Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
Gareth wrote:
I'd still prefer to be run over by a D3 than a bus.
...or any of the other LARGE percentage of vehicles on the road which are bigger and smellier and less-green than the D3Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
30th Jun 2006 9:22 am
oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
DG
NCAP is a funny set up altogether. The manufacturer has to pay for the test and NCAP selects the actual vehicles they wish to test incase a manufacturer put forward a special recipe hand built car for testing. The costs are huge.
There is a very unhealthy link between Renualt and these guys too. For example, I couldn't think of a more unsafe place to travel than in the REAR of a 5 Star Renualt Laguna!
5th Gear seem to have the same link with the Renault press office. Fancy testing a 10 year old Disco vs a new Espace, what a load of nonsense. Test a D3 vs a new Espace and see what happens or two 10 year old cars.
Volvo's input into the safety engineering of all PAG cars is a welcome move. Where 90% of cars are tested in 4 key points, Volvo test in 36! This has been adopted into Land Rover testing too. As I understand, Volvo's engineers were only critical of the pedestrian rating for the car.
I would like to see the Volvo on Call system on the D3 as this is a really good system and, much as I like the armrests in my HSE, they're not great in any type of side impact or roll over.
As I mentioned before, I have a D3 and my wife has a Volvo and I'm happy that both are very safe.
P.S. Given the choice I would rather be hit by a bus manufactured after 2004 than a D3. The impact area would be spread over a wider area and the chance of being swept under the bus has now been removed
30th Jun 2006 9:30 am
Mossy
Member Since: 01 Jul 2005
Location: Hollyoaks, UK
Posts: 2682
Is NCAP "not for profit" then?D3 HSE V8...
30th Jun 2006 9:47 am
oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
It's supposed to be but it's officials seem to have many perks. It's operated by the FIA.
One thing to consider is that love it or hate it, the new Volvo S80 is in my opinion the safest CAR in the world but have a look at the headlines below
S80 would fly through NCAP but Volvo are trying to make a stand that you should take notice of real life incidents like our friend in Oz at the start of this thread rather than artificial tests that the manufacturer can manipulate.
Use NCAP as a measure of what not to buy rather than what you should buy. In other words, if they can't get it to do well in NCAP it's pretty poor all round.
30th Jun 2006 9:54 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26716
When I said I would rather be run over by a D3, rather than a bus, I meant' I would rather go out in style.
A bit like the fact that most would rather push their D3's rather have to drive a J**P
30th Jun 2006 10:51 am
oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
Be a shame to get blood over a D3 though!
30th Jun 2006 10:52 am
SN
Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
wouldn't see it on simkna's though Steve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
30th Jun 2006 10:56 am
simkna
Member Since: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Leicester
Posts: 806
Si.Pat's Van
D3 TDV6 S Auto
Rimini Red / Alpacca Leather
30th Jun 2006 11:19 am
randalls
Member Since: 02 Mar 2006
Location: aberdeenshire
Posts: 703
'When I was at the Volvo Safety Centre in April 2004, D3's were being crash tested there then so they know exactly how the car will perform in tests.'
Oliver - can you tell us then how you think the new LR3 chassis performs in these tests/real life ?- I am assuming from all the hype LR have given the combined construction methodology that there should be very little deforming of the vehicle in light/medium impacts - and what about a major impact ? I am only asking for myself as I was in a bad smash & got the D3 as it seemed the best designed/built 4x4 chassis wise to keep me safe. 2007 TDV6 HSE 'Silver Lady'. With 'free' privacy glass LOL.
Taking the greenpi$$ is: Green taxing your citizens more & using some of the money to buy nukes.
30th Jun 2006 11:43 am
oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
Reducing impact injury is two-fold. Firstly, you don't want to be crushed in the car so it needs to be designed to maintain a protective cell around the occupants. D3 will do well in this area due to it's size, height and the body structure.
The second element of the injury is in the secondary impact when your body is forced into the seat belt, the dash etc. The third and final element is when your internal organs crash against your rib cage etc (sorry if this is a bit graphic!) Depending on the tyre of vehicle you hit, the upper structure of D3 should crumple and begin to absorb some of the kinetic energy thus slowing your body down as progressively as possible without a violent stop. With the airbag system, the seat belt system and the fairly friendly interior of the D3 the occupant should do pretty well.
I haven't seen the data for chest loads and knee injury as a result of hard structures at knee height.
If you imagine two army tanks hitting each other head on at 70 mph. Every occupant would die as neither vehicle would crumple and the immediate stop would cause fatal internal injuries. Two Mini's hitting head on at 70mph with half a mile of carboard boxes stuck to the front of each would do a lot better as those boxes would absorb so much of the energy.
The structural integrity of the D3 in an impact should be superb with the vehicle staying in tact. I like the D3 because of the way I know it will protect in a side impact and lets face it, that's where people die. Our brains can't take saide impacts (think of a boxer trying to knock out an opponent, where does he hit him?) and at 30 mph you are 16 times more likely to be killed in a side impact that you are in a frontal one.
To sum up, I would expect D3 to do better in the real world that in NCAP. In NCAP it's going to be hitting a concrete block meaning that all of that energy has to be dealt with by the car. In the real world, chances are you will hit something considerably softer than your D3 meaning that the other vehicle with absorb most of the kinetic energy.
Then we just have our conscience to worry about!
If the XC90 had the space and the off road ability of the D£ I woulnd't have changed as, on the whole, it is probably marginally safer and more reliable but I wouldn't worry too much about your D3 will crush most things in it's path.
Sorry if I'm boring people now!
30th Jun 2006 11:57 am
simkna
Member Since: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Leicester
Posts: 806
oliver77 wrote:
at 30 mph you are 16 times more likely to be killed in a side impact that you are in a frontal one.
Now that's interesting.
Quote:
Sorry if I'm boring people now!
Not at all. It's good to get an informed perspective on things.
Si.Pat's Van
D3 TDV6 S Auto
Rimini Red / Alpacca Leather
30th Jun 2006 12:14 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26716
Not boring at all. Its good to know the facts. I do admit to having a pretty selfish attitude when it comes to road safety, and my familys security. I have a lot of confidence in my own driving, and like all other drivers I believe I am a good driver.
I know that there are lots of bad drivers out there, and the D3 fits the bill perfectly to defend my family from them.
Be a coutreous driver by all means, but always look after number 1.
30th Jun 2006 12:15 pm
oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
Big cars are safer than small cars but thanks to company car tax and road tax less people can afford to run them. More people than ever are riding pedal cycles I wonder if that why last year the number of pedal cyclist killed rose by 3% on 2004's figures?
I agree with what you say about protecting number 1, it's just a shame that our goverment isn'tcontributing to road safety in a holistic way.
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| 08MY Discovery 3 (history) 
2007 TDV6 HSE 'Silver Lady'. With 'free' privacy glass LOL.
