Airbags... What's the deal?

[Elwoody]

So my mom keeps buggin' me about the lack of airbags in my car. I know she's simply being a mom, telling me to 'be careful' and all. I keep telling her, that my car is more than likely as safe as most of the cars on the road. Especially safer than a bunch of those tiny cars. However, she keeps saying that since it doesn't have airbags, how can it be safe?

When I tell her, I've got actual steel instead of that plastic stuff of most modern vehicles, it must be safer! In my opinion, airbags while invented amidst the 1950's to 1960's, they didn't start becoming standard parts of vehicles until cars largely became plastic. I mean, it makes sense to me.

So... what's the deal?

[Chrome]

My wife made a comment like that when riding in my Cherokee. I told her "Well its got a passenger side wind bag so does that count?" I will leave the rest to your imagination. :D

[TPICherokee]

It is just a safety feature, probably a good one.

One thing that newer rigs have over yours is a crumple zone, an area to crumple and take the force of the impact. Your FSJ doesn't have this so more of the energy would get transferred to you in an accident.

[TPICherokee]

My wife made a comment like that when riding in my Cherokee. I told her "Well its got a passenger side wind bag so does that count?" I will leave the rest to your imagination. :D

Did you have a black eye soon after saying that?

[Elwoody]

My wife made a comment like that when riding in my Cherokee. I told her "Well its got a passenger side wind bag so does that count?" I will leave the rest to your imagination. :D

Ohh... Shoot! :eek: Those are fightin' words. Bet you were on the couch that night. :p

[gsmikie]

thats what helmets are for

[Elwoody]

thats what helmets are for

Lol...

It is just a safety feature, probably a good one.

One thing that newer rigs have over yours is a crumple zone, an area to crumple and take the force of the impact. Your FSJ doesn't have this so more of the energy would get transferred to you in an accident.

Yeah, I can understand that, but then yer car is totalled. Now I'm not gonna say a pre-93 G-Wag (or any car) would come outta a crash without a scratch -- I really don't know. But I do know I feel safer in my 1987 Grand Wagoneer than my mum's mid/late-90's Lexus. Though I feel safer in that than my friend's 01 Honda Civic Coup... :o

[lost1]

Yup, airbags aren't such a bad thing until you see how much they cost to replace. Still between them and crumple zones cars have become both disposable and way safer. I tend to think that our rigs are more dangerous to the rest of traffic, than a threat to our own health. I mean, we're already certifiably looney, right?

[Chrome]

Did you have a black eye soon after saying that?

I ain't sayin nuttin! :D Seriously, The seat belt is a true life saver. Mine saved me a few weeks back when I crashed my Lincoln LS. A buddy that is a state trooper helped with the accident and called me a few days later to check on me. He said he had worked another accident that was identical to mine except it was a F*rd Taurus and the guy wasn't wearing his seat belt. The air bag deployed but the impact caused him to go up and over the air bag. His head hit the pillar post resulting in a crushed skull and broken neck killing him instantly. SO ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!!

[FSJ Guy]

I hate to burst your bubble, but airbag-equipped cars ARE safer than your Jeep.

Especially the side-impact airbags.

I suspect lots of people will jump on here are go on and on about the amount of metal, the sheer mass of the vehicle, etc. However, physics doesn't lie.

If you were falling face down towards the ground from 10 feet up (aprox 10 mph impact against a fixed barrier), which would you want at the bottom to stop you?

A: Two 2" wide metal straps attached to hard anchor points approximately 24 inches apart?

B: One large (24"x24") bag that will (virtually) instantly inflate moments before you touch it and then deflate afterwards?

I'll take the airbag.

I've seen how easily an FSJ will crumple. Not pretty. Think those doors will stop an F-150 that broadsides you? The door is pretty thick by today's standards, but it's HOLLOW. And your head is REALLY going to hurt after you whack it against the glass. If you're lucky, you'll still be alive to know how much it hurt.

You're still pretty safe in an FSJ because of the sheer mass of the vehicle, but it doesn't make the vehicle (or the occupants) invincible.

Safer than an 1985 Ford Escort? Probably.

Safer than a 2010 Toyota Corolla with front and side impact airbags? I doubt it.

That said, do I "feel" safer driving my FSJ when it's snowing and all the nuts are sliding around? Yes. Even though I know it's not true.

[Bill J]

I think that cars of today, even smaller ones, are generally safer than older cars due to a number of factors including airbags, designs to let the car absorb impact and so on...airbags are certainly not the be all and end all of automotive safety. To me seat belts are the most important item and I always wear it. I think our FSJ are pretty safe due to sheer mass, hopefully the rusty floors will hold the seats and belts in place!

[Bill J]

Safer than an 1985 Ford Escort? Probably.

Hey, be nice, I had a 1986 Escort! It had one option on it, rear window defrost! That car kept getting knocked down and just came back for more! Seriously, you are correct, the Corolla is safer!

[FSJ Guy]

Yeah, I can understand that, but then yer car is totalled.

I'd rather lose my car (even my FSJ) than lose my life.

You can always replace a vehicle.

[Knuck]

My wife made a comment like that when riding in my Cherokee. I told her "Well its got a passenger side wind bag so does that count?" I will leave the rest to your imagination. :D

I can't believe you are still alive after that! :lol:

[TPICherokee]

I'd rather lose my car (even my FSJ) than lose my life.

You can always replace a vehicle.

X2...

It's just a car.

[TPICherokee]

Here is an interesting video... It is a 1959 Bel Air (Impala) vs a 2009 Malibu... look who wins. Spoiler... it isn't the old 'steel' car...

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/50thcrash

[2003 mcs]

I had a Mini Cooper S and I felt much safer driving that than the GW. If the GW rolls over, God help us (because it would be a miracle). Compare a GW to a motorcycle(very little safety), you can survive depending on the type of accident, what type of accident do you plan to have? At lower speeds (imo), say 30mph or less and a frontal or rear hit I'll take my chances with a GW. Higher speeds and different type of hit, something modern is way better. I will not drive my niece and nephews in the GW ON road in this thing. It comes down to the person driving the GW and luck. There are circumstances you cannot avoid or outrun, and you will get hit:( I am cotemplating a roll cage.

[2003 mcs]

Here is an interesting video... It is a 1959 Bel Air (Impala) vs a 2009 Malibu... look who wins. Spoiler... it isn't the old 'steel' car...

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/50thcrash

I have seen that a couple times, I cringe everytime!

EDIT: I want to change my response, I want to be in something modern at ANY speed!

[lost1]

:eek:

Look what they did to that classic car!!!

[Elwoody]

@FSJ Guy & Chrome:

I agree seatbelts are a must. And I'm well aware of the side-impact aspect. I'd agree there whole heartedly. But the sheer mass itself is an aspect. I think that falling example isn't that fair because we'ed be dealing wholy with gravity and air-resistance, not the physics of a vehicle's tires on the road. Side-impact aside, my FSJ being "killed" by a Corolla? That's something I really doubt. I'd say that the driver of the Corolla is at more risk without those airbags than I am should it be a head-on collision. I don't know about an F-150 (250, 350).

But seatbelts are important. I'd trust my seatbelt before an airbag. I've never heard about seatbelts having killed anybody. I don't think seatbelts come equipped with any warnings other than, "Wear the Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogley seatbelt you twit!" I'm not going to say Airbags don't have their place. But I'm never going to take a positive stance on "Cars meant to crumble." I just don't like it. To me, that idea just goes hand-in-hand with my opinion that overall quality's been reduced in favor having every car on the road look the same regardless of manufacturer...

[TPICherokee]

:eek:

Look what they did to that classic car!!!

It was a crappy 4-door, nobody wanted it.

In 1958, the Impalas had smaller horizontal fins, in 1959 they got MUCH longer and more pronounced. My Dad told me why.. it was because the 1958's were such lemons that in 1959 they made larger handles (fins) to get more people to push it when it broke down.

[2003 mcs]

@FSJ Guy & Chrome:

But I'm never going to take a positive stance on "Cars meant to crumble." I just don't like it. To me, that idea just goes hand-in-hand with my opinion that overall quality's been reduced in favor having every car on the road look the same regardless of manufacturer...

Look at race cars, all meant to crumble to absorb energy, how many drivers walked away while car was destroyed and safety cage intact.

[TPICherokee]

But I'm never going to take a positive stance on "Cars meant to crumble."

Yeah, I would rather take the entire force of an impact on my neck and back instead of the car.. :confused:

[Elwoody]

It was a crappy 4-door, nobody wanted it.

In 1958, the Impalas had smaller horizontal fins, in 1959 they got MUCH longer and more pronounced. My Dad told me why.. it was because the 1958's were such lemons that in 1959 they made larger handles (fins) to get more people to push it when it broke down.

And this makes me say, perhaps that the Impala wasn't that safe REGARDLESS of the steel. The fact that a GW has steel isn't the sole foundation of my argument. I mean I'm not going to say that vehicles with airbags are not safe, many many are. To say that steel automatically makes a safe car is just like the opinion that airbags make safe cars. "All vehicles with airbags must be safe."

The Impalla could've been a bad design to begin with.

[twmattox]

Here is an interesting video... It is a 1959 Bel Air (Impala) vs a 2009 Malibu... look who wins. Spoiler... it isn't the old 'steel' car...

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/50thcrash

My only though on this video is the amount of rust in the Bel Air. I am not saying that the Malibu would be a worse car...just that the Bel Air would not have been that bad without all the rust (you can see it billow out when they impact).

My only other thought about new cars is how low to the ground they run. Getting hit by a truck while driving a Civic...places the truck bumper about head level for Civic passengers. Again, not arguing that the airbags are important safety features that our GWs lack...just saying I would rather get hit waist level over head level.

[Etcetera]

Let's make it an even comparison. FSJ into a tree at 45mph vs a newer F150 (approx same weight, 4500lbs or so) into the same tree at the same speed.

Door impact bars might be a worthwhile upgrade. I wouldn't want to get t-boned by a Smart car in a FSJ, or any other car without door reinforcements. It's just 2 sheets of sheetmetal otherwise. The only thing that might save the occupants of the older car is ride height. Replace the smart car with something taller and it's game over.

Now if you get rear-ended, I'll take the vehicle with most mass and distance between drivers seat and rear bumper. I have recent first hand experience with 2 rear end collisions in the last 9 months. 1 in a 2001 Ford Escape. The other in an 89 GMC Crew Cab Dually. I was pretty sore after getting rear ended in the escape by a suburban at 15 mph. I was not sore at all after getting rear ended in the truck by a loaded Isuzu NPR at 30 mph. Not only that, the truck had less damage.

This thread reminds me I need to make installing shoulder belts a priority.

[TPICherokee]

My only though on this video is the amount of rust in the Bel Air. I am not saying that the Malibu would be a worse car...just that the Bel Air would not have been that bad without all the rust (you can see it billow out when they impact).


It wasn't rust, it was road dirt from the years of being on the road. The frame and body were independently checked before the test....

[2003 mcs]

And this makes me say, perhaps that the Impala wasn't that safe REGARDLESS of the steel. The fact that a GW has steel isn't the sole foundation of my argument. I mean I'm not going to say that vehicles with airbags are not safe, many many are. To say that steel automatically makes a safe car is just like the opinion that airbags make safe cars. "All vehicles with airbags must be safe."

The Impalla could've been a bad design to begin with.

Have you seen the pillars of a GW vs. a modern car, a modern car's A-pillar is so thick compared to a GW, than then look at the rest of the pillars. It's called a safety cage for a reason. Walking away from a crash is the most important part of a crash.

[TPICherokee]

It would be interesting to crash an FSJ into the same height and weight modern truck and I'd bet the results would be about the same as in that Impala vs Malibu crash test.

[Songman]

I've never heard about seatbelts having killed anybody.


I have two friends that have died because they were wearing their seatbelts. And I also have two friend who are alive because they were not. Being strapped to your seat can save you in some cases, but in others it keeps you from getting out of the way. One of my friends who was not wearing his seat belt was on a mountain road in North GA and a semi was coming the other direction and lost control. His trailer skidded around into the other lane on a curve. My friend was the second car coming up to it. The first car hit the rear tandem and the elderly couple were killed instantly. My friend and his passenger saw what was coming and dove for the floor. The roof and seat backs were torn from his car as they went beneath the trailer. They even went off a small cliff on the other side of the truck... but walked away with only minor scratches. Seatbelts would have caused them to be ripped in half. The other friend's crash was no so dramatic. He lost control and hit a tree. He was thrown out of the car from the impact. The steering wheel was firmly embedded in the driver's seat. Had he been strapped to the seat he would have been impaled.

Seatbelt = good idea... Yeah.

Airbags are kinda the same . They are good in very violent crashes. My daughter has been hit by airbags 3 times in slow speed crashes that wouldn't have caused a scratch. But she got black eyes and bloody nose all three times. They are good to have just in case though I guess.

I was shocked the first time I saw the old BelAir and the new Impala crash. I was one of the believers in heavy steel making you safe. They really have come a long way on safety. I don't care though. I'll still take old cars over new ones. If I had crashed in my old 34 Ford coupe I would have been a goner. But dang I was stylin' while I was driving it! haha

[Jeepstress]

It would be interesting to crash an FSJ into the same height and weight modern truck and I'd bet the results would be about the same as in that Impala vs Malibu crash test.

Sounds like a job for mythbusters.

[duncanstives]

Here is an interesting video... It is a 1959 Bel Air (Impala) vs a 2009 Malibu... look who wins. Spoiler... it isn't the old 'steel' car...

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/50thcrash

Holy cr*p thats a safe looking chevy! I suspect the occupant would have been pretty much uninjured after looking at the shots from inside!

That said: The GW will come out on top during a wreck with MOST vehicles... It is quite a bit heavier and as such it has a great deal more inertia causing it to take longer to come to a stop. New cars rely on crumple zones to dissapate the force fo the crash (as heat) by crumping up the metal the FSJ is safe by spreading the force of the crash in time so the occupant is subject to less force over a longer time. HOWEVER in a crash with a large truck, SUV or cement barrier that will not hold true. In fact in the case of a cement barrier I would take the small car any day.
Incidentally fixing one up for offroading makes them safer in a crash (more likely to GET in a crash but safer by virtue of being higher up, heavier and possibly having large bumpers and roll cages).

I was in a crash with a trans am about 2 years ago... The driver almost missed her turn on wet roads so she slammed on the brakes and turned... I (who was following just a bit too close as I was in a hurry and not paying much attention) dodged off the road to avoid rear ending her right as she turned in front of me causing me to broadside her on the passenger side at a pretty decent speed. I was AMAZED at how the FSJ handled the crash... The trans am spun all the way accross a decent sized parking lot (about 5 360 spins) and sustained pretty heavy damage. The Jeep sustained no damage at all (a bit of trans am paint on the rubber part of the bumper was the only sign it had been in a wreck) AND the impact was so mild that my cell phone which was perched on the very edge of the middle front seat did not even fall on the floor.

Incidentally no one was hurt, everyone had a good attitude (although the cop taking the report was so old I don't think he could actually have managed to get out of his cruiser without help) and my insurance paid for the damage... And I was only a couple minutes late to work... Not bad as car accidents go.

[Ultrafour]

+1 to the rear-end argument. I was hit by a CRX doing ~50-55mph while waiting at a red light. If he wasn't wearing his seat belt, he certainly wouldn't have survived, and I'm sure being completely hammered played a role it it, too. My tow hitch was just at the right height to make itself a nice home between his intake manifold and block. The CRX was obviously not even good for parting out, whereas the only real damage done to my waggy was bending the hitch upward a bit...had my brakes worked better (very long and convoluted story there...), I definitely would be singing a different tune, but as it was he pushed me clear across the intersection and then some. At the end of the night, I drove home prouder than ever of my war wagon; he spent the next few days in the hospital and lost his license for a while.

[Etcetera]

Have you seen the pillars of a GW vs. a modern car, a modern car's A-pillar is so thick compared to a GW, than then look at the rest of the pillars. It's called a safety cage for a reason. Walking away from a crash is the most important part of a crash.

No doubt the new car pillars are stronger. Huge difference. I hate what they do to visibility though. I get in my waggy and look around and can see everything. Newer SUV's this isn't the case, all those big pillars impede the view. In a rollover I'd take the new SUV any day. Somewhere on this site is a thread of crash pictures, and there were a couple stock fsj's on their lid and the roof was still holding though, so who knows.

[78J-10]

i agree with the fact that in a head on collison and side impacts newer cars are safer. But im the rear end section i think that old cars(besides the pinto) are safer even more so with jeep and trucks. I live a on main highway and i constantly have people nearly rear end me about once a week. I feel safer coming home in my 96 dodge and my 78 Jeep then my little 89 honda for sure.

[mattmopar440]

First off let me state this has to be the fastest grow thread Ive ever seen :eek:

second off I have been in several accidents (I was never the driver) SEAT BELTS !!!!!!!!!!! PEOPLE

After that I don't feel airbags are all that great. Most people Ive met have more damage from them, then if they didn't have them.

Also Small Cars side impact airbags save lives I have seen the facts think of a large SUV like an FSJ now look at where the bumper is at now look at where the side drivers window is at on the car the side airbag keep the drivers head from hitting the bumper of the truck :eek: during a side impact

in a large SUV unless you roll it airbags seem kinda pointless just buckle up :thumbsup:

[Chumley360]

I think everything is good in moderation. Air-bags are fine, but I think modern cars have way too many. Case in point; I just had to mount a beacon light on a '10 F150. It has a full side curtain bag, a steering wheel bag, and one in the side of the seat. That's just on the driver's side. I'm waiting for the day to come when we get the insta-foam fill like in the movie Demolition Man. And as all things progress they get better. Air-bags are now weight sensitive, so they won't full-deploy on you're 80lbs wife/kid cracking there face open. Also crumple zones and unit-body construction have better compartment safety, so you don't see them crumpling past the firewall and taking your legs off at the knees(Honda was bad about this early on). So yeah newer cars are safer by far. But I think that if you took away some of the crap(cell phones, tv's, wi-fi, driving aids) and put the focus while in a car back on driving that would probably help the most.

[86j10]

Yup, airbags aren't such a bad thing until you see how much they cost to replace

Thats what insurance is for! And u can't put a price tag on a life right....theres no replacing that! :rolleyes:

[dlowrance]

I'm going to have to go with the 'modern technology' side of this argument...having been a firefighter for years and having been on-scene for several extrications I can see what benefit an airbag has, and what kind of damage can result from the lack of one. 'High-Speed Idiot' wrecks aren't survivable in many cases without a fully functional airbag to prevent said idiot from eating the dash/B pillar/roof/engine/tree/road/other car/etc...

With that being said, when it comes to fender benders/light impact/etc good ole american steel is often times going to equate to less damage to the vehicle than plastic and crumple zones...but that's not an argument about safety, that's about a repair bill.

My DD is full of airbags...something like 8 I think...because I'm logging 30k miles a year, and hauling the most precious of cargo around in it a lot...my progeny...my weekend toy that I usually run solo in and doesn't see a ton of road time is my Jeep...

[G_$]

I'm not going to say Airbags don't have their place. But I'm never going to take a positive stance on "Cars meant to crumble." I just don't like it. To me, that idea just goes hand-in-hand with my opinion that overall quality's been reduced in favor having every car on the road look the same regardless of manufacturer...

Automobile quality AND safety are both higher than they have ever been.

You may argue (subjectively) that modern vehicles lack character or originality, but I do not believe you can argue they are not well built and not safer.

I am amazed out how complex, yet generally reliable modern vehicles are, as much as we like to cling to our FSJs. I know it is just anecdotal, but my 02 Expedition has roughly the same miles as my 89 Waggy. These vehicles are frankly worlds apart in terms of reliability and build quality, even WITH all that gray plastic. And the Expedition is clearly the safer vehicle. (It stops when I apply the breaks for one, :eek: )

[duncanstives]

I wonder if anyone has added air bags to an FSJ... LOL.

[4x4Dad]

Here is an interesting video... It is a 1959 Bel Air (Impala) vs a 2009 Malibu... look who wins. Spoiler... it isn't the old 'steel' car...

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/50thcrash

Wow. That's why my commuter car is a 99 VW Beetle with four airbags. The Jeep is a toy, and an off-road one at that.

A buddy of mine was in a head on collision in his 03 Volvo sedan. The engine was pushed towards him and then DOWN under him and the floorboards so as not to impinge upon the passenger compartment. Anybody want to bet our FSJs will do the same? If you hit something hard enough, you're going to get really friendly with the back of your engine block.

[2003 mcs]

Automobile quality AND safety are both higher than they have ever been.

You may argue (subjectively) that modern vehicles lack character or originality, but I do not believe you can argue they are not well built and not safer.

I am amazed out how complex, yet generally reliable modern vehicles are, as much as we like to cling to our FSJs.

X2!

[twmattox]

A buddy of mine was in a head on collision in his 03 Volvo sedan. The engine was pushed towards him and then DOWN under him and the floorboards so as not to impinge upon the passenger compartment. Anybody want to bet our FSJs will do the same? If you hit something hard enough, you're going to get really friendly with the back of your engine block.

A few years ago, I was in a head on collision (my '84 CJ-7 vs his '02 Honda Accord). It was the "worst case" accident...left front collisions. He was doing 45, I was doing 30. Everything on the Jeep broke the way it was suppose to, breaking down and away from the cabin. Axle was busted off and swung down and away, engine pushed down and away, transmission pushed down and away. I can't complain about the safety of these old vehicles.

All that said, I did hit my big toe on the clutch pedal and bruised it, hit my head on the roll bar and got a headache, and totaled my Jeep. His Accord was not as bad (but still totaled due to airbag deployment). Also, my Jeep was a rust bucket (I was not aware of how rusty till I started taking it apart after the accident). I am amazed it fared as well as it did.

Again, this is not an argument for older more steel being better/safer. That is simply not the case. However, when we are in these older rigs, they are not rolling "meat wagons". They are still pretty darn safe...

[4x4Dad]

Was there an effort by AMC or Chrysler to update the crash/safety standards of the SJs? We all love that these rigs hardly changed at all over the nearly four decades of manufacture, but I assume there were some internal/structural changes to keep up with highway safety standards, right?

[Gary's Addiction]

It is just a safety feature, probably a good one.

One thing that newer rigs have over yours is a crumple zone, an area to crumple and take the force of the impact. Your FSJ doesn't have this so more of the energy would get transferred to you in an accident.

You don't need a crumple zone as long as the other guy has one!

A couple of years ago, on a wicked nasty New Years day, I had a late model Caddy slide into my lane in front of my '81 Chero. I stopped before he hit me. He nailed me head on at about 25 MPH. I moved back a little, he moved back alot.

The Chero did receive some damage - front bumper pushed back to the frame, crack in the grill, and (the worst of them all) the squirrel cage shattered taking out my heat.

The Caddy bled out on the pavement in front of me. Crumple zone worked well.

The Caddy was towed home. I drove home (though it was a cold drive).

I have been a big fan of Newtonian Physics ever since!

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Funny this thread came up today.

Just this very morning I was driving around the Cherokee and creamed a '93 Toyota Camery in an intersection...The Toyota was GONE, pretty much ripped the entire front end of it off. Her airbags deployed and she was pretty bruised up from the wreck :( My Jeep has almost no damage other than some missing paint...
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/maynard1992/100511_060940.jpg

[Elwoody]

Funny this thread came up today.

Just this very morning I was driving around the Cherokee and creamed a '93 Toyota Camery in an intersection...The Toyota was GONE, pretty much ripped the entire front end of it off. Her airbags deployed and she was pretty bruised up from the wreck :( My Jeep has almost no damage other than some missing paint...


Sorry to hear that, but I think this kinda helps my logic >_>

[FSJ Guy]

Sorry to hear that, but I think this kinda helps my logic >_>

But did you notice the "aftermarket" "bumper" that he has? It looks like at least 3/16" tube steel. It's good for the Jeep occupant, not so good for the poor fellow who gets broadsided with it. (I'm not anti-pushbar, I have one, too!)

I'll take a black eye or two from getting airbag-ed vs. a bunch of broken bones. I'll look funny for a week or so, but I doubt anyone will notice. :rolleyes:

If you look at the other videos from the IIHS website, you will see that of vehicle of similar vintage (age, technology), an FSJ has an advantage because of sheer size.

But put it up against a similar size/mass modern vehicle (Yukon/Suburban or something like that), and the newer vehicle will be safer.

Your mom's right. It's not as safe as the newer cars. But it's not a deathtrap, either.

[mattmopar440]

Funny this thread came up today.

Just this very morning I was driving around the Cherokee and creamed a '93 Toyota Camery in an intersection...The Toyota was GONE, pretty much ripped the entire front end of it off. Her airbags deployed and she was pretty bruised up from the wreck :( My Jeep has almost no damage other than some missing paint...
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/maynard1992/100511_060940.jpg

And you just painted it too NOOOO

well good to know the Zombie guard works on yoters too ;)

[Ced]

Here is an interesting video... It is a 1959 Bel Air (Impala) vs a 2009 Malibu... look who wins. Spoiler... it isn't the old 'steel' car...

http://www.iihs.org/video.aspx/info/50thcrash

This was a set-up. 1958-64 Chevrolets had an X-frame rather than a ladder frame, which explainns the 2009 Impala intruding in the passenger compartment easily.

Try the same crash test with a 1957, 1965 chevy or another '59 GM that has side rails as reinforcement and the results of the crash test would be very different.

[gotmike]

why hasn't anyone brought up larger trucks... medium duty and heavy duty... do they even have airbags yet... i know that they didn't as of a couple years ago...

[mattmopar440]

why hasn't anyone brought up larger trucks... medium duty and heavy duty... do they even have airbags yet... i know that they didn't as of a couple years ago...
they where not required by law but I have seen mid 90's 3500 dodges with them

[[]V[]AXX]

I've had yet to see anyone mention the best safety feature of them all. BEING ABLE TO DRIVE!! I am one of the ones who would really really, LOVE to make it much tougher to get a driver's license. I don't mean more costly, I mean make the testing a LOT tougher to pass. Less emphasis on the written, and more on the driving portion of the test. The average moron has no clue what they're doing when behind the wheel. All the safety equipment in the world hasn't helped cut down the number of traffic fatalities in any significant way.

The police are no help either. They need to have less focus on speed, and more focus on proper following distance, turn signal use, and improper lane usage tickets. The main focus on speed is what lets you know they're more concerned with a revenue stream than actual safety.

I would much rather have my kids in an old bucket with an alert driver, who knows the vehicle they're in, and understands how it handles, than have them in the statistically safest car made with an average driver. :drivin:

[uglyjeep]

Wow. That's why my commuter car is a 99 VW Beetle with four airbags. The Jeep is a toy, and an off-road one at that.

A buddy of mine was in a head on collision in his 03 Volvo sedan. The engine was pushed towards him and then DOWN under him and the floorboards so as not to impinge upon the passenger compartment.
A couple years ago I saw the aftermath of a similar accident, but involving a new beetle. I don't know if the occupants survived, but the engine was IN the passenger compartment.

[4x4Dad]

A couple years ago I saw the aftermath of a similar accident, but involving a new beetle. I don't know if the occupants survived, but the engine was IN the passenger compartment.

Good thing it's such a tiny engine. :eek:

[mattmopar440]

Guys It mostly about ride height !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! An SUV will amost always win against a car no matter how old it is and how new the car is

This is a Video I saw a few years back

also not the importance about airbags on small cars during side impacts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXeKSDpFjlg

[lost1]

I can't speak for our FSJs in an accident, or even a non-airbag rig and an airbag rig getting into an accident.

I can relate my experience in my XJ, t-boning the ...shall we say aged and distracted driver of an '06 minivan. We hit at a little under 35, and the driver of the minivan actually slammed on the brakes when he realized he was gonna get hit. We hit them dead-center and their side curtain airbags deployed. My airbag deployed and the last thing I remember seeing before the airbag cut off my vision was the underside of the van and a very pretty explosion of safety glass. The entire driver's side didn't have any glass left and there was a jeep-sized crater in the middle of the van. It'd been knocked back about a car-length from where we hit.

Injuries? I'd had an emergency appendectomy almost exactly a week previous to that, in fact that day was my first back on the road after recovery. It took a little bit, but I went into mild shock with only minor internal bleeding. No bruising or anything else.

The van's occupants fared even better, and the driver was 59. Everyone else (5 passengers) was in their 70s and 80s, and everyone was able to walk away. Both vehicles were totaled, though mine could drive away. The jeep's fiberglass grill was smooshed a bit but still more or less in one piece (cops said it was because I didn't try to turn at all... right thing to do in an unavoidable collision) the bumper too, in fact it looked almost normal up front. Except that the front quarterpanels and hood were buckled up, because the entire front end had been shoved back probably 3-4 inches. Talk about fixing approach angles. Not the way to do it; the fan was skimming the radiator with its blades, and of course my steering wheel got blown apart.

I shudder to think what would have happened to me, and to the instigator of that accident, had I been driving my waggy instead of a newer XJ.

[mattmopar440]

I can relate my experience in my XJ, .
I do have a similar experience with a non airbag XJ 1987 model

I was Riding with my family my dad was driving and we came around a bend a little too fast the tractor trailer in front had no working brake lights by the time my dad realized what was going on we hit it Jeep total (but later repaired) only seatbelt bruises and this was a +35 accident jeep still ran leaking coolant and my dad drove it off the road and parked it

those XJ are one of the best built vehicles ever even after that it still lived on to over 275K

[duncanstives]

I suspect the unibody of the XJ does a good job distributing the force of a crash equally around the vehicle and keeping the occupant safe (although damage to the unibody is pretty much unfixable I would think).

At any rate I think an SJ all fixed up for offroading will be better off in a crash with almost anything. I can't imagine a crash in my jeep being that bad unless it rolled... Of course I also would not particularily want to DRIVE it fast enough to have much chance of GETTING IN a high speed crash... LOL.