Date:         Wed, 6 Sep 1995 00:04:36 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         william killian <killian@qnet.com>
Subject:      Re: safety/liability questions



On Tue, 5 Sep 1995 mbushore@icaen.uiowa.edu wrote:

> 	I am fortunate in that I get to write a paper having
> somethiung to do with product liability.  The main basis
> (hopefully) is going to be that some cases involving accidents
> are utilizing technologies to reconstruct the accidents that
> are more advanced than the technologies that were available to
> design the vehicle at the time it was built.
>  
> 	More specifically:  There was a case of a VW Thing overturning
> during an evasive manuveur.  Based on a computer simulation, the accident
> could have been avoided if VW had designed the thing with a CG 1 inch
> lower.  The article I read also briefly discussed the lack of roll bar, etc.

These rollover accidents are typical of driving a sport/utility vehicle 
too fast on paved roads.  I know a lwayer working for Suzuki's cases 
where their vehicles overturned while someone was doing something they 
shouldn't.  I work with computers everyday - programming the darned 
things and know that I don't trust simulation programs that are that far 
after the fact.  In just the two things mentioned are problems.  A P/U 
vehicle is meant to be able to run off pavemnt where higher clearance is 
needed.  Higher clearance means higher center of gravity.  Add a roll bar 
which is a heavy piece of metal it makes it worse.

In the Suzuki cases the fact that the drivers were drunk and speeding can 
not even be brought up!  THese boneheads do stupid things in vehicles NOT 
designed for high speed manuevers and its the manufacturers fault?

> What I am wondering/needing is some feelings on how individual people
> make decisions to compensate for the obvious design comprimises that
> some types of vehicles have.  For instance, has anyone ever noticed
> that a VW bus has a short nose?  How do you compensate for this when you
> drive?  Or do you?  Should the driver/buyer of a vehicle be aware of
> the shortcomings of the vehicle when they buy it and adjust their
> behavior accordingly? (i.e. not drive their Van like it was a Porsche)

How much can we tell these idiots how not to kill themselves.  Accidents 
do happen.  Some bad designs were made.  But some of this is ridiculous.  
VW got shafted about the Audi 5000 screwups.  Just because some people 
caouldn't tell their brakes from their accelerators the company lost 
millions!

Way too easy to get drivers and auto licenses for idiots.

bill