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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!we53!bmt
From: bmt@we53.UUCP ( B. M. Thomas )
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Small cars in collisions
Message-ID: <212@we53.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 23-Apr-84 13:07:11 EST
Article-I.D.: we53.212
Posted: Mon Apr 23 13:07:11 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Apr-84 08:14:36 EST
References: <395@hou2h.UUCP> opus.376 <552@uofm-cv.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Technologies - St. Louis Missouri
Lines: 12

I have not noticed any consideration of the fact that mass is involved.
The larger a car is, the more slowly it comes to a stop in a collision
with anything.  Bouncing is NOT safe, because the car goes in the opposite
direction while you do not.  Much better(for you, anyway) if the car's
momentum wants to keep going.  All else being equal(it never is), the larger
vehicle is always safer in a collision.  It's not getting munched inside the 
vehicle that causes the most injuries, but getting knocked around because the 
car changes speed and\or direction and you don't, the most commonly fatal of 
these being the ones Au mentioned about the brain getting accelerated, etc.
(yechh!)
by the way, I drive a 69 Toyota Corona like a maniac, but I try to be a
nice maniac.(i know, who cares?)