VW death rate

[[email protected]]

Hey yall. Dose anyone know what the death-rate for VW buses is? I'm asking because I'm considering buying a bus, but I just took driver's ed and saw the safe driving videos (the ones with the crunched up cars and the blood and dead bodies), and am having second thoughts on acount of safety. I know that the old VWs don't have air bags, but I'd like more info. Thanx people.

[solman 69]

sam i could always install 3-point seat belts in your' bus (when you get it), but would need to remove some of the headliner temporarily and borrow your' blow torch or a welder. no guarantees on if it would be the safest install, though.
keep truckin, sam.

[[email protected]]

Aaaahhhh, Safety, a favorite topic of mine. Did you get to see the film where you're looking at a motorcycle wrecked against a guardrail and then it dawns on you that the white thing beside the road is the guy's head still in his helmet. Barf!

No older vehicle is going to be as safe as most newer cars. There have been a lot of advances in car safety including improved seatbelts, airbags, side impact beams and airbags, etc. Pay attention in physics class and you'll understand how these work. Impact (energy) transfered to the occupant is what kills most people- the body can only take so much before things go wrong. A lot depends on where the vehicle is hit also. Front corner impacts are considered one of the worst places to be hit. Taking this into consideration, look under a bus at the way it is designed. The later buses have triangulated braces coming off the front of the frame and an early version of a "crush can" behind the bumper. Given the weight of the average bus, and that it sits a little higher than many cars, you "may" be alright, particularly if if overrides the other vehicle. If the other vehicle is an SUV, it's going to impact above your bumper on the relatively thin nose and you're in trouble. Do you see where I'm going with this? A lot depends on the specifics of the accident!

Accident avoidance (defensive driving) is a must in any car but particularly an older car! If you really want to see how well cars hold up, take a tour of your local junkyards- this also lets you scout out possible parts sources.

Like anything alse, you're taking a risk- you have to decide what level of risk you are willing to expose yourself too. I quit riding a motorcycle about eight or nine years ago when I really looked at how many people pay no attention when driving and the increasing rate of car vs motorcycle MVAs we have where I live. I choose to drive my VW bus (1978) and I choose to drive my old Land Cruiser (1980), but I realize they are nowhere near as safe as my Toyota Tacoma was (I don't think I would be here today if I had been in the bus this past February when I got hit on the front driver's corner by a crossover driver).

After having been a county paramedic for over eight years, I'm a big believer in seatbelts, defensive driving, and just slowing down a bit.

[chabanais]

A VW Bus is probably one of the most dangerous automobiles around, especially when it comes to a frontal collision. You're pretty much dead or, if you somehow survive, will probably bleed out in a few minutes.

Some VWs might be safer than others in some situations (411/412, Squareback) but they really aren't safe.

If you get a VW you need to drive it as it should be driven (i.e. don't drive a Bus at 75 mph or take turns fast or tailgate). You should also pay very careful attention to the cars and people around you. You should keep your car in tip-top shape and wear your seatbelts. Drive your car as if you were in the year it was made (don't drive a 62 car at 03 speeds).

Now you can do things like adding a roll cage, having side/front steel beams welded in, etc.

One thing I do, in my Bus, is stay in the right lane and keep tons of distance between myself and those in front of me.

If you want a 'safe' car buy a newer one.

[bljones]

best way to survive an accident is to avoid getting into one. now that you have taken driver's ed, the best investment you can make is to learn how to REALLY drive. Take a race school- like Jim barber or Skip Russell schools. learn how to control your car, and it won't matter what you drive, you automatically become 10 times safer.

Stats say that Hondas are safer than VW busses... but stats also say that hondas are involved in more high speed collisions and single car accidents than VW busses. So, does that mean you should a) buy a honda, or b)hondas are unsafe at high speeds or c) not drive like an idiot?

Play it safe, drive like you want to survive, and be aware of your surroundings, and you will likely never have to worry about survivability.

[chabanais]

There are more Hondas than VW Buses. Hondas are also the most commonly stolen cars, too, but again that's because there are more of 'em.

[pawesty]

hey bajatacoma, i'm a medic in an east coast city. where do you work? cheers!dave

[solman 69]

i think it was ol' john muir that said that you should drive like you were strapped to the front like some kind of myan sacrifice. sound advise, in my opinion.
keep truckin, sam!

[crukab]

Squarebacks are no safer than any other Vw, lost agood friend back in '77, these guys got hit head on by a LTD ( A Large Ford sedan for you young pups ) and my friend Chris died then,the other 2 guys lived, but are Fu@ked up for life, yep it can happen to you, too.
Tom

[chabanais]

That's terrible. What happened?