hit me. I hit my head on the passenger door sill. I had a little bump on my head and some fat bruses from the lap belt. If I had a passenger with me I think the story would have been much different.

 

 

I do believe that the newer cars with airbags, advanced crumple zones, etc are alot safer. What I'm afraid of are the people that drive those cars a more "recklessly" with that extra sense of security. For example, on the freeway, in a down pour, I start to hydroplane at around 50mph. That's with new tires. At the same time I'm being passed by people doing 60 or 70 with newer cars and their Stability Controls, etc.

 

As for how to drive safe, I just pretend I'm invisible. So sure, why wouldn't that guy change lanes on me, there's nobody there, I'm invisible.

[Skib]

I drive as if Im on a motorcycle.

[tomagatchi559]

if a coupe or sedan gets rear ended they turn into a hatchback if a hatch back gets rear ended its turns into a smart car if a smart car gets rear ended n what do you get?? a wheel chair lol

[hang_510]

ive seen several smashed dimes people walked away from.

and some not..

 

 

i rolled my 4dr 1-1/ times.

we got out, rolled it back onto the wheels and drove to the hospital. only bruises and cuts from the glass.

 

 

I kicked him out minutes before this happened.

if you hadnt stopped, you wouldnt have been at the intersection at the same time

[MicroMachinery]

Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't take that long to kick someone out of your car.. atleast it doesn't take me that long.

[Shagy]

Ill vote "safe".

 

back in '97 I was in downtown San Diego with a buddy picking up his GF from work in my 1st 71 2dr. We were on a one way street and I either didnt see the red light or the person coming down the hill in the Caddy ran their red. I realy dont remember. But the Caddy hit my LF fender. Moved the strut tower it about 6 inches. we all walked away from it. Car was totaled.

 

I have alway felt safe in them. Now if it was about 2-3 feet closer to me, I dont know if I would have walked awar from it.

[Rotary510]

My Datsun 510 has an 8-point roll cage with padding. The doors have "X" roll bar coverage on each side (it's a bitch get in and out)and the hear front and rear ROOF have bars going across.It is an SCCA approved cage. Will I be safer? I have always wondered this...?

 

Am I any safer in an accident with my roll cage? Head on? SIde impact? What would happen to this Schedule 40 steel metal?

 

Thanks for the comments, throw them at me!

[The Dat-side]

How good is your padding? I'd wear a helmet if I had a cage.

[datsunaholic]

Safety is relative. One thing about modern cars- if you get hit by one in a Datsun, the modern car's safety features (crumple zones, high-energy-absorption bumpers) are going to help you as much as it helps them.

 

But you don't want to hit a semi, or any immobile object. In the case of an immobile object, a modern car is going to be safer because it will absorb more, with reduced g-forces due to crumple zones and such. Hit a semi head-on, it doesn't matter what you're in. Hit a semi head-on at highway speeds in anything under semi-truck size, they'll be removing your remains with a hose. When 2 semis collide, both drivers usually die.

 

 

One thing 510s have an advantage of is their light weight makes them agile, and if you have enough situational awareness that helps you avoid accidents. They also have pretty good visibility. My main complaint with modern cars is because of the required rollover protection, the window pillars are so thick that visibility is compromised. Side-curtain airbags on some cars make this worse, and the rear seat headrests make rearward vision terrible.

[The Dat-side]

My cobalt had the worst rear visibility. Every car needs a wink mirror.

[blackdeth666]

I'm a motorcycle rider, I don't think it gets much more dangerous than that. I just try to enjoy myself and do what makes me happy and try not to think too hard about what COULD happen. If u love datsuns, you'll drive them.

[drew510]

Put a 510 or any car from the era though current crash tests and it will fail miserably. That said, I was "L" boned (he hit the front fender/wheel, not my door) by a Geo Storm back in '94 and the car fared extemely well, considering he barely braked before hitting me (his car looked MUCH worse, but today's cars are made to do that). After the initial hit to the front, we came together and slapped our rear quarters really hard. The back end of the car was now a couple inches off center. The front fender was toast and the strut tube was bent, but I was able to fire it up and pull it to the side of the road. Ended up stripping the car of all the goodies and gave it away. I was sore for a couple days, but that was about it.

[DISLEXICDIME]

After each 510 that I was in a accident with I was surprised at how well they held up. Not sure about how my box flared car will hold up since half the car is fiber glass.

[Rotary510]

I could not wear a helmet everywhere I go, it would be soo ridiculous! However, I am not sure yet how much safer my car really is with that full welded SCCA cage?

[izzo]

510s are not safe, your best bet is to just bring it over to my house n leave it here... Ill take on the danger :)

 

Or, you could bring it over to Indy510's house, itll be safe and never driven there...

[Skib]

I could not wear a helmet everywhere I go, it would be soo ridiculous! However, I am not sure yet how much safer my car really is with that full welded SCCA cage?

 

 

the danger of a cage in a crash isnt from the crash itself but from not having all the rest regular safety gear you would normally be wearing while racing.

 

specifically your helmet.

 

 

wearing a helmet everywhere would be ridiculous, but its also the safest.

 

so it just depends, how much do you really care?

 

personally Id take my chances, but I have a disregard for personal safety and just dont really care lol

but Id never let my GF drive a caged 510 or Z car the same way i do

[izzo]

 

but Id never let my GF drive a caged 510 or Z car the same way i do

 

 

Like you could really tell someone else what to do? I think really what you mean is... "but Id never let my GF out of the kitchen"

 

:rofl: