2010 Prius Crash Test Videos

[BeHereNow]

Hi All,
I am shopping to replace my 1994 Camry, my only car since 1994 on which I have put only 69000 miles. Even though I'm now driving <4000 miles/year, if I keep the new car as long as I kept the last one, my spreadsheet shows that depending on gas price futures, it looks like it may be worth buying a Prius from the economic standpoint. From an ecological standpoint and as insurance against rising gas prices (or a possible increase in my driving miles to a more normal level), the Prius is a clear win. I've spent some time in the Generation III Prius (in a showroom only, so far) and I am OK with the feel of it. I can see out of the vehicle OK (though not as well as I would like). My biggest bicycle fits in the back with the seats folded down, which is a plus since many of my miles are put on driving to bike rides. The closest other contending vehicle (from my very particular perspective, which includes the walking distance to the nearest servicing dealer) gets half the gas mileage.

So the Prius looks like a winner. But I'm having a hard time buying a car that doesn't get 5-star crash test results from the NHTSA. The safercar .gov results show the front seat passengers at higher risk (four stars) than in a Camry or even a Matrix (five stars), in a frontal crash.

I do see that the European crash test results look less bad for Prius.

I also see (thanks to an earlier post) that Prius crashes well compared to other hybrids. But with my low driving miles per year, I am not so strongly constrained to choosing a hybrid as people who drive more.

I'm writing to this forum to invite any ideas that might help me make peace with the less-than-favorable NHTSA results. Clearly there are a lot of people, including a lot of technically knowledgeable people, who have looked at these results and have bought a Prius anyway. (And there are apparently a lot of early adopters who bought a 2010 before the results were available). Can you help convince me that the NHTSA results should not stop me from choosing Prius?

Thanks for any assistance.

-David

[David Beale]

The first video was of a British Prius. A European test.

If "standard" seatbelts didn't stretch they could kill you in a crash. They aren't wide enough to distribute the forces enough to -not- cause dangerous injury. They still bruise the human body extensively, but that is preferable to death. Look closely and you can find places on some seatbelts where the web is doubled over and sewn. The stitching is designed to fail allowing the belt to stretch, keeping the forces down.

Replacing the three point OEM belts with five or six point racing belts is illegal and stupid. To be safe with five or six point belts you need a roll cage that -doesn't- deform much in severe accidents. You also need about a minute to put them on when you get in the car, and there can be -no- slackness in the belt. You can't move, other than turning your head. Even that is limited if you go all the way and use a helmet and Hans device. You'd also better be in pretty good physical shape, as the forces you will endure in an accident will be more severe than with a "street" three point belt. Five and six point belts are about twice as wide as "street" belts, but they still bruise nicely.

Please don't try to outsmart the engineers. You don't have a room full of computers, the knowledge they have, and the ability to test, test, test. The stock car will outperform anything you will -ever- do to try to improve the crash worthiness, other than not driving!