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jsprogrammer · 2015-08-15 02:31:38+00:00

Struts could work. It looks like the body is wide enough that the vehicle would still be mostly upright if it fell over.

I only contest that losing power would be the end of you (it very well might, but there are many plausible survival scenarios).

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trafficlight | karma 3136 | avg karma 3.16 · | 2010-08-04 17:08:48+00:00

You could add a spring-loaded rod on the bottom of the car that would be triggered during a wreck. The rod would fire down and flip the car over.

ry4n413 | karma 332 | avg karma 1.63 · | 2019-11-22 13:02:09+00:00

Ever since that cement bridge collapsed at Florida International University a few months ago on top of cars, I've been wondering if any type of car could withstand the force of such a scenario.

Anyone know if this truck could withstand the scenario? Hopefully someone smart with the Physics or Engineering can help me out with an answer.

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k-mcgrady | karma 15276 | avg karma 3.37 · | 2016-12-28 04:49:32

Is the assumption here (flipping over = very bad) correct? Is it possible that [edit: the force] can dissipate more easily if it flips (provided the car is built correctly to withstand the force of a flip)?

NB: I know nothing about this topic, genuinely curious to hear from someone who does.

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joezydeco | karma 21798 | avg karma 3.0 · | 2013-05-14 14:56:19

Or a ten-ton beam falling on your car.

ArchStanton | karma 51 | avg karma 1.42 · | 2021-09-25 13:44:01

Ideally the whole car collapses simultaneously.

topspin | karma 5853 | avg karma 3.27 · | 2022-08-31 13:37:48

That's the thought I had; at least the car would take some damage.

samuellevy | karma 874 | avg karma 4.99 · | 2012-04-11 23:47:43+00:00

Now that's a little bit of brilliant. What would happen if someone happened to drive over it slowly, though (say, when stuck in traffic)? Would the weight of the vehicle be enough for it to maintain it's viscosity, or is it the combination of weight and speed that do the job?

cardamomo | karma 3425 | avg karma 4.89 · | 2016-05-04 16:51:24+00:00

This suggestion reminds me of the classic "egg drop" challenge (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_drop_competition). Can you land your vehicle without the egg breaking?

bdamm | karma 4946 | avg karma 2.29 · | 2023-01-03 17:04:15

Depending on the crash, the engine being pushed under can launch the car into the air, where it is more likely to roll over. Contrast this with EVs where the battery is basically a giant puck that the occupants are sitting on top of; the deformation of the crumple zone and the low center of gravity cause the vehicle to rotate away instead of being launched.

mrfusion | karma 16153 | avg karma 2.36 · | 2016-03-21 19:41:05+00:00

A standard car weighs 4000 lbs, that's a lot of weight to crush you if it falls on you while you're working on it.

People shouldn't be allowed to go under vehicles to repair them. In fact changing a tire with a jack is very dangerous too.

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smooc | karma 124 | avg karma 2.43 · | 2022-11-28 10:17:17

Correct. It would just take a small nudge and the whole car would fall apart. Replacement parts are cheap though.

SomeCallMeTim | karma 4107 | avg karma 2.77 · | 2016-07-27 00:07:51+00:00

If it stopped the car from going under @ 74MPH, odds are the passenger would still have died. I doubt they're build to withstand that much energy, though.

mellavora | karma 3837 | avg karma 2.61 · | 2022-09-14 08:14:27

Well, it is certainly a very shaky proposition, and the car will probably be a total loss.

But there are ways you could walk away from this.

You see some pretty crazy crash survivals in race driving, for example.

And I remember stories from a few years ago, when Ford had a recall on F150 tires because they tended to blow out at highway speeds, with an effect similar to full wheel lockup-- yes, people died, but others didn't.

life == hope

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jdbernard | karma 1277 | avg karma 1.89 · | 2012-12-11 18:41:07+00:00

Wow, I had not even thought of that. If the integrity of the frame is compromised during the collision that seems a very scary prospect.

Dylan16807 | karma 31639 | avg karma 1.39 · | 2013-11-08 01:20:49+00:00

I would assume a car that has been involved in a crash would stop moving, and not need that cooling any more. Even if there weren't failsafe systems to shut things off.

There's only so much you can do with a punctured lithium ion.

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Already__Taken | karma 2472 | avg karma 1.81 · | 2014-04-28 18:00:28+00:00

Plus what can you car do to save you given the context of the accident it's about to have? That's a very cool idea.

mannykannot | karma 12335 | avg karma 1.96 · | 2022-06-27 09:59:50

With the mass of the motor behind it, I would guess the fuel tank would crumple like an empty beer can smashed against the rocks.

throwaway189262 | karma 1696 | avg karma 3.23 · | 2021-01-22 06:42:59

High speed satefy mechanisms could mitigate this. Put a grounded pad under the car and cut power if anything flows for more than a microsecond.

I think it's doable

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aidenn0 | karma 26449 | avg karma 2.17 · | 2014-10-19 23:41:27+00:00

This was a case of 12V power disappearing to a lot of systems; that still doesn't explain the slack harness, but electric pretensioners would certainly fail to work in a crash under such circumstances.