Sprinter vs Transit crash tests
- Thread starter LDB
- Start date
Leo,
I too the liberty to edit your video - so it could be embedded in your post. See how I did it here:
http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/web-site-support-services/56747-how-post-video.html
Thanks!
I too the liberty to edit your video - so it could be embedded in your post. See how I did it here:
http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/web-site-support-services/56747-how-post-video.html
Thanks!
I feel sorry for the sprinter drivers. But the test can't be complete until we see a sprinter loaded down with a 4k payload strapped in the back hitting the wall ad 60 mph. I'm gonna see if mythbusters will take up the issue of "how heavy can you load em" for the sptinters. lol.
How about not hitting walls at 60 mph? Does that work for you?
It occurs to me that hitting a wall at that speed isn't going to do the driver much good regardless of what brand of van he's driving. There isn't a lot of crush distance to absorb the force before it's in the cab of the van. Heavy loads, like Blizzard suggests, make it worse of course because there's more weight that has to stop suddenly. Worse because 4K is a little hard to adequately secure against that kind of force and it's going to go somewhere-- you get three guesses as to where it's going to go.
At 60 mph, it's kind of obvious that most vehicles that hit the wall are toast. The question is, can the driver survive? I think his chances are better if he doesn't hit the wall at 60 mph.
It occurs to me that hitting a wall at that speed isn't going to do the driver much good regardless of what brand of van he's driving. There isn't a lot of crush distance to absorb the force before it's in the cab of the van. Heavy loads, like Blizzard suggests, make it worse of course because there's more weight that has to stop suddenly. Worse because 4K is a little hard to adequately secure against that kind of force and it's going to go somewhere-- you get three guesses as to where it's going to go.
At 60 mph, it's kind of obvious that most vehicles that hit the wall are toast. The question is, can the driver survive? I think his chances are better if he doesn't hit the wall at 60 mph.
When was the last time ya hit a wall? Even tail ending a car it will move forward somewhat lessening the effect
And of course nobody has ever had a vehicle cross the line and hit them head on when they were just driving down the road in their own lane. Now all of a sudden the wall is moving 60mph in the opposite direction, not just idly standing there waiting to be hit. Focus less on the wall and more on the results.
OK. The results. Neither one looks terribly survivable. The Sprinter LOOKS better, but the van just doesn't have much room to absorb impact before the driver's compartment "gits it".
Cars these days are built with "crush zones". In a frontal impact like in the video, the front end of the car squeezes like an accordion while the passenger section remains relatively intact. At least that's the theory. In vans, there just isn't a lot of "crush zone" available, so--- the driver is in a lot of trouble. To make the Sprinter look as good as it does after impact, I have to assume either (a) God worked a miracle or (b) the van is built without much crush, therefore imparting more impact force to the driver. The Transit looks like the driver might not have survived because the cab is crushed around him.
If you want to survive a 60 mph impact, a pickup truck is a better choice than a van simply because there's a greater "crush zone" available. A conventional tractor offers better odds than a cabover for the same reasons.
Cars these days are built with "crush zones". In a frontal impact like in the video, the front end of the car squeezes like an accordion while the passenger section remains relatively intact. At least that's the theory. In vans, there just isn't a lot of "crush zone" available, so--- the driver is in a lot of trouble. To make the Sprinter look as good as it does after impact, I have to assume either (a) God worked a miracle or (b) the van is built without much crush, therefore imparting more impact force to the driver. The Transit looks like the driver might not have survived because the cab is crushed around him.
If you want to survive a 60 mph impact, a pickup truck is a better choice than a van simply because there's a greater "crush zone" available. A conventional tractor offers better odds than a cabover for the same reasons.
And a Nissan Frontier can take a culvert at 50 mph and the driver crawl away.My son's truck.Broke jaw and dislocated shoulder.You should have seen his weiner dog walking bow legged a few weeks. Funny but sad also. Jason
There are way too many variables to draw any real conclusive results...like does the driver sit in the most forward position of the seat or is he at least 6" further back...is he a big guy or a small guy?...tall or short?....A mere .5 degree of angle can make all the difference in the world...
IE: a 1,000 lb skid on the tail and inertia and "luck" have it going toward the right, hence taking impact away from the drivers side a little as opposed to a leftward twist that would increase the weight behind drivers compartment....
this could be seen in the passenger van video as van was twisting to the right on impact
IE: a 1,000 lb skid on the tail and inertia and "luck" have it going toward the right, hence taking impact away from the drivers side a little as opposed to a leftward twist that would increase the weight behind drivers compartment....
this could be seen in the passenger van video as van was twisting to the right on impact