4GUK

I was having a good old fashioned debate with my girlfriend over what would be safer in a typical driver pulls out on you at 30-40mph crash.


Its between a motorbike and a 1960 classic car. Generally cars are safer but...

The bike you have armour and a helmet and can flip/slide/roll out of the crash and will have better brakes.
And the classic car has no seat belts, no crumple zones, bench seats etc. I just see myself smacking my head on the dash or flying out the window.

So in this case could the motorbike actually be safer ?

She has been moaning at me for getting a motorbike yet I called her a hypocrit for driving a car with no seatbelts

Every motorbike owner I know, knows someone that has been injured or worse.
A car can be modified to be safer.
Car > motorbike for me.

Saying that I knew more people who have died in car crashes than motorbike crashes.

And the car is a stock Hillman minx 1960. And you can't fit useful seat belts with out welding in some kind of cage which isn't going to happen as its a classic not a race car.

I think best would be to wear a helmet in the Minx.

the biker will come off worse. you cant fall off a car but you can fall off a bike and then be run over

But falling off is good in this situation, would you rather hit a metal bar at 30mph or roll on the road at 30mph.

If it was a modern car with seat belts i'd take the car but in this situation I think I would rather crash on a bike.

Nah the car every time for me. falling off is only good if you have nothing coming the other way or curbs to hit or cliffs to fall down

But you have to hit something inside the car ? Unless you go through the windscreen and then your in the same boat as the biker. Honestly there is nothing holding you inside this car A more normal classic I'd go with the car but in this case I can't see the car being better.

it is clear you have made your mind up already so I will say no more...........

Either way your surviving and getting hurt, although id say the likelyhood of a serious neck/back injury is alot higher coming off the bike, worst case scenario in the car, mangled legs and smashed face, which wouldn't bother a lad as much but put that to your girlfriend and see how she reacts!

Car every time, but lets face it though even in a 4g if you get hit at 30 or 40 side impact you are seriously lucky to survive, older members will remember the remains of chapmans old 4g after a side impact crash at similar speeds

I would generally just take the side of, look twice and don't get crashed into

walsh123 wrote:Car every time, but lets face it though even in a 4g if you get hit at 30 or 40 side impact you are seriously lucky to survive, older members will remember the remains of chapmans old 4g after a side impact crash at similar speeds

I would generally just take the side of, look twice and don't get crashed into

Should be pics of said Civic round here somewhere

Went to see one of my best friends in Hospital yesterday,
he had a accident the day before, whilst riding his gixter,
some Ar*eHole in a car jumped infront of him,
causing him to smash in the back of the car,
my friend has a broken arm, a fractured pelvis, and some muscle damage,
but requires further medical tests.

Im a Biker too, it makes you think,
Ive had a few near misses myself from other inconsiderate roadusers.
So i would personelly stick with the classic car, and enhance it alittle.
But thats just my opinion.

At the end of the day, the balls in your court, and its your decision.

Neither are "safe" but for what it's worth, I'd rather be in the car.

I've had two mates crash head on into a tree in an old Mini about 30mph or so, an came out relatively unscathed. I've also had a friend who had a car pull out whilst on his bike, hit the car, again about 30mph and after being thrown from the bike, hit a concrete bollard, resulting in all his ribs breaking and both lungs collapsing, minutes after, he was gone.

Now I'm not stating this as gospel or fact, but if it was me, I'd rather be in the car.

Though saying that, I'd rather just not crash at all

I can see advantages of both. I guess it all depends on luck at the end of the day.

I just hope I don't crash now You've all put me off !!

Can't get crushed or trapped inside a bike,
If you roll a car at speed (without a cage) your unlikely to live, on a bike you can slide along and leave the bike.

Too many people just say 'bikes are dangerous' when most people that I know that ride are much safer drivers/riders. It gives you a real sense of being defensive on the road,
People say 'it's everyone else' which is true, but you learn to make eye coñtay at junctions expecting everything to go wrong.

Bikes aren't that un safe.