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Author Topic: Auto Designers Unhappy  (Read 4551 times)

S60

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Auto Designers Unhappy
« on: December 07, 2004, 12:21:07 pm »
“Making a front-engine sports car look good with a low bonnet line is going to be very hard in the future,â€? says Russell Carr, design chief at Lotus.  

But it is not just sports cars that will be affected. The new rules will transform the design of every new car brought on to the market after 2005. Existing models will have to comply from 2012. The new legislation has been 18 years in the making and was given full EU approval last month.  

“What is going to happen in the early stages is a complete redesign for cars,â€? says Graham Lawrence, the Transport Research Laboratory’s pedestrian safety expert and one of the architects of the new law, who believes a considerable number of pedestrian lives will be saved by the measures. “This is not a bolt-on safety solution. We have to rethink the way cars are made.â€?  

The big manufacturers are set to respond by unveiling a string of pedestrian-friendly models over the next two years, but many designers remain unhappy.  

http://www.walk.com.au/pedestriancouncil/Page.asp?PageID=607
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Offline safristi

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« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2004, 12:31:59 pm »
Whats a "Pedestrian"..those orange cone shaped things on a Slalom run???
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Offline jeeper

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« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2004, 12:35:34 pm »
come on...
i just cant believe in what i've just read!!

hope this new regulation stays very well closed in europe...
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Offline sirAQUAMAN64

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« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2004, 01:00:58 pm »

It's very controversal.

Makes sense in Europe - if you've been there, you can understand why it's a valuable safety regulation. But it's devastating to sports car makers, especially specialized smaller shops (as the article suggests). Companies like Benz are working on exterior hood/grille airbags, but small sports car makers probably couldn't engineer such technology into their cars, and it would go against the whole spirit of the simplistic sports car.  

Obviously this will have an impact around the globe. I don't think automakers will graft special front-ends on cars only for Europe. They could, or make modest detail changes, but nothing significant. European design has traditionally been trend-setting, so it'll be interesting if the pedestrian-friendly fronts will be made fashionable, or if purchasing a vehicle that is not pedestrian friendly will be considered a social faux-pas.  

I didn't know the timeline regarding current cars on the market (no redesign needed till 2012). But I know carmakers are rushing their last swoopy efforts to market ASAP before '05 rules take effect. Hope they design the things properly, or it'll be recall city.
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Offline Snowman

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« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2004, 01:20:50 pm »
I’m a designer….no comment …pass me that joint.

I think it is time we remove the problem drivers as opposed to protecting pedestrians. No amount of safety design will compensate for fack-ups:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/12/07/boys.hit.ap/index.html
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Offline safristi

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« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2004, 01:27:38 pm »
It's OK ..she has mental problems..prolly get 2 weeks house arrest...!!!Maybe they could put her face on the front of vehicles..that would keep the pedestrians away....

ugh
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Offline Drivesideways

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« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2004, 01:30:40 pm »
Talk about yer grill-mounted airBAG.
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Offline ovr50

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« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2004, 01:35:30 pm »
Maybe we could all drive pillows w wheels. Save us from the world full of do-gooders !!
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Offline safristi

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« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2004, 01:40:09 pm »
Maybe she just needed an eye exam...

http://www.menshealth.com/eyechart/index.html
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Offline ovr50

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« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2004, 01:47:39 pm »
All I can see is E E E E
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Offline wing

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« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2004, 02:03:32 pm »
What gets me is trucks, ever see the back of a tanker or something similar, the STEEL bar with NO give is right about the height of my windshield in my subaru, how is THAT safe?  Make the bumpers lower on trucks, otherwise a lot more cars will be going UNDER those trunks on impact.
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Offline sirAQUAMAN64

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« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2004, 03:01:10 pm »

You guys are too much!  

Like the eye exam, and I'm sure that bag u'd keep me well clear. That's some frigged up person - shouldn't be allowed to roam, nevermind behind the wheel of a vehicle. Reminds me of the retaliation attacks on people in the Toronto area recently. Can't help but shake my head.

And yeah, agreed. It's the trucks that should have skirts around them.
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S60

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« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2004, 03:14:33 pm »
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Offline si

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« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2004, 03:52:55 pm »
I know how to solve this problem. Look both ways before crossing a road.

Then again, you feel lucky?

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/carflip.mpg
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Smainville

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« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2004, 10:00:42 pm »
I was first introduced to those pedestrian friendly cars when I was shopping last June.  The new 05 Legacy is such a car according to the salesman, the hood is made of aluminum.  What I don't understand is what difference is that going to make at 50 kmh, the bumper is the first point of impact!  
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Offline The Fuzz

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« Reply #15 on: December 08, 2004, 10:15:34 pm »
The bumper just breaks their legs, it's the head hitting the windshield as they flip over the car that does the most damage. Trust me on this one.
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Offline Drivesideways

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« Reply #16 on: December 09, 2004, 12:43:00 am »
Responded to a few too many of those ones I bet, eh City?
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Offline The Fuzz

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« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2004, 01:01:23 am »
One is too many....and I've been to more than one!
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Offline jimmery

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« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2004, 01:25:03 am »
Robarakira, your linked video wrecked my evening.  I think I understand why the link was put there (to show the importance of common sense, safety, not crossing busy roads, etc.) but nevertheless I think this video is tasteless.  I respectfully ask you to remove the link, if not for my (or others') comfort, then for the respect of human dignity.
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Offline maritime_storm

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« Reply #19 on: December 09, 2004, 01:58:48 am »
Actually Honda has been advertising that they were doing this for about 3 - 4 months now{this could explain the new styling on the Accord & Civic}. My question is this, should they be designing a car to run over pedestrians?
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