Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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Shadow
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by Shadow »

FDSpirit wrote:http://thin-edge.org/2009/03/12/new-sma ... mpg-in-uk/
Too bad we don't have better diesel over here :( . I still wouldn't drive one, though. I do enjoy smaller cars, but that car just scares me. @Shadow. My mom was looking for a new car. The new 10th gen Corollas seem to have less interior space compared to the previous generation. At least IMO. My mom didn't even like it, and she's like 5'4 :lol: .
Less interior space? So maybe they are growing on the outside, but shrinking on the inside? I'll admit that I don't know much about the Corolla, but like I said, I'd never buy one so I really don't have much interest. I'd imagine that today's Corolla is as large (if not larger) then some of the earlier generation Accords. At least it seems that way to me.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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Rope-Pusher wrote:
IMBoring25 wrote:Long story short, the government decided a long time ago they had to protect people from themselves. The first iteration of the law was a "Passive Restraint" law that cars had to be equipped such that they would restrain a 200# man without any action on his part. This had two effects:

1) Automatic seatbelts that were nearly universally despised.

2) First-generation air bags that killed children and small women.
...but those women and children were just barely killed, right?

Or, was it more like the airbags deployed the same, no matter what size person they were protecting. Airbag deployment strategy is a study in risk management. The question is whether deploying the airbag would be more likely to harm or protect a person. It is for this reason that airbags are not deployed below a certain threshold speed - say, 16 mph ("Sixteen Miles Per Hour" - there, I said it.) The biggest problem of airbags causing injuries was with people who, because of their stature or personal preference, sat with their seats in the full-forward position. An airbag that was designed to protect a larger person sitting with the seat at the rear of the seat track was more powerful than that needed to protect a smaller person sitting further forward. This resulted in some injuries and deaths, though far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far fewer than the number of lives that were saved, Newer vehicles have airbag systems that can adjust their bag deployments to accommodate a range of users sizes and seating positions, reducing the risks for smaller people, shorter people, and people who want to get there sooner than the rest of the people in the vehicle.
I completely agree with you. However, I'm quite sure that these words aren't very comforting to the families of that small woman or child who was killed by an airbag deployment. I remember reading one story where a faulty airbag deployed in a stationary car (which should NEVER happen under ANY circumstances) and killed a petite woman who was reportedly tying her shoe (if I remember correctly).
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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I would drive a small diesel hatchback (still want 4-door though) in a heartbeat. The fuel economy that vehicles get in Europe is astounding, some petrol but the diesel numbers are the ones that will blow your mind. The US has identical emissions regulations for diesel and petrol vehicles, which causes the superb European diesel engines to fail, which makes it far costlier for a company to have to redesign an engine versus just using the same engine in multiple markets. Hence, no really great diesels...
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by watkins »

theholycow wrote:Recently a co-worker read a statistic that 52% of deaths in crashes are those who were unbelted. She felt like that means that you only get a few percent advantage by wearing your seat belt. I tried to explain to her that those 52% of deaths come from a much smaller pool of people since a lot more than 50% wear their setbelts but she thinks it's a pretty significant portion of the population, maybe 30%. I seriously doubt that.
I heard Friday from my Passive Restraints instructor that something like 3% of car accidents result in death, yet 60ish% of motor vehicle deaths occur when no seat belt is used. Or something like that.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

My sister is one of the idiots. She never wears her goddamn seatbelt, even when I tell her to put it on. When my dad is in the car with is also, he starts yelling at us when we argue about the seatbelt. f**k it, if she dies with no seatbelt on, I feel no remorse.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by FDSpirit »

I always put my seatbelt on. Even if I have to ride in the back seat of a friend's car. Force of habit, and a good habit at that.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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94Corolla5Speed wrote:... f**k it, if she dies with no seatbelt on, I feel no remorse.
Wow. Just wow.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

We've never gotten along. She has had it out for me since before I can even remember. She insults me to my face, behind my back, makes snide remarks about me when in the company of others, and just hates me in general. So when I tell her to put her seatbelt on and she doesn't, that's her loss.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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Well, hope she gets pulled over so she gets an extra ticket for not wearing the seat belt? Most people don't like getting hit in the wallet...

*I'm not saying do anything, just a suggestion since she ignores your reminders. If she gets penalized in a way that hurts financially, she might remember...*
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

That would be better since she doesn't have to get hurt (note: I do not actually wish physical harm to her, but if she chooses to not wear her seatbelt that is a conscious choice and all my sympathy for her is out the window.) but she doesn't actually drive very often so it probably wouldn't work that way. Also, when she does drive, she drives our '91 Accord with the auto shoulder belt. She never puts on the manual lap belt.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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I refuse to drive if my passengers, especially the people sitting behind me, are not wearing seatbelts.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by Squint »

Tups wrote:I refuse to drive if my passengers, especially the people sitting behind me, are not wearing seatbelts.
I do too. It's a smart plan. If they don't want to wear the seat belt, they can walk or drive themselves.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

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94Corolla5Speed wrote:We've never gotten along. She has had it out for me since before I can even remember. She insults me to my face, behind my back, makes snide remarks about me when in the company of others, and just hates me in general. So when I tell her to put her seatbelt on and she doesn't, that's her loss.
Hey, I get what you're saying. But no matter what, she's still your sister. You must still care about her if you keep telling her to wear her seatbelt.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by Shadow »

Squint wrote:
Tups wrote:I refuse to drive if my passengers, especially the people sitting behind me, are not wearing seatbelts.
I do too. It's a smart plan. If they don't want to wear the seat belt, they can walk or drive themselves.
I grew up never wearing a seat belt. Of course this is before mandatory seat belt use became law. Now if I'm in a car without a seatbelt on, it feels weird.
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Re: Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

Shadow wrote:
94Corolla5Speed wrote:We've never gotten along. She has had it out for me since before I can even remember. She insults me to my face, behind my back, makes snide remarks about me when in the company of others, and just hates me in general. So when I tell her to put her seatbelt on and she doesn't, that's her loss.
Hey, I get what you're saying. But no matter what, she's still your sister. You must still care about her if you keep telling her to wear her seatbelt.
Hmm. Never looked at it that way.
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