Check out this local news article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/sto...ton-crash.html

Now, I know Civics are far from the safest vehicles on the road. But this picture really got to me...the van literally went right through the back seat of this Civic. The van needs a new bumper and grill, and possibly a new radiator. The Civic is a total write-off. The article doesn't mention the speed, but the difference in overall damage from the Civic compared to the van is startling. The Civic crumpled like a tin can.

Too bad there is no way to make our cars safer...

 

damb, thats my hometown to. milton ftw

 

That's not really surprising. Bigger will always win.

 

You can say that from any other car from that era being hit by a full ton truck.

There is nothing that can or would of prevented such damage , as in take a corrolla, cavalier , etc they all would of suffered the same damage.

An dwe all cant drive ford Navigators or other big SUVs.

 

Also, imagine what would happen to that same van if it were rear ended by a semi. I know it sucks, but sometimes accidents just happen.

 

that's a big AASSS VAN

 

ive been hit head on by a semi in a little holden down in new zealand. and all that happened was i got some minor head trauma broke both my legs...severely. we had to be jaws of lifed outta the car.

most cars as said would do this. theres nothing but crunch room in a trunk. id imagine the van was going pretty fast though for all that damage. and being a work truck loaded heavy.

 

Any econo hatch back car would suffer the same damage for a hit like that from a large heavy van

 

Also it seems the Civic was parked/stopped and the van collided with it at full speed.

Parked econobox vs 5000lbs full frame/body truck , even a volvo ( rated safest in that era ) would of taken the same damage.

 

I've always figured that the trunk area would absorb some impact and prevent the back seat from being compromised...I was wrong. The back seat is not a safe place to be. It's a shame for the child in the article. She can't be in the front because of the airbag. And in the back, her head probably took the hit from the van's grill.

I can't believe that is a Civic sedan. Imagine that was a hatch?

 

no where in a car is safe to be depending on where you happen to get hit. a ****ing meteor could crash through the roof and kill you. you just never know.

 

This.

 

^^^ This.

I'd say that van had to have been going 50+ mph faster than the Civic. Any car of similar size would have taken the same damage.

 

Thats the risk driving smaller cars. Any car hit with enough mass and force will crush. People driving large vehicles need to be better trained to drive them. The US requirements for licenses are a joke. Can you drive straight? Turn? ok youre good to go.

 

Its hard to find a happy medium. A buddy got last year a navigator for his wife and child ( so she can drive it etc ).

He was in an accident in an Accord and the car got crushed bad ( from behind ) so he became paranoid and now has the navigator a 4500lb SUV with a 8lt motor that gets 6mpg to feel safe.

And guess what happened , she slid it into a pole and wrote off the truck ( child was not in car ).

Anyways, we all have to drive defensively. Tooooooo many unsafe/untrained/not sutable drivers out there.

 

and please dont get me wrong, Im not saying the civic is great. A subaru does beat it in safety and structural stiffness. Eventually want to convince the wife she looks great in a black forester ( but she hates the looks ) , so maybe a legacy .

and
even the 5000 lbs cars get smashed

 

Ouch, and thats with a coupe. Hate to see what it'd do to a del sol lol.

 

I thought it looked like a sedan, personally. But yeah, a del sol or civic hatchback would be brutal.

 

def a large difference in speed there, the hood flew back which indicates a huge impact.... i agree with the volvo statement.. its just a matter of the size of the 2 cars..

 

I agree with most that any car of similar size would have ended up the same way. That's a big van and as said looked as if it were moving at a lot higher speed than the Civic..Just think if that was a SMART CAR instead of a civic. Probably the whole car would be UNDER the van.


Bigger will always win.

 

I actually lost my best friend whom crashed in a civic. It was an EJ8, creepy **** was, i was supposed to be with him that night. The crash was so devastating, the front of the civic looked like the back of an EK Hatch.

R.I.P. Samuth Pen
http://www.trafficaccidentnewsandadv...g_way_fat.html

 

Now this is making me have second thoughts on carrying a baby around in my car. Me and my gf argue back and forth every once in a while about having our soon to be born child in the backseat of my ej1. The main argument is the fact that its a coupe an it doesnt seem easy to put in and take out the baby but after seeing this I might just go home kiss her say im sorry and trade in the ej1(yea right lol). I think im better off getting a extra car though just incase.

I really hope that girl and her mom turns out ok.

 

Couldnt agree anymore...everyday I drive if I dont pay attention to other drivers on the road I would average 2-3 accidents a day if I even survive the first 1.

 

actually the passenger compartment looks pretty good
considering the size and speed of that van
I TL ed an '02 Civic SI and walked away with a scratch
I have great respect for Honda Safety

 

off topic, but 2 doors SUCK to for having a little one in the back. Trust me get a 4 door. Much easier.

When I use my car with the baby seat ( rarely ) , Its a pain in the as$ . 4 door = much better.