Small cars aren't safe....

[Franco Cozzo]

What has been really annoying me a lot recently is people who think older and bigger cars are safer than newer smaller cars in accidents. I just took delivery of my new LV TDCI Focus on the 12th of January this year:









That was from an impact of just below 100km/h when I t-boned one of those older late 80s early 90s Holden Rodeo's a few hours ago, we're both lucky we're alive, he was on the emergency lane and wanted to reverse back to help his friend who he had seen broken down, we wanted to reverse onto the grass a bit more but turned the steering wheel the wrong way and accidentally reversed really quickly across the freeway and into my path.

I swerved into the right lane and locked up the brakes (ABS didnt even have time to react before the impact, theres skidmarks on the road) and I hit with the front left side of my Focus which you really can't see in the photo and hit the passenger side door on his Rodeo, I hit him pretty hard and it pushed his Rodeo from the right lane of the freeway facing towards the emergency lane, to facing the freeway from on the grass on the other side of the freeway past the emergency lane he was in.

I'm fine, I have a burn on my forehead from the airbag, a sore chest from the pretensioners firing and pulling me back itno the seat and I hit my knee on the dash, the other guy got out and said he had a sore collarbone but I'm surprised he got out of that one alive, the Rodeo looks like a banana, the photos dont really show it from the angle but it punched in his car quite far.

The front passenger side is pushed all the way back to the passenger door and I couldn't get the passenger door open.

Anyways, have a look of the photo inside the car, the airbags have deployed, but there isn't much else, the heater control facia came off and the rear seatbase snapped off in the impact and hit the back of my seat, I think I proved that smaller cars stand up quite well in accidents considering I hit at about 90km/h and this thing was built in South Africa.

Lucky we're both alive and well and escaped without injuries and we both have full comp insurance.

THANK GOD FOR 5 STAR SAFETY RATING.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Glad to see you're ok mate, that's a pretty decent impact and for the speed, you're lucky that's all there was. Seen some shockers on the Bruce Highway here in QLD, and your focus didn't do too bad at all!

[Franco Cozzo]

If I hit head on we'd probably both be dead but I think because I pushed him out of the way and he was stationary at impact thats why it wasn't really serious.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Bugger...

Glad you are ok. Have just bought the exact same car for my wife.

Couldn't live with myself if she had a serious accident in her 11 year old Mirage with no air bags / safety electronics knowing I had the means of putting what I value most in a much safer car.

The car did its job if you are here tonight talking about it.

[Riksta]

Glad you're all ok and there was no serious human injuries.

Sorry to see your car like that :(

[SSD-85]

Its good to see youre alright, I had a very similiar accident, except i was the one getting t-boned. My xr8 was still a write off, but the late 80s/early 90s navara had its engine pushed into the passenger cabin.

Stupid bastard nearly died for what he did. I wouldve been the one t-boning him if i didnt try and move around him. wouldve been a direct hit on his drivers door. Moron.

Ive seen what happens to older vehicles in accidents, ive been in them. Doesnt matter how thick the sheetmetal is, its still very pliable when subject to those levels of force.

[Franco Cozzo]

Thats right, never ever am I going to buy something with less than 5 star safety rating, I come out with no injuries and I'm alive, thats a big win in my eyes.

[big_landau]

good to see everyone is ok,gotta love the airbags

[TheInterceptor]

Ouch hard hit....good to see its all good.

If that were my car id probobly be dead about two times over in either situation. Its all about construction (at least) and a smart brain, not about size.

[Franco Cozzo]

Airbags are so freakin loud when they go off, they deployed and I couldnt hear and both my ears are ringing, i didn't even hear the impact.

I got out and saw the front of my car and I thought oh well, there wasn't anything I could have done about it since it happened so quick and that we're both alive and well, the other poor kid only got his license in December and had spent a lot of money restoring this Rodeo, he has full comp as well but I think they'll dick him.

[big_landau]

but your ok

[TheZHLANE]

It bent in half cause its a rodeo

[WMD351]

Mate that sucks, good to see you're OK.
As I think you said in one of the safety threads some time back, better off without your car than chillin in a grave.
Nice choice of daily driver.

[Franco Cozzo]

At least my week can't get any worse

Also I get to car shop around again, I'm thinking about another TDCI Focus.

[Iggypoppin']

Good to hear you're ok damo, pity about the car but they are replaceable and of no concern if someone is injured. It's refreshing to see a young fella like myself who is safety concious(sp) too, and doesn't speed. Much more over 100 and you'd have been hurt I'm sure.

[phillyc]

No-one has said BUILT FORD TOUGH!

Glad to see everyone has come out pretty good. Particularly you. You are the innocent victim and will feel sorer in a day or two. Hope all goes to plan with the replacement and your back behind the wheel of a new Focus TDCI very soon.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by phillyc

No-one has said BUILT FORD TOUGH!

Glad to see everyone has come out pretty good. Particularly you. You are the innocent victim and will feel sorer in a day or two. Hope all goes to plan with the replacement and your back behind the wheel of a new Focus TDCI very soon.

Haha I was thinking about saying that, but I thought i'd keep the message serious.

Tomorrow is going to suck, then its all up hill from there

[JG34JA]

It's good to hear you are all OK, I wish you all the best. Cars can be replaced, people cannot. Mum had a similar accident in a dual airbag equipped VY wagon. Airbags are gold.

[dannyhilton]

Shoot mate, the Focus came out of that just dandy. The cabin appears to be near perfect, the structure from that picture looks spot on? Even the front has done pretty well for an impact of that speed. The Europeans know their stuff. Even still, you have the advantage of a longer bonnet there which has sustained much of the impact, I'm not too sure my Fiesta would be as pretty a picture.

But more to the point, do you get to keep the number plate? I mean, that's awesome!

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by dannyhilton

Shoot mate, the Focus came out of that just dandy. The cabin appears to be near perfect, the structure from that picture looks spot on? Even the front has done pretty well for an impact of that speed. The Europeans know their stuff. Even still, you have the advantage of a longer bonnet there which has sustained much of the impact, I'm not too sure my Fiesta would be as pretty a picture.

But more to the point, do you get to keep the number plate? I mean, that's awesome!

Haha, I wish, those numberplates where grand, that and the front right headlight assembly the only salvageable things off the car LOL.

[DJM83]

I love my focus just the little bit more now, pity the car didnt last long mate, but your ok thats the main thing.

[4vxc]

if that was a 90km/h hit I'd say the ute did well

[xy500]

isnt the focus technically a mid size car?
impact speed would have to be much less than 100 for that sort of damage, i've seen a rodeo look similar after a 60kmh smash.
glad everyone is ok

[HLC]

/in before "It'll buff out"



seriously though, thats a sizeable whack, irregardless.

and for above- not much weight behind the focus... my physics is a little rough but Force = Mass x Acceleration.

As the focus had slammed on the anchors, would have been decelerating quite quickly hence exponentially reducing the impact force.

SO, you are probably right.

But it still does not take away from the seriousness of the accident~!

[04redxr8]

Good to hear that your OK. The Focus has certainly surprised me.

[Burnout]

Nice stack Damo, good to know you are ok.
Many happy moments to think about it as you walk to work.......

[Mechan1k]

Man .. that's a decent hit.
Lucky to walk away ... shame about the new car as well.
Got another one ordered yet???

[BrisVegas]

Glad to see you walked away from that one.

We upgraded our old Corolla to a LS Focus when we started a family, specifically for it's crash safety.

[302 XC]

Glad your OK
The main thing is your alive,so the safety aspects of the car done its thing

I wonder here for a sec if the tide was turned how would ya fair then ???

Im not a fan of small cars

[GoldCoastGTP]

See this type of stupidity each day at work - people reversing on a freeway breakdown lane / grass verge as they missed an off ramp or saw a car on the side of the road
Lucky there was no passenger in the ute there would of been a bit of human mush in there
Glad you are OK and the driver of the ute gets a fine for reckless endangerment and or driving with out duecare and attention