Hybrid Cars Safer in Crashes, Insurer's Study
11-27-11, 07:18 PM
#1
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Hybrid Cars Safer in Crashes, Insurer's Study
Hybrid vehicles are 25 percent safer for their occupants than conventional fuel models but are more hazardous for pedestrians, according to a study from an insurance institute released on Thursday.
Hybrids, which rely on electric and internal combustion motors, have a safety edge in collisions because their batteries make them 10 percent heavier on average than their standard counterparts, according to the report from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).
"This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don't have," Matt Moore, an HLDI vice president and an author of the report, said in a statement on the study.
On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people riding in non-hybrid models.
In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid versus the conventional version of the same vehicle.
The analysis included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all of them 2003-2011 models, with at least one collision claim and at least one related injury claim filed from 2002 to 2010.
In a separate analysis, HLDI said hybrids may be as much as 20 percent more likely to be involved in pedestrian crashes with injuries than their standard twins.
The reason for the increased likelihood of crashes is that when hybrids are operating in electric-only mode pedestrians cannot hear them coming, Moore said.
Congress this year gave the Highway Traffic Safety Administration three years to come up with a requirement for equipping hybrids and electric models with sounds to alert unsuspecting pedestrians.
HLDI is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, Virginia.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/...#ixzz1exyFixXy
Hybrids, which rely on electric and internal combustion motors, have a safety edge in collisions because their batteries make them 10 percent heavier on average than their standard counterparts, according to the report from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).
"This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don't have," Matt Moore, an HLDI vice president and an author of the report, said in a statement on the study.
On average, the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people riding in non-hybrid models.
In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid versus the conventional version of the same vehicle.
The analysis included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all of them 2003-2011 models, with at least one collision claim and at least one related injury claim filed from 2002 to 2010.
In a separate analysis, HLDI said hybrids may be as much as 20 percent more likely to be involved in pedestrian crashes with injuries than their standard twins.
The reason for the increased likelihood of crashes is that when hybrids are operating in electric-only mode pedestrians cannot hear them coming, Moore said.
Congress this year gave the Highway Traffic Safety Administration three years to come up with a requirement for equipping hybrids and electric models with sounds to alert unsuspecting pedestrians.
HLDI is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, Virginia.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/...#ixzz1exyFixXy
Bad news for those that hate hybrids.
11-27-11, 11:58 PM
#2
Lexus Test Driver
For decades it was said smaller cars could be just as safe as larger, heavier cars. Now, after all that, they are finally saying what I've thought to be most logical all along. The car that weighs more is going to cause more impact to the car it hits. It's simple mass vs. mass. Since hybrids weigh more, they can be safer when hitting a smaller car.
However, there's a caveat. If a larger car hits a wall, there's more mass and weight forces, causing more deformation and cabin intrusion, but all at a slower stop rate (more force and material to deform takes longer to happen). Opposite for the light car hitting a wall. Less mass pushing into the wall would equate less deformation, but the decceleration rate would be faster, in turn causing more human injury (neck, etc). The burning question is, what causes more human injury: The decceleration rate, or higher forces with more deformation and cabin intrusion?
However, there's a caveat. If a larger car hits a wall, there's more mass and weight forces, causing more deformation and cabin intrusion, but all at a slower stop rate (more force and material to deform takes longer to happen). Opposite for the light car hitting a wall. Less mass pushing into the wall would equate less deformation, but the decceleration rate would be faster, in turn causing more human injury (neck, etc). The burning question is, what causes more human injury: The decceleration rate, or higher forces with more deformation and cabin intrusion?
11-28-11, 05:01 AM
#3
Lead Lap
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This is true. My insurance company came up with a Green vehicle discount for my RX450h. It costs less to insure the car than either of my previous IS350 or Vibe on a multicar vehicles policy ( the RX is on a single car policy). It's full of wins 
11-28-11, 09:41 AM
#5
Lexus Champion
Sounds good (if it's true).
With that said:
I do wonder how hybrids fare against floods compared to regular autos.
There's a lot of electrical equipment in a hybrid and as you obviously know water + electricity = deadly.
Hopefully, the manufacturers have protective measures to counter against such
With that said:
I do wonder how hybrids fare against floods compared to regular autos.
There's a lot of electrical equipment in a hybrid and as you obviously know water + electricity = deadly.
Hopefully, the manufacturers have protective measures to counter against such
11-28-11, 10:37 AM
#6
For decades it was said smaller cars could be just as safe as larger, heavier cars. Now, after all that, they are finally saying what I've thought to be most logical all along. The car that weighs more is going to cause more impact to the car it hits. It's simple mass vs. mass. Since hybrids weigh more, they can be safer when hitting a smaller car.
However, there's a caveat. If a larger car hits a wall, there's more mass and weight forces, causing more deformation and cabin intrusion, but all at a slower stop rate (more force and material to deform takes longer to happen). Opposite for the light car hitting a wall. Less mass pushing into the wall would equate less deformation, but the decceleration rate would be faster, in turn causing more human injury (neck, etc). The burning question is, what causes more human injury: The decceleration rate, or higher forces with more deformation and cabin intrusion?
However, there's a caveat. If a larger car hits a wall, there's more mass and weight forces, causing more deformation and cabin intrusion, but all at a slower stop rate (more force and material to deform takes longer to happen). Opposite for the light car hitting a wall. Less mass pushing into the wall would equate less deformation, but the decceleration rate would be faster, in turn causing more human injury (neck, etc). The burning question is, what causes more human injury: The decceleration rate, or higher forces with more deformation and cabin intrusion?
11-28-11, 11:18 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
One of the things that surprises me with gas/electric hybrids is why we don't hear of more fires from rear-end impacts. 
In most cases, the gas tank is just to the rear and below the big hybrid battery-pack, which itself is usually just below and behind the rear-seat. In a serious rear-impact, the gas tank could rupture at the same time that the battery-pack does, producing sparks. If the two should come in contact with each other, the result would be obvious.
In most cases, the gas tank is just to the rear and below the big hybrid battery-pack, which itself is usually just below and behind the rear-seat. In a serious rear-impact, the gas tank could rupture at the same time that the battery-pack does, producing sparks. If the two should come in contact with each other, the result would be obvious.
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11-28-11, 11:26 AM
#8
One of the things that surprises me with gas/electric hybrids is why we don't hear of more fires from rear-end impacts. In most cases, the gas tank is just to the rear and below the big hybrid battery-pack, which itself is usually just below and behind the rear-seat. In a serious rear-impact, the gas tank could rupture at the same time that the battery-pack does, producing sparks. If the two should come in contact with each other, the result would be obvious.
In most cases, the gas tank is just to the rear and below the big hybrid battery-pack, which itself is usually just below and behind the rear-seat. In a serious rear-impact, the gas tank could rupture at the same time that the battery-pack does, producing sparks. If the two should come in contact with each other, the result would be obvious.
11-28-11, 11:35 AM
#9
One of the things that surprises me with gas/electric hybrids is why we don't hear of more fires from rear-end impacts. In most cases, the gas tank is just to the rear and below the big hybrid battery-pack, which itself is usually just below and behind the rear-seat. In a serious rear-impact, the gas tank could rupture at the same time that the battery-pack does, producing sparks. If the two should come in contact with each other, the result would be obvious.
In most cases, the gas tank is just to the rear and below the big hybrid battery-pack, which itself is usually just below and behind the rear-seat. In a serious rear-impact, the gas tank could rupture at the same time that the battery-pack does, producing sparks. If the two should come in contact with each other, the result would be obvious.so you dont see a lot of it because not many volts were sold :-)
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