[Healeys] "No, they don't make them like they used to. And that's a good thing:"

[Tom]

Yup, that steering wheel is a safety feature.   One must engage the
brain before engaging the clutch.   What's scary is the feeling of
invincibility many drivers get from all the "safety" features in
modern cars.

- Tom

On Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 8:06 PM, WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <ynotink at msn.com> wrote:
> An 80 MPH closing speed means both vehicles were traveling at 40 MPH. That's
> not all that fast. Colliding with another vehicle instead of an immovable
> object would lessen the impact due to the structural collapse of both
> vehicles. The newer car is stiffer and has structural elements that channel
> the forces away from the passenger compartment. It also had functional air
> bags that absorbed the force of the passenger's body to mitigate injury. The
> foot injury would likely be caused by collapse of the wheel well/footwell
> structure, which is a common weak point. The rider in the older car basically
> turns into a projectile and is at the mercy of the designers of the car. In
> the 50s hard surfaces and sharp objects were quite common in automobile
> interiors.
> Take a look at the steering column on your Healey. Now if that's not an
> incentive to drive it responsibly...
> Bill Lawrence