Are pickup trucks a safer driving option in Thailand?

[canthai55]

To me - a no brainer. Pickups are bigger, so they have larger crumple zones to absord impact. In a rear ender you have almost 2 meters before the passenger compartment is hit.They are higher, so the little econo cars will tend to go under you, not through you. You may flip over, but the structural integrity of the cab is such that if wearing lap belts and shoulder harness you have a good chance to escape injury. Along with the air bags if so equipped. Have a NV for town, and a Teana, and a Vigo. Feel safer in the Vigo, but the Nissan is way more fun to drive, and the NV can't be beat for small sois in the city, parking, just more handy in town.

[IMHO]

In a rear ender you have almost 2 meters before the passenger compartment is hit.

Do you though? what's to say the rear tub won't just sheer it's mounts and act as it's own super-rigid battering ram?

[Don Mega]

the tub once release from its fixing points would fold like a house of cards, they are very flimsy.

[SpokaneAl]

To me - a no brainer. Pickups are bigger, so they have larger crumple zones to absord impact. In a rear ender you have almost 2 meters before the passenger compartment is hit.They are higher, so the little econo cars will tend to go under you, not through you. You may flip over, but the structural integrity of the cab is such that if wearing lap belts and shoulder harness you have a good chance to escape injury. Along with the air bags if so equipped. Have a NV for town, and a Teana, and a Vigo. Feel safer in the Vigo, but the Nissan is way more fun to drive, and the NV can't be beat for small sois in the city, parking, just more handy in town.

Modern car design does provide crumple zones - often the smaller cars offer more protection with a combination of design and air bags than bigger, older vehicles. I don't think that the bed of a pick up is designed to crumple or really provide much protection. It is purely designed to haul stuff - or in the case of Thailand your extended family.

Then there is this . . .

http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-SUV-Safety.html

Edited March 22, 2016 by SpokaneAl

[pgrahmm]

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/vehicle-size-and-weight/qanda

Or this from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety....Says bigger is better....

[colinchaffers]

Well is funny this topic has appeared, I was driving my Ford truck the other day and the guy in front stopped, I stopped but the other five cars behind did not. The car behind went under the truck and was a complete mess where as I can still drive my truck. I also like the visibility of the truck cab. Buy a truck and stay safer.

[pgrahmm]

https://www.esurance.com/info/car/car-size-and-crash-safety

And this from Essurance which also says don't take crash test data for gospel.....

Also says bigger is better including suv & trucks....

[TheCruncher]

I have had sedans here for 12 years. On average I would get about 5 accidents a year, 99% I was in my right, because people didn't give way or whatever.

For the past 7 years I drive a pick up, an in total I have had 2 accidents.

One was when another car hit me while I was parked, and another was when a tour bus in front of me had his drive axle catapulted through my windscreen.

Seems like other road users are aware if they see a pick up that they better don't mess with it.

Another advantage is that when I drive over any public road in Pattaya, or Thailand for that matter, it doesn't feel as if suspension is gonna enter the cabin.

remind me not to travel in a vehicle with you, in facr could you please send me a copy of your route for any journey south/east of pattaya, i'll stay at home that day

May be you could try to read my post again, v e r y s l o w l y , the there is a chance that you notice that in 99% of the events it wasn't my fault.

So actually I should ask YOU for your route, as you might be the next one damaging my car.

Mon ami, after many years I have not had one accident yet...I was taught to read the road...That has come in very handy here for sure....But for sure a twonk running into you has no prevention.....But, your quota does raise a question mark...

Another one who's missing reading abilities.

Do you drive a sedan or a truck? Don't answer we all know you drive a truck.

Now read my post again, the accidents all occurred while driving a sedan, but have vanished as snow for the sun the day I started driving a truck7 years ago. You think coincidence or that my driving skills improved that day?

The simple answer is the "me first" attitude of the Thai drivers, but when they see a truck they consider a second time.

Then I should also have added that I drive a bit more than just from home to the local temple once a week.

[pgrahmm]

Size is important because mass, coupled with acceleration, determines the force of a crash. Injuries depend on the forces that act on the occupants in the car, not on how much external damage the car sustains. The force of a crash turns on two key attributes: the weight of the crashing vehicle, which determines how much speed must be absorbed during the impact, and the size of the vehicle, which often determines how close the front of the vehicle is to the driveran essential indicator of the extent of injuries to the legs and torso.

And this partial from Forbes about the laws of physics.....

Edited March 22, 2016 by pgrahmm

[canthai55]

In a rear ender you have almost 2 meters before the passenger compartment is hit.

Do you though? what's to say the rear tub won't just sheer it's mounts and act as it's own super-rigid battering ram?

At a guess - the ladder style steel frame, with cross members, which the box is bolted to. Chances of this ever happening - nil.

[IMHO]

In a rear ender you have almost 2 meters before the passenger compartment is hit.

Do you though? what's to say the rear tub won't just sheer it's mounts and act as it's own super-rigid battering ram?

At a guess - the ladder style steel frame, with cross members, which the box is bolted to. Chances of this ever happening - nil.

Actually, you're probably right - as a Google image search reveals

Image Source: http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/driver-unhurt-after-being-rearended-by-seward-highway-semi/34552178

Image Source: http://forums.motorhome.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27913671/print/true.cfm

Image Source: https://danramsdell.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/the-risks-semi-trucks-pose-to-all-of-us/

I doubt a saloon or hatchback driver would walk away from any of these.

[colinchaffers]

my experience

Edited March 23, 2016 by ubonjoe
over size image reduced to fit

[DavisH]

It looks like the ladder frame is easily bent? Does it have weak spots in the metal to allow this? Because i could not find any signs of crumple zones in the rear of pickups when I did a search. As that photo above shows, small cars will tend to go under the read of a pickup, especially, the raised versions. The punk in the benz is lucky he did not hit a 2 tonne vehicle like that.

[Don Mega]

Most of em will bend the chassis without the need of being rammed from behind.

[CLW]

On the morning news, Channel 3.

Isuzu DMAX hits a concrete lane divider frontally.

Cabin is torn apart from the chassis.

[Jitar]

It looks like the ladder frame is easily bent? Does it have weak spots in the metal to allow this? Because i could not find any signs of crumple zones in the rear of pickups when I did a search. As that photo above shows, small cars will tend to go under the read of a pickup, especially, the raised versions. The punk in the benz is lucky he did not hit a 2 tonne vehicle like that.

Crumple zones for rear impact are not a requirement for cars either. Crash test regs assume the primary risk is front / side impact and roll over. Very high speed impacts like the CLS - Fiesta crash are going to be way above the design parameters for crumple zones and airbags etc anyway.

Pickup bed and chassis are tough but flexible. The space and flexibility allows them to absorb a lot of impact. The higher CG of a pickup is a disadvantage for handling / braking limits and accident avoidance but can be an advantage in an impact with a lower vehicle submarining as in Colins example, reduces energy transfer. Not so good for the lower vehicle with the impact forces applied to more vulnerable areas.

Small, low hatchbacks are generally going to have the worst rear impact protection because the rear seats are close to the rear bumper and the rear section of the body is basically an open tube with very little strength, as shown by the damage to the Fiesta rear left quarter from the CLS. The bulkhead between the rear seat and boot in a sedan or the rear cab wall of a pickup provide strength to help keep the passenger compartment intact.

PPV's are in-between with open rear body but high ride height. I recall another incident where a high speed Porsche hit a Fortuner a few years ago. From memory, the Porsche and it driver were destroyed and at least one person in the Fortuner was killed.

[MolesterStallone]

^^^ What he said,

In general driving though i find pick-ups less safe, Since i dont load them up with Cambodian laborers on the daily i find them tail happy and a bit twitchy. I take my chances in a German hatchback.

[JaseTheBass]

I have had sedans here for 12 years. On average I would get about 5 accidents a year, 99% I was in my right, because people didn't give way or whatever.

For the past 7 years I drive a pick up, an in total I have had 2 accidents.

One was when another car hit me while I was parked, and another was when a tour bus in front of me had his drive axle catapulted through my windscreen.

Seems like other road users are aware if they see a pick up that they better don't mess with it.

Another advantage is that when I drive over any public road in Pattaya, or Thailand for that matter, it doesn't feel as if suspension is gonna enter the cabin.

remind me not to travel in a vehicle with you, in facr could you please send me a copy of your route for any journey south/east of pattaya, i'll stay at home that day

May be you could try to read my post again, v e r y s l o w l y , the there is a chance that you notice that in 99% of the events it wasn't my fault.

So actually I should ask YOU for your route, as you might be the next one damaging my car.

Mon ami, after many years I have not had one accident yet...I was taught to read the road...That has come in very handy here for sure....But for sure a twonk running into you has no prevention.....But, your quota does raise a question mark...

Another one who's missing reading abilities.

Do you drive a sedan or a truck? Don't answer we all know you drive a truck.

Now read my post again, the accidents all occurred while driving a sedan, but have vanished as snow for the sun the day I started driving a truck7 years ago. You think coincidence or that my driving skills improved that day?

The simple answer is the "me first" attitude of the Thai drivers, but when they see a truck they consider a second time.

Then I should also have added that I drive a bit more than just from home to the local temple once a week.

Saying that, I had some DELETED in a Vios trying to duel with me in a truck on the middle ring road in Chiang Mai about 18 months ago. I even had some of his paint on my front nearside bumper when he cut in front of me into a space that wasn't there. If I hadn't braked, the DELETED might not be here either.

Sent from my R2D2 using my C3P0 manservant Edited March 24, 2016 by seedy
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