Kids in the Crumple Zone & NCAPs Blind Spot

Raiser

I was in a scrapyard recently and saw a Fiat Cinquecento [there's an equivalent "supermini" from almost all car manufacturers] that had been rear-ended. Because the rear seat was in the rear "Crumple Zone" it ended up approximately midway in distance between its original location and the drivers/passenger seats, rotated approximately 45 degrees and elevated approximately 1.5-2 feet.

P.S. This wasn't as a result of scrapyard shunting and bashing cars about with a forklift, had a talk with owner who says he sees this death-trap lunacy all the time.


I hope there wasn't a baby or babies, small children or even adults in that seat at the time because the slim chances of survival or avoiding a serious maiming were sickeningly obvious.


I then headed over to NCAP http://www.euroncap.com/Content-Web-Faq/21982f7f-a312-49db-99e0-8e38e37004de/the-testing-process.aspx expecting pie-charts, graphs and video-clips to keep me busy for a few hours. But no, NCAP reckon there's no bother sitting little Jack and Sarah in the crumple Zone, and in fact despite rear impact collisions being statistically very frequent they don't test cars for safety in this regard at all.

.......Which must suit the manufacturers of these lethal biscuit tins perfectly [cue conspiracy theories etc. etc.]

NCAP wrote:

Q. Why does Euro NCAP not carry out rear impact tests?
A. Frontal and side impact crashes are the dominant causes of serious and fatal injuries. Rear impacts are frequent, but infrequently serious. The main problem relates to neck (Whiplash) and back strain. Euro NCAP is investigating tests to assess the level of Whiplash protection offered.

This can't be right can it?

Would you car buyers out there consider placing your child[ren] routinely in danger on a daily basis like this ?

peasant

I'd say NCAP have point to a certain degree.

Frontal collisions are the really severe ones (two cars crashing into each other full on adding up their individual speeds to one massive impact)

Rear-ending someone usually happens at the end of hard braking, when you just run out of braking distance and the impact speed is much lower.


I'd be more worried about side impacts than rear impacts.
Side impact protection isn't great on any car really ...just not enough material there to act as a barrier.

colm_mcm

I'm not sure - but I would be happier if NCAP carried out rear-impact tests.

A Fiat Seicento is esentially a reskinned Cinquecento, qnd is a particularly unsafe car, and it's unfair to compare it to any supermini on sale today.

Most new cars will have a passenger cell, so the area around the passenger doesn't crumple.

The rear crumple zone on my car is the boot, I think it's frowned upon to put your kids in the boot.

Raiser

Yes its fine - you're just making a big fuss over nothing.

colm_mcm wrote: »

A Fiat Seicento is esentially a reskinned Cinquecento, qnd is a particularly unsafe car, and it's unfair to compare it to any supermini on sale today.

Most new cars will have a passenger cell, so the area around the passenger doesn't crumple.

The rear crumple zone on my car is the boot, I think it's frowned upon to put your kids in the boot.

Hmmm - I'm not too concerned about cars with adequate rear crumple zones [obviously], just curious about the ones where the rear passengers head is practically touching the back window.

- Re. putting kids in the boot, there's a whole other story - I know that the new Corolla Verso has a third seat row which folds up from a sump in the boot floor........