Dummies Safe When '08 Malibu Crashed
Summary
More remarkable is the fact that rather than putting on something of a prissy test (i.e., ramming the car into a deformable barrier at a relatively low speed), GM went whole hog -- the car is smashed into a solid structure (covered with nothing but a sheet of plywood to protect the barrier) at 56 kilometres an hour. This is the equivalent of two Malibus ramming each other head-on, each travelling 56 km/h, resulting in an impact speed of 112 km/h.
After the impact, the Malibu sits there battered but with its passenger compartment intact. The front end, which had crumpled to about a third of its original length, looked like hell, but it did what it was supposed to do -- protect the occupants. The Malibu's roof did not buckle, so the glass sunroof was still in place (no splintering glass showering the occupants), and the doors, which remained shut, had a very minor outward bow at the top of the front side window surrounds.Inside, the seats were a little twisted (this happens because the seat belt only restrains one side of the dummy/seat), the airbags were hanging limp and the windshield was cracked (broken by the door from the passenger's side airbag compartment hitting it). All of the crumpling and cushioning (if that's what you call the airbag's job) allows the dummies to survive unscathed.See the full content of this document
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Dummies Safe When '08 Malibu Crashed
GM expects top marks for safety when crash-test results assessed
By Graeme FletcherTORONTO -- BANG! In less time than it takes to blink, a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu is transformed from functional to writeoff. The forces and agonizing noises that accompan...See the full content of this document
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