Crash tests for dummies

June 11, 2007 9:17 AM

Consumer Reports has videos of over 150 different models of cars and trucks in crash tests. If you drive something much larger, learn about train crash tests, or, much more dramatically, watch crash tests of trains carrying nuclear flasks and airplanes. After you have seen it done, try to achieve the most dangerous crashes yourself with the Truck Dismount freeware game. [previously on truck dismount and airplanes]
posted by blahblahblah (18 comments total)

..oops linked to a different nuclear flask video than I intended, try this one if you just want dramatic crashes, including a "train powered by a rocket sled"! (YouTube)
posted by blahblahblah at 9:23 AM on June 11, 2007

The revised YouTube link is pretty good.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:33 AM on June 11, 2007

Why you shouldn't try to cheat the crossing gates.
posted by ninjew at 9:43 AM on June 11, 2007

I feel sorry for the guy that has to drive that train. Man, you couldn't pay me enough...
posted by Pollomacho at 9:46 AM on June 11, 2007

I was pretty surprised at how well the Mini Cooper did in the Consumer Reports video - I always just sort of assumed that the Mini would just crumple in an accident.
posted by OverlappingElvis at 10:10 AM on June 11, 2007

There's something very sad about seeing your own model of car go squish.

And I'm not too happy about the side impact test. Ouch.
posted by Foosnark at 10:20 AM on June 11, 2007

Those crash-test videos are a little scary and a lot of fun. There's some great slightly-too-colorful editorial commentary in there, too. Check out the Scion xB: "the boxy xB flies into the air. The accident looks horrific, but the driver is likely to escape unharmed."

The side impact test is very frightening, especially the video from inside the car.
posted by RogerB at 11:01 AM on June 11, 2007

Watching several crash tests in a row made me feel a little sick. However, and this may sound a little strange after what I just said, watching some of the internal, slow-mo video of the glass pieces flying after a side impact was sort of lovely.
posted by inconsequentialist at 11:10 AM on June 11, 2007

Yeah, I'm sorry I watched the side-impact for my own car. At least I'll survive a head-on crash.
posted by evilcolonel at 11:14 AM on June 11, 2007

But did they test the flight capability of the Reliant Robin?
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:18 AM on June 11, 2007

The BMW Formula 1, though not listed, does well. Robert Kubica has a sprained ankle and a slight concussion.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:14 PM on June 11, 2007

And on other Digg posts today...
posted by mattoxic at 12:55 PM on June 11, 2007

In contrast, there's the Jiangling Landwind, which the testing authority gave zero stars. Puts things in perspective.
posted by meowzilla at 2:06 PM on June 11, 2007

There's something very sad about seeing your own model of car go squish...
...especially when the test car is the same color as your own! Eek!
After watching the tests of every car my family owns, let me just say: side impact air bags are essential!
posted by Lord Kinbote at 2:57 PM on June 11, 2007

CuriosityFilter: If I was in the US, would I really be driving a Mahrz-duh 3? Or is the voiceover guy channelling Henry Kissinger?
posted by Pinback at 5:52 PM on June 11, 2007

The video gives the standard US pronunciation of "Mazda," as used also in Mazda's advertisements here. The first "a" in the US "Mazda" is definitely that of "father" rather than "cat," which I gather is the Commonwealth pronunciation (?). (Of course, we'd never write it "Mahrz-duh," because that has an "r" sound in the middle of it when read by an American.)
posted by RogerB at 6:57 PM on June 11, 2007

Truck Dismount! Yeah, that OK, but I really dug Porrasturvat, or "Stair Dismount". I'm 44, and never really made the transition from pinball to video games. My girlfriend works in the games group at Microsoft, so I'm familiar with how the high-end stuff works and looks, but there have only been one or two video games I could enjoy at all: Porrasturvat and Katamari Damacy. Asteroids; fey, Halo; meh, but Stair Dismount; yeah baby!!!
posted by Tube at 7:29 PM on June 11, 2007

Thanks for that, RogerB. Yeah, I over-emphasised the 'r' sound because it was just so odd to my ear. I can confirm it's definitely pronounced with short 'a' sounds here in Aus.

I'm just glad I didn't buy a Knee-sahn ;-)
posted by Pinback at 1:18 AM on June 19, 2007