Elan Safety?

[richard sprint]

What I wonder would make the Elan a more safe car to use on todays roads?

As I travel around on todays 'heavy weight' roads the fragility of a simple glass fibre body is somewhat frightening - take a fast moving Range Rover at around 2 tonnes? and it makes me wonder how much of a lotus Elan would be left let alone the driver after a coming together!

Very simplistic I know but how would a shell fair if it was constructed in carbon fibre? The F1 guys seem to escape serious damage these days...

[bcmc33]

Richard,

If you keep on thinking along these lines - you will never drive your Elan.

[msd1107]

There are several aspects to this.

If someone T-bones you at the drivers door, well, the outcome is not going to be good.

But, especially if you are firmly belted in, head-on crashes are amazingly survivable. Often, even the car is rebuildable.

Fiberglass is one member of composit materials, along with carbon fiber. The material fails incrementally. This minimizes the G loads in a crash, and also minimizes the material damage.

A regular car in the same crash will cause more serious injuries and will be damaged beyond economic repair.

Of course, it is best to not get into an accident. In this regard, the small size of the Elan gives you a statistically better chance. In actuality, recent studies, if read properly, show large, heavy vehicles are muderous vehicles. They inflict more damage on vehicles smaller than they are. And, because they are larger, are more likely to be in an accident, for a given population of vehicles. So lobby your legislator to tax large vehicles for the incremental damage they stastically will cause just for being large and heavy.

David
1968 36/7988

[gordont]

I recall a post on here a few years back where the comment was "if you have a crash it is going to hurt!"

I drive mine daily and tend to remember the above and treat all other road users as idiots who will potentially run into me.

[twincamman]

in a TEE BONE CRASH THE DUTY OF YOUR BODY IS TO PROTECT THE CHASSIS ----PERHAPS A Cadillac IS MORE IN LINE FOR YOU -----ED

[Bruce Crowthorne]

I drive mine like I would ride my motor bike.
Assume everyone else on the road is an idiot.
Assume that they haven't seen you
And all Volvo drivers are out to get you.....

[steveww]

I drive mine like I would ride my motor bike.
Assume everyone else on the road is an idiot.
Assume that they haven't seen you
And all Volvo drivers are out to get you.....

Same here but I find it is the BMW drivers that are after me.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I drive mine like I would ride my motor bike.
Assume everyone else on the road is an idiot.
Assume that they haven't seen you
And all Volvo drivers are out to get you.....

Same here but I find it is the BMW drivers that are after me.

I second the Volvo bit (plus the other sentiments), they are to be avoided even if you're driving a truck; they are totally unpredictable!!
Definately the most dangerous drivers on the road.
On the other hand you know that the BMW is just plain mad only to be exceeded by the Audi when it has a BMW in it's sights; they just won't give up the chase (scrap).

Driving an Elan in todays traffic can be intimidating at times, I keep off Motorways as much as possible & keep the eyes in the back of my head switched on.
If I'm feeling a bit crappy the Elan stays in the garage I need to be 100% there before I go out into the throng.
An Elan as an every day drive well I'll leave that to you younger ones.

Cheers
John

[richard sprint]

Steve

You maybe have it all wrong with the BMW drivers - perhaps just fascinated and taking a look? Otherwise they drive very much like the lotus cortina drivers did in the 60's? i.e. flat out everywhere.

Volvo driver differences between the 60's and now? none detected!

Richard

[bcmc33]

I have to smile at the attack on BMW drivers.

Richard, who is a BMW 'nut' with a number of fast cars used to doing the Nordschleife, started this thread and must be wondering why its gone off subject so much.

[rocket]

As someone that rides motorbikes often i would say that most BMW drivers are arrogant with little or no regard for other road users..

Ian.

[richard sprint]

Ian

One must be respected for saying as one finds - such a critisim of BMW drivers in particular is often repeated so perhaps there is a truth. Or could it be down to sheer numbers - back 20/30 years ago the most common car on the roads would likely have been a Ford Cortina/Sierra and now its grandson the Mondeo is the more exclusive (than BMW).

I woud make no defense toward my desire to 'get on' with my journeys and why I run the more powerful end of the BMW range but in this quest I certainly try to show respect and not inflame another driver.

So I think it all depends on how the 'arrogance' is displayed? some people are p--- -s regardless of whether they are in a (any) car.

Last week I was returning home from work during mid evening, clear, bright, dual carriageway with 5 miles and no junctions, the car in front is somewhat typical of the inattention that has me bristling - at 68 mph the car stays in the outside lane - inside lane clear and will not move over.

Are they ignoring the situation, have music too loud, inattention to mirror, having a quick snooze? I have a name for these they live in the land of the living dead!

Give me the driving roads in Germany any day of the week, month, year. Everyone gets on with things without impedance to others - want to drive flat out OK good bye, gentle cuising fine also - just do the business and allow others the same courtesy.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

As someone that rides motorbikes often i would say that most BMW drivers are arrogant with little or no regard for other road users..

Ian.

Ian,

with the greatest of respect, there's an old saying that people who live in galss houses should not throw stones.
Many Bikers show no respect at all for other road users; their antics are scary & dangerous to say the least.
Seeing as how we are all generalising on the subject? Yes I've ridden bikes (out of necessity).

Cheers
John

[rocket]

Richard i appreciate your comments and hope that you noted that i said most,not all BMW drivers..id expect that as you appreciate the enjoyment driving brings ,that you also show respect to other road users.i meant no offence to yourself.

John i dont live in a galss house so i feel i can throw stones...

Ian.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Richard i appreciate your comments and hope that you noted that i said most,not all BMW drivers..id expect that as you appreciate the enjoyment driving brings ,that you also show respect to other road users.i meant no offence to yourself.

John i dont live in a galss house so i feel i can throw stones...

Ian.

OK, running for cover now