getting airbags like in the us version ?
Discussion
aelord said:
...an unneccessary obsession with belt and braces safety at the expense of agility and performance, coupled with a rare fondness for EU regulations.
...plus a lack of ability and an insecurity that you are going to crash...
The best defence against accidents is to do your Advanced driving. Airbags treat the symptom, not the cause.
Or go buy a volvo... (bleugh, hack, spit)
Airbags are unfortunately not the panacea of car safety - they do have a place, but the impact they have made on road deaths / serious injuries is not as great as originally thought. Indeed in my 13 years or so working in A&E (consultant for the past 5), I have seen many devastating injuries arising from the airbags themselves - particularly in people who sit close to the steering wheel. The most recent patient I recall was left blind in 1 eye and with <20% vision in the other.
The biggest single safety feature resulting in a reduction in road deaths was achieved with the introduction of compulsory seatbelts. Various road safety organisations worldwide have suggested that the step that would cause the next big reduction in road deaths would actually be to make people wear helmets in cars!
The elise has an extremely rigid monocoque aluminium chassis. This chassis does offer a certain amount of protection in itself, in particular from the side. It is built along the lines of a racing car. Ever hear of a racing car that has airbags? Yet in high speed collisions on racetracks, drivers walk away from collisions that would be fatal in road cars. Front airbags are designed to prevent the driver / passenger hitting the dashboard / steering column. The same result can largely be achieved with a full harness system (standard on exige and many have installed them on the elise) This will certainly prevent any chance of hitting the steering column.
Airbags need to be properly built into the vehicle with sensors on appropriate crumple zones. 2 stage inflation systems are better than the early types. Personally I would not consider an aftermarket installation even if this became available. If you want an elise, then you are considering a very special and unique car built on the Chapman philosophy of speed and handling through light weight. The increasingly heavy additions to the car in recent years are all having a negative impact on the original design philosophy. More power is then needed etc etc.
If you want an elise and are concerned, get a full harness system installed and forget the airbags in a car of this type. Otherwise you may want to consider something a bit more comfort orientated. That said, the Mclaren F1 / TVR's / Nobles and the like get to far higher top speeds (a few forum members excepted) yet also lack airbags. I am not even sure about the Pagani Zonda.
Good luck and I hope this is helpful in some way.
Cheers
Andrew
The biggest single safety feature resulting in a reduction in road deaths was achieved with the introduction of compulsory seatbelts. Various road safety organisations worldwide have suggested that the step that would cause the next big reduction in road deaths would actually be to make people wear helmets in cars!
The elise has an extremely rigid monocoque aluminium chassis. This chassis does offer a certain amount of protection in itself, in particular from the side. It is built along the lines of a racing car. Ever hear of a racing car that has airbags? Yet in high speed collisions on racetracks, drivers walk away from collisions that would be fatal in road cars. Front airbags are designed to prevent the driver / passenger hitting the dashboard / steering column. The same result can largely be achieved with a full harness system (standard on exige and many have installed them on the elise) This will certainly prevent any chance of hitting the steering column.
Airbags need to be properly built into the vehicle with sensors on appropriate crumple zones. 2 stage inflation systems are better than the early types. Personally I would not consider an aftermarket installation even if this became available. If you want an elise, then you are considering a very special and unique car built on the Chapman philosophy of speed and handling through light weight. The increasingly heavy additions to the car in recent years are all having a negative impact on the original design philosophy. More power is then needed etc etc.
If you want an elise and are concerned, get a full harness system installed and forget the airbags in a car of this type. Otherwise you may want to consider something a bit more comfort orientated. That said, the Mclaren F1 / TVR's / Nobles and the like get to far higher top speeds (a few forum members excepted) yet also lack airbags. I am not even sure about the Pagani Zonda.
Good luck and I hope this is helpful in some way.
Cheers
Andrew
Well said Shanghai!
The interesting thing about the airbags in the US cars is that they are compulsory. Every car in the US is fitted with a seatbelt but you do not have to wear it. It was easier to make airbags compulsory than to make wearing a seat belt law. (crazy americans)
The airbag system in US cars is designed to deal with un restrained bodies bouncing around the interior and are therefore very big systems. These do not translate well into the european situation where the main work is done by the seat belt and the airbag is to stop the worst of the contact with dash.
Shanghi had some top advice.
The interesting thing about the airbags in the US cars is that they are compulsory. Every car in the US is fitted with a seatbelt but you do not have to wear it. It was easier to make airbags compulsory than to make wearing a seat belt law. (crazy americans)
The airbag system in US cars is designed to deal with un restrained bodies bouncing around the interior and are therefore very big systems. These do not translate well into the european situation where the main work is done by the seat belt and the airbag is to stop the worst of the contact with dash.
Shanghi had some top advice.
Re Harnesses - several choices for a standard elise. You need a harness bar - installed behind the seats where the top of the inertial reel seatbelts bolt in. You can keep the inertial reels in for town driving and tuck the harnesses behind the seat. The drawback of the harness is reaching things like the cd player - solved that by buying a remote.
For harnesses and bars try:
www.eliseparts.com/
www.hangar111.com/shop/limited/products/listharnesses.htm
Mine were about £300 all in.
Cheers
Andrew
For harnesses and bars try:
www.eliseparts.com/
www.hangar111.com/shop/limited/products/listharnesses.htm
Mine were about £300 all in.
Cheers
Andrew
I have the same airbag and wheel as the US Elise in my Opel Speedster, but I looked into harness systems for improved driver location on track. These were the findings that I was able to gain from various Lotus/VX220/Speedster forums:
Trouble is, that a harness with standard seats (without cut-outs) is not so safe as it might at first appear, as there is a risk of the driver slipping forward under loading as the (too) widely placed shoulder belts move further apart.
Secondly, with a typical 4-point harness, there is a risk of "submarining" where the driver slips forward on the seat cushion.
To achieve reliable driver location, the seats need cut-outs (the standard seats can be easily modded) or replacing with purpose-built racing seats AND a 5/6 point harness is needed to firmly locate the crotch (not so comfirtable in every day use), Furthermore, for safe location of the harness, strengthening of the seat frame or replacement with a opurpose-built one is really necessary.
Seemed like a lot of effort to me, but if I did not have the 3-point + airbag, I think I would go the (properly done) harness route.
Trouble is, that a harness with standard seats (without cut-outs) is not so safe as it might at first appear, as there is a risk of the driver slipping forward under loading as the (too) widely placed shoulder belts move further apart.
Secondly, with a typical 4-point harness, there is a risk of "submarining" where the driver slips forward on the seat cushion.
To achieve reliable driver location, the seats need cut-outs (the standard seats can be easily modded) or replacing with purpose-built racing seats AND a 5/6 point harness is needed to firmly locate the crotch (not so comfirtable in every day use), Furthermore, for safe location of the harness, strengthening of the seat frame or replacement with a opurpose-built one is really necessary.
Seemed like a lot of effort to me, but if I did not have the 3-point + airbag, I think I would go the (properly done) harness route.
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