01-01-2010, 06:32 PM
Kathy,
Car collisions are actually quite complicated but think about this - the car driving at 60mph has a lot of kinetic energy that has to be converted into something else in a collision - more often than not to its passengers. A stationary car has no kinetic energy to lose. In a collision between a fast moving car and one that is stationary energy will be transferred and I'd prefer to be in neither car. Given the choice though, I'd rather not be in the one that goes from 60-mph to zero in a very short space of time to the one that goes backwards at a much slower velocity.
If cars acted like billiard balls then it doesn't matter what car you're in, but they don't.
In other words, Rob's advice is right.
I do have a little bit of a background in physics but admit I haven't thought this through thoroughly, but the car moving fast is the one that has most to lose.
Rob - one thing I'd worry about with your advice - does turning off the engine disable the airbags? I think it does and would prefer them to work. If you're in a stationary car and get shunted from in front, your head is going to hit the steering wheel unless the bags are active.
Tom
Car collisions are actually quite complicated but think about this - the car driving at 60mph has a lot of kinetic energy that has to be converted into something else in a collision - more often than not to its passengers. A stationary car has no kinetic energy to lose. In a collision between a fast moving car and one that is stationary energy will be transferred and I'd prefer to be in neither car. Given the choice though, I'd rather not be in the one that goes from 60-mph to zero in a very short space of time to the one that goes backwards at a much slower velocity.
If cars acted like billiard balls then it doesn't matter what car you're in, but they don't.
In other words, Rob's advice is right.
I do have a little bit of a background in physics but admit I haven't thought this through thoroughly, but the car moving fast is the one that has most to lose.
Rob - one thing I'd worry about with your advice - does turning off the engine disable the airbags? I think it does and would prefer them to work. If you're in a stationary car and get shunted from in front, your head is going to hit the steering wheel unless the bags are active.
Tom