Forget The Passenger Seat,,don't Raise The Roof

[3 Card]

I was going to claim Paul as a personal friend of mine, but the I stopped by the official FB page and I see the line of people pretending that is about a mile long.

Slip one of them a few bucks to get a better deal on your Elio or maybe a move up in wating list..

 

[jtmarten]

The safety issue has come up many times before. If a ~1500lb vehicle gets clobbered by a 4000-4500lb SUV, game over. The SUV wins. Even with a "5-Star Rating". Even with three airbags. Even with an extended roofline. Can't escape physics. The impact force transferred to the body will be much greater for occupants in the Elio compared to occupants in the SUV. (F=ma)
It is something that should be carefully considered before making a final purchase (assuming it makes it to full production).
The roadways may have a different landscape a decade from now if Elio and subsequent similar vehicles have a significantly high sales volume.

 

[jtmarten]

Yep.. Way better than kicking out the wind shield..

I wonder if it would be possible to integrate an escape hatch into the windshield. My GMC motorhome has a pull-string in the rear window seal. If you need emergency rear egress, pull the string, push the window out.
I'm sure it's a legal/safety issue for cars, but Elio isn't restricted to those guidelines....

 

[Craig]

The safety issue has come up many times before. If a ~1500lb vehicle gets clobbered by a 4000-4500lb SUV, game over. The SUV wins. Even with a "5-Star Rating". Even with three airbags. Even with an extended roofline. Can't escape physics. The impact force transferred to the body will be much greater for occupants in the Elio compared to occupants in the SUV. (F=ma)
It is something that should be carefully considered before making a final purchase (assuming it makes it to full production).
The roadways may have a different landscape a decade from now if Elio and subsequent similar vehicles have a significantly high sales volume.

It's called---Assumption of risk.
If you one can't assume the risk, ether real or imagined speculated, when driving or riding, don't one should not buy it.
To me, it's that simple. JMO

When it comes to safety, the only thing I'm comparing is getting broadsided by a 4,500 bl SUV on a motorcycle and getting broadsided in an Elio (motorcycle) with roll cage, side body panels, seat belts and an airbag in between me and the SUV.

How many of these owners thought they were buying a safe SUV?

 

[goofyone]

There is actually an interesting benefit to a three wheel vehicle when they face a side impact such as a t-bone or a side impact against a solid object. Three wheeled vehicles want to spin away from the accident which helps dissipate some of crash the force. When a four wheel vehicle faces a similar crash they have a tendency to stay put and absorb the impact forces.
This is actually referenced as a safety factor in this Elio Motors presentation from 2010:

A side impact in a three-wheel vehicle does not have the same affect. With a single wheel in the back the vehicle spins away and allows the driver to manage acceleration and there are airbags on each side which is a lot safer.

Page 6, Paragraph 4: http://www.pontiac.mi.us/document_center/gers021010spec.pdf

 

[3 Card]

It's called---Assumption of risk.
If you can't assume the risk, ether real or imagined, when driving or riding, don't buy it.
It's that simple. JMO

When it comes to safety, the only thing I'm comparing is getting broadsided by a 4,500 bl SUV on a motorcycle and getting broadsided in an Elio (motorcycle) with roll cage, side body panels, seat belts and an airbag in between me and the SUV.

How many of these owners thought they were buying a safe SUV?

[/quot

There is actually an interesting benefit to a three wheel vehicle when they face a side impact such as a t-bone or a side impact against a solid object. Three wheeled vehicles want to spin away from the accident which helps dissipate some of crash the force. When a four wheel vehicle faces a similar crash they have a tendency to stay put and absorb the impact forces.
This is actually referenced as a safety factor in this Elio Motors presentation from 2010:

Page 6, Paragraph 4: http://www.pontiac.mi.us/document_center/gers021010spec.pdf

I'm still trying to get over his wisdom sharing about imaginated risk and not buying.. Why try sounding intelligent especially when using words other than if you ain't wantin to be in stay the hell out..

 

[H2odog]

There is actually an interesting benefit to a three wheel vehicle when they face a side impact such as a t-bone or a side impact against a solid object. Three wheeled vehicles want to spin away from the accident which helps dissipate some of crash the force. When a four wheel vehicle faces a similar crash they have a tendency to stay put and absorb the impact forces.
This is actually referenced as a safety factor in this Elio Motors presentation from 2010:

Page 6, Paragraph 4: http://www.pontiac.mi.us/document_center/gers021010spec.pdf

I hadn't actually thought about it but the dynamics involved in that situation makes perfectly good sense that that would happen. Thanks for the info!

 

[jtmarten]

There is actually an interesting benefit to a three wheel vehicle when they face a side impact such as a t-bone or a side impact against a solid object. Three wheeled vehicles want to spin away from the accident which helps dissipate some of crash the force. When a four wheel vehicle faces a similar crash they have a tendency to stay put and absorb the impact forces.
This is actually referenced as a safety factor in this Elio Motors presentation from 2010:

Page 6, Paragraph 4: http://www.pontiac.mi.us/document_center/gers021010spec.pdf

(Playing Devil's Advocate - NOPE - I've never played one on TV, and I haven't stayed at a Holiday Inn Express recently)
Is it still a benefit if you are then spun away from the initial impact at some rate of acceleration into other lanes of moving traffic?

 

[goofyone]

(Playing Devil's Advocate - NOPE - I've never played one on TV, and I haven't stayed at a Holiday Inn Express recently)
Is it still a benefit if you are then spun away from the initial impact at some rate of acceleration into other lanes of moving traffic?

I am sure this could, and probably will, happen however sometimes four wheeled cars are also pushed into traffic in the same types of accidents. All things being equal I think it would still be a benefit to dissipate the crash forces by spinning rather than absorbing it within the chassis and/or the occupants.

 

[raybonz]

I am sure this could, and probably will, happen however sometimes four wheeled cars are also pushed into traffic in the same types of accidents. All things being equal I think it would still be a benefit to dissipate the crash forces by spinning rather than absorbing it within the chassis and/or the occupants.

Accidents are unpredictable except they do happen. Recently a minivan was driving too fast with a freak snow/rain/sleet event and slid into the path of 18 wheel truck and both people in the van were killed.

Ray