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> Car designer Chris Longmore... blames safety legislation for the dramatic increase in size since the 1990s. This doesn't stand up to scrutiny. For example,

> Car designer Chris Longmore... blames safety legislation for the dramatic increase in size since the 1990s. This doesn't stand up to scrutiny. For example, the 2022 Toyota Aygo X has a 4 star NCAP safety rating (out of a possible 5) [1], and is about the same size as the original 1970s VW Golf [2]. [1] https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/Toyota/Aygo%20X/46259 https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/Toyota/Aygo%20X/46259 [2] https://www.automobiledimension.com/model/toyota/aygo-x https://www.automobiledimension.com/model/toyota/aygo-x

secretsatan 3y ago
Normal cars (Not SUVs, pickups) have got slightly larger, there's no excuse for cars that are big for the perceived safety of being the largest car on the road
eptcyka 3y ago
Cars are crash tested against one-another, not against a benchmark car. This means that the tiny Aygo-X was crash tested with another Aygo-X, not with a Ford "danger" Ranger or a Range Rover or a Juke.
- monooso 3y ago
  Do you mean other cars in the same class? Either way, it undermines the statement that the increase in car size is primarily due to new legislation which makes it impossible to build a small, safe car.
  - eptcyka 3y ago
    No, I mean the car is crash tested against itself. And not against cars in the same class or a variety of cars that can be encountered on the road. I agree that small cars can be made to be safe nominally, but one cannot argue with the mass component of the kinetic energy equation. I say this as someone who drives a car that weighs slightly above a ton, and I'm well aware that I'd likely be on the losing end of any collision with another vehichle on the road.
    - monooso 3y ago
      Do you have a source for this? I thought (assumed) the whole point of NCAP ratings was to compare the safety of different cars.
gertrunde 3y ago
This maybe does stand up more than you think it does... The Aygo is, in theory, categorised as A-segment, along with the VW Up! and Fox, as opposed to the Polo (B-segment) or Golf (C-segment). i.e. maybe not directly comparable with a car considered to be two size categories further up the scale.

secretsatan 3y ago

Normal cars (Not SUVs, pickups) have got slightly larger, there's no excuse for cars that are big for the perceived safety of being the largest car on the road

eptcyka 3y ago

Cars are crash tested against one-another, not against a benchmark car. This means that the tiny Aygo-X was crash tested with another Aygo-X, not with a Ford "danger" Ranger or a Range Rover or a Juke.

monooso 3y ago
Do you mean other cars in the same class? Either way, it undermines the statement that the increase in car size is primarily due to new legislation which makes it impossible to build a small, safe car.
- eptcyka 3y ago
  No, I mean the car is crash tested against itself. And not against cars in the same class or a variety of cars that can be encountered on the road. I agree that small cars can be made to be safe nominally, but one cannot argue with the mass component of the kinetic energy equation. I say this as someone who drives a car that weighs slightly above a ton, and I'm well aware that I'd likely be on the losing end of any collision with another vehichle on the road.
  - monooso 3y ago
    Do you have a source for this? I thought (assumed) the whole point of NCAP ratings was to compare the safety of different cars.

gertrunde 3y ago

This maybe does stand up more than you think it does... The Aygo is, in theory, categorised as A-segment, along with the VW Up! and Fox, as opposed to the Polo (B-segment) or Golf (C-segment). i.e. maybe not directly comparable with a car considered to be two size categories further up the scale.