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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd
From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Small cars in collisions
Message-ID: <376@opus.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Apr-84 19:48:09 EST
Article-I.D.: opus.376
Posted: Wed Apr 18 19:48:09 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Apr-84 01:19:25 EST
References: <395@hou2h.UUCP>
Organization: NBI, Boulder
Lines: 18

Au:
>You have not heard the theory that little cars just get bunted out
>of the way when hit, rather than resist and get crumpled.  Open to
>debate of course.

Getting "bunted out of the way" means bouncing the occupants of the
vehicle much harder than if you just bring them to a stop.  Sorry, but the
physics says that, other things being equal (which they absolutely are
not!), it's better NOT to get bounced away.  Consider the collision from a
center-of-mass viewpoint.  In fact, what you really want in a collision (!)
is to have your vehicle ABSORB as much of the collision energy as possible
without destroying the passenger compartment.  That means, in some sense,
maximizing the destruction to the car itself - but cars are easier to
repair than people (cheaper, too), especially if you need replacement
parts.
-- 
...Are you making this up as you go along?		Dick Dunn
{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd				(303) 444-5710 x3086