EU car/pedestrian safety laws

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slowman

slowman

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Madison, WI
It's not entirely clear to me what these laws define as a compliant car. As far as I can tell, every car needs to look like a Chrysler 300C to pass for the pedestrian safety laws. Seems like it doesn't matter if the car is made of pillows stuck together with marshmallows, if the hoodline is too low... it won't pass. If someone could clear this up that would be awesome. Thanks!
 
I'm no expert on the new laws over there. From what I've read though, it sounds like there has to be several inches of clearance between the hood and the hard stuff under the hood like the motor. I assume the point of this is that when something like a pedestian hits the hood, the hood can crumple down a few inches to reduce the impact force.

My car would be able to meet that kind of regulation even with it's really low hood... a new benefit to being mid engined I guess :D
 
I remember something about no more hood ornaments... mercedes will have to do something like the Old SLK was... just a crest and the 3 pointed star badge on the nose. All Benzes will have to be like that.
 
Well they took 'em so no one would somehow get impaled by 'em last time I check no more cars have them. There goes a piece of legendary styling cues from the past......
 
It would be nice if governments would stop spending time and money worrying about hood ornaments, and maybe work on NOT HITTING PEDESTRIANS. Seriously, we need some better driver's ed and license testing.

I don't understand how so many people can look so seriously at safety when they are buying a car, then not put any effort at all into driving safely. As HK86 pointed out, especially at colleges you see rich parents buying their kids Volvos and SUVs for safety... then the kid is driving around talking on a cell phone.
 
I've seen the topic of government improving cars or improving driving regulations before in a few magazines and it seems that it always comes down to the point of it not being politically correct. We all love driving here, who would vote for someone who could possibly revoke your license if they deemed that you had not passed the suffiecient amount of testing. Americans feel that it is their right to be able to drive and our weak driving tests prove that. It is easier to make the cars safer than to fight the backlash one will recieve from using some common sense.
 
xcsti: well said...

Case in point: My licence was revoked for awhile, and I recently went back to the DMV to get it back because I became eligible again. After 1.5 years of not having a driver's licence, the only requirement that I get it back was that I had the $50 to pay for the licence. No test, nothing...

And even when I first got my licence, my test consisted of turning left in a controlled intersection, doing a 3 point turn (in a business district *more on this down below...), and backing into a parking stall.

*3 points turns or U-turns in a business district are illegal in Wisconsin. I pointed this out to the test administrator, and he said, "It doesn't matter." I then asked him if this was some kind of trick to see if I would actually do it, and that he would take points off my final score if I did it. He said, "No, I just want to get back to the DMV. I don't care if you do it." I didn't do it, although it would have been funny if I'd gotten pulled over if I had done it. That would have been fun to explain to the police. "Hey, he told me it was ok!"

My original written test had a question on it that amazed me when I came across it...

"The person in front of you applies their brakes. What do you do?"

Slow the **** down! What else?!
 
Hoor Ornaments are actually still around.
The Rolls Royce Phantom has one, that when getting up to speed goes down.

Hood ornaments are gone, b/c during accidents, these small designs would fly all over the place.

I remember a case where a Jaguar had smashed into another car. The car cause the Jaguar's hood ornament to fly back which flew back into the woman's throat, which almost chocked her. I doubt this is why they are not allowed, but could be a possible reason.
 
as long as the Europeans don't go overboard with their new regulations like they did over here...they can do what they want.
 
McLaren F1GTR
Hoor Ornaments are actually still around.
The Rolls Royce Phantom has one, that when getting up to speed goes down.

Hood ornaments are gone, b/c during accidents, these small designs would fly all over the place.

I remember a case where a Jaguar had smashed into another car. The car cause the Jaguar's hood ornament to fly back which flew back into the woman's throat, which almost chocked her. I doubt this is why they are not allowed, but could be a possible reason.
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I highly doubt that. With so much new technology the thing can be attached in a manner so that it can't go anywhere.... I think the reason is that a pedestrain could get stabbed upon being hit... but it's still stupid
 
slo-car
I highly doubt that. With so much new technology the thing can be attached in a manner so that it can't go anywhere.... I think the reason is that a pedestrain could get stabbed upon being hit... but it's still stupid
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This wasn't a new Jag pal. This was long before the hood issue.

It happened back in the late 90's.
She was driving an old XJ model Jaguar, went in an accident, and the ornament flew back into her throat.

And NO, I'm not going to look up a 5 year old case for you.
 

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