Would you sell your car if it had no curtain airbags?

[^__^ SM ^__^]

Hi everyone,

With all the stuff on TV and government pushing for curtain airbag and stability control on new cars, do people go out selling their car if it had no curtain airbags or VSA?

How does this affect the price of 2nd hand car without the above once the law kicks in?

From safety point of view, are those 2 options only for highway driving or city driving as well?

Does it seem like a justified reason to upgrade car.... or doesn't it.... (from safety point of view)

Your thoughts please. Thanks in advance.

[shadou]

Pretty sure 2nd hand will not drop hugely that would be unfair to owners as for the safety aspect it's great to have but rarely used imo you need a pretty bad side impact to trigger side airbags and then the car will almost in all cases be written off due to the damage and the costs to replace the airbag and module and no I wouldn't sell up personally I've driven a honda eg for 3+ years with no ABS no airbags no safety lol but I drive safely and concentrate good enough

[HunterZero]

Curtain airbags and side airbags are definitely a useful safety feature and a good insurance policy, so yes, I would prefer to have them.

A friend of mine was t-boned in the driver's door a while back when another driver ran a stop sign at 50kph. Wrote off the car, but she escaped without anything more than bruises because of side airbags. Emergency services who attended said they were expecting to find someone with at least broken bones and head injuries.

This was the main reason I bought the Lux version with the extra airbags.

As for electronic driver assists... While anti-lock brakes are a definite must-have, seriously, if you drive in a manner that means VSA makes a difference, you probably shouldn't be driving on public roads... Not worth upgrading a car just for VSA. Just drive to the road conditions.

- HZ

[Rolo]

Curtain airbags and side airbags are definitely a useful safety feature and a good insurance policy, so yes, I would prefer to have them.

A friend of mine was t-boned in the driver's door a while back when another driver ran a stop sign at 50kph. Wrote off the car, but she escaped without anything more than bruises because of side airbags. Emergency services who attended said they were expecting to find someone with at least broken bones and head injuries.

This was the main reason I bought the Lux version with the extra airbags.

As for electronic driver assists... While anti-lock brakes are a definite must-have, seriously, if you drive in a manner that means VSA makes a difference, you probably shouldn't be driving on public roads... Not worth upgrading a car just for VSA. Just drive to the road conditions.

- HZ

I agree that kicking VSA in on public roads through hard driving is irresponsible but it's main purpose isn't to curb over-enthusiastic driving. The main purpose of the technology is to allow drivers to maintain control of their vehicle in emergency situations, helping to prevent the car from sliding out of control and potentially rolling over. In these situations, which are quite often out of your control, VSA is priceless. Avoiding the crash in the first place will always be more effective then airbags. As for upgrading just for VSA, depends on your priorities in regards to safety.

[HunterZero]

I agree that kicking VSA in on public roads through hard driving is irresponsible but it's main purpose isn't to curb over-enthusiastic driving. The main purpose of the technology is to allow drivers to maintain control of their vehicle in emergency situations, helping to prevent the car from sliding out of control and potentially rolling over. In these situations, which are quite often out of your control, VSA is priceless. Avoiding the crash in the first place will always be more effective then airbags. As for upgrading just for VSA, depends on your priorities in regards to safety.

You didn't quite catch my point. I wasn't talking only about 'over-enthusiastic driving'. I'm not saying VSA makes no difference at all. Quite the opposite, VSA is very good in the right circumstances. I am saying that people can and should drive in such a way that having VSA or not should not make a difference.

If you're in a big lumbering 4x4 with high center of gravity and poor handling, then yes, it is more likely it would make a difference. Or, if you frequently drive on poorer 2-way country roads at > 90kph, and needed to take evasive action onto the shoulder, it would help.

But a sensible modern sedan like the Honda Euro when driven at sensible speeds or at urban speed limits has more than enough mechanical grip under almost all conditions to cope with the normal driver reflex in an emergency to "slam on the brakes and steer a bit" (and this is why decent ABS is most important). In conditions like this, the limits of the car won't be reached so VSA won't make a difference.

99% of drivers just don't have the reflexes, composure or skill to overcome this reflex and drive out of an accident situation, VSA or not. I am pretty sure that most drivers would become terrified and cry uncle way before the limits of grip were achieved in a half decent car.

Most significantly, we don't really have a problem with icy roads in Australia as they do in Europe and North America, where VSA makes the most difference.

But my point is, the main problem that creates emergency situations comes from drivers who simply don't take the simplest of precautions and adjust their driving for the conditions, eg slowing down when it's wet or slowing more before blind corners.

- HZ

[Type R Positive]

I never worried about that shit untill I lived in kangaroo infested area.
So many busted up cars.....
Also the reason I got a prado instead of an evo.

[Mr_will]

I never worried about that shit untill I lived in kangaroo infested area.
So many busted up cars.....
Also the reason I got a prado instead of an evo.

because you wanted your car to roll over if you tried to swerve?

[Type R Positive]

because you wanted your car to roll over if you tried to swerve?

No, because I don't need to swerve.
(you shouldn't be swerving anyway.... City slicker!)

[Mr_will]

No, because I don't need to swerve.
(you shouldn't be swerving anyway.... City slicker!)

shouldnt, but most people do. takes a fair bit of driver training to overcome the instinct to swerve when faced with impending collision.

evo with perspex windscreen would be fiiine

[buddah51au]

I never worried about that shit untill I lived in kangaroo infested area.
So many busted up cars.....
Also the reason I got a prado instead of an evo.

They are nasty critters those roos, but give me a roo over a horse any night. As for airbags & VSA, I would like to think I have no need for them.

[[ IV 23 VI ]]

I sold my Accord, So I could buy my GS300, One of the main Reasons is because it has Airbags everywhere so they can protect my family.

[Type R Positive]

They are nasty critters those roos, but give me a roo over a horse any night. As for airbags & VSA, I would like to think I have no need for them.

Lol. I'm back up in the territory, so gotta watch the buffs!!!