4 ms·

Excellent point on legislation. It has at least once led to divergence of design (80's pop-up headlights) but safety standards, especially pedestrian safety, ha

Excellent point on legislation. It has at least once led to divergence of design (80's pop-up headlights) but safety standards, especially pedestrian safety, have dramatically constrained the style of the front end. Low hoods are a thing of the past in part thanks to that.

zo1 11y ago
How does a low hood affect pedestrian safety? I'd much rather be flipped over the car then hit and possibly pushed under. Any studies on this, perhaps?
- gtCameron 11y ago
  I love comments like this. "I have a random hunch about a subject I have spent 30 seconds thinking about. I bet it is correct and the regulators who have full time jobs researching this are wrong"
  - csours 11y ago
    https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law - The best way to get an answer on the internet is to say the wrong thing.
    - jschwartzi 11y ago
      This is why I always say dumb things. It's not that I'm looking to make you ignorant, it's that I want you to make me knowledgeable.
  - zo1 11y ago
    It's an opportunity to both present my view, even if it is biased and probably flawed, as well as to invite discussion and debate. Additionally, in a setting where individuals with a wide body of knowledge and experience are present.
- ch4s3 11y ago
  It provides room for the hood to give when your head hits it. "The hood of most vehicles is usually fabricated from sheet metal, which is a compliant energy absorbing structure and thus poses a comparatively small threat. Most serious head injuries occur when there is insufficient clearance between the hood and the stiff underlying engine components. A gap of approximately 10 cm is usually enough to allow the pedestrian’s head to have a controlled deceleration and a significantly reduced risk of death[3]. Creating room under the hood is not always easy because usually there are other design constraints, such as aerodynamics and styling. In some regions of the hood it can be impossible. These include along the edges on which the hood is mounted and the cowl, where the hood meets the windshield. Engineers have attempted to overcome this problem by using deformable mounts, and by developing more ambitious solutions such as airbags that are activated during the crash and cover the stiff regions of the hood[4]. Some models, like the Citroën C6 and Jaguar XK feature a novel pop-up bonnet design, which adds 6.5 cm (2.5", C6) extra clearance over the engine block if the bumper senses a hit. In 2012 and 2015, the Volvo V40 and the Land Rover Discovery Sport have a under-the hood airbag with operates if the hood senses a hit. The airbag also covers the windshield pillars to provide better protection in all areas struck by the pedestrian's head." there's a great wikipedia article about it.[1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_safety_through_vehicle_design https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_safety_through_vehi...
- chiph 11y ago
  It's not just the low hood (for crumple-area), but also the curve of the leading edge. In older SUVs (and still in today's full-size pickups) the front was squared-off and blunt, and this lead to people getting injured by that sharp edge. With the curved leading edge the pedestrians have a much more progressive landing on the hood. A car like the mid-70's Aston Martin Lagonda with it's knife-edge grill will never be built again. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aston_Martin_Lagonda_West_London.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aston_Ma...

zo1 11y ago

How does a low hood affect pedestrian safety? I'd much rather be flipped over the car then hit and possibly pushed under. Any studies on this, perhaps?

gtCameron 11y ago
I love comments like this. "I have a random hunch about a subject I have spent 30 seconds thinking about. I bet it is correct and the regulators who have full time jobs researching this are wrong"
- csours 11y ago
  https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cunningham%27s_Law - The best way to get an answer on the internet is to say the wrong thing.
  - jschwartzi 11y ago
    This is why I always say dumb things. It's not that I'm looking to make you ignorant, it's that I want you to make me knowledgeable.
- zo1 11y ago
  It's an opportunity to both present my view, even if it is biased and probably flawed, as well as to invite discussion and debate. Additionally, in a setting where individuals with a wide body of knowledge and experience are present.
ch4s3 11y ago
It provides room for the hood to give when your head hits it. "The hood of most vehicles is usually fabricated from sheet metal, which is a compliant energy absorbing structure and thus poses a comparatively small threat. Most serious head injuries occur when there is insufficient clearance between the hood and the stiff underlying engine components. A gap of approximately 10 cm is usually enough to allow the pedestrian’s head to have a controlled deceleration and a significantly reduced risk of death[3]. Creating room under the hood is not always easy because usually there are other design constraints, such as aerodynamics and styling. In some regions of the hood it can be impossible. These include along the edges on which the hood is mounted and the cowl, where the hood meets the windshield. Engineers have attempted to overcome this problem by using deformable mounts, and by developing more ambitious solutions such as airbags that are activated during the crash and cover the stiff regions of the hood[4]. Some models, like the Citroën C6 and Jaguar XK feature a novel pop-up bonnet design, which adds 6.5 cm (2.5", C6) extra clearance over the engine block if the bumper senses a hit. In 2012 and 2015, the Volvo V40 and the Land Rover Discovery Sport have a under-the hood airbag with operates if the hood senses a hit. The airbag also covers the windshield pillars to provide better protection in all areas struck by the pedestrian's head." there's a great wikipedia article about it.[1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_safety_through_vehicle_design https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_safety_through_vehi...
chiph 11y ago
It's not just the low hood (for crumple-area), but also the curve of the leading edge. In older SUVs (and still in today's full-size pickups) the front was squared-off and blunt, and this lead to people getting injured by that sharp edge. With the curved leading edge the pedestrians have a much more progressive landing on the hood. A car like the mid-70's Aston Martin Lagonda with it's knife-edge grill will never be built again. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aston_Martin_Lagonda_West_London.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Aston_Ma...