[ajmat]

There is no direct front impact hence the sensors might not have caught the impact.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by GTO

[EcoSport] swerved to avoid a biker who suddenly came in his path and hit the divider. Car then moved to the left, hit the footpath and rolled. Driver suffered injuries. Airbags didn't activate.

The nature of the damage to the lower-right side of the red EcoSport is reminiscent of the earlier case where an EcoSport hit a culvert on the left (and the owner tried to pass it off as the wheel coming off).

The front crash structure doesn't seem to have taken any impact (the picture showing the top of the bonnet shows the sub frame intact and undamaged), the impact has started from the front wheel onwards. The front wheel apparently having made contact direct contact, its axle and suspension components have been ripped off and pushed backwards, impacting the area around the driver's foot well. This has caused noticeable intrusion in the driver's foot well, and also explains the various plastic bits that have popped off around the driver's side of the dashboard.

Would you know the nature of injuries to the driver? I suspect there may be injuries to the driver's feet/knees.

Originally Posted by ajmat

There is no direct front impact hence the sensors might not have caugth the impact

Agreed. While the front bumper/grille looks to be damaged, it doesn't seem to be the point of impact, but just looks like it fell off/was ripped off, and was subsequently placed there as part of moving the vehicle to the side. There's a picture showing the top of the bonnet where one can see the sub frame intact and undamaged.

The beige/greige colour of the lower part of the dashboard indicates this is a Titanium variant with 2 airbags, and not the Titanium+ with 6 airbags.

If it were a 6-airbag equipped car, I'd have been curious to see if the damage to the running board beneath the driver's foot well would have triggered a side/curtain airbag deployment.

I'm also glad to see that while there has been an impact to the A-pillar area (probably from the rollover), it has held up well. One thing that has tended to terrify me is seeing cars with crumpled A-pillars - if that pillar lets go, then its probably curtains.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

I'm also glad to see that while there has been an impact to the A-pillar area (probably from the rollover), it has held up well.

It may not be from a roll-over as the A-pillar has folded outwardly, possibly reacting to the pressure of the impact from the bonnet or the internal cage. Each accident is unique which leads to unique bending of various structures so I feel we can't really ascertain how each member of the frame holds up, though I agree that EcoSport is well put together and has passed every NCAP safety test with full marks.

So far with all the accident photos put up, I'd say Fiat holds up the best among all brands.. even the prestigious German trio fail when it comes to external toughness when compared to a Fiat. Fall into a dry gorge upside down? It survives protecting the occupant, hit by a lorry, it survived, hit a tree, it survived.. the front 33% took the full impact and not a scratch on the A-pillar.. really a sight to behold.

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

It may not be from a roll-over as the A-pillar has folded outwardly, possibly reacting to the pressure of the impact from the bonnet or the internal cage.

Agree

Originally Posted by arunphilip

...
...
The front crash structure doesn't seem to have taken any impact...
...
...
There's a picture showing the top of the bonnet where one can see the sub frame intact and undamaged.

Glad you took pain to write down your detailed analysis for the accidental Ecosport. Your analysis maybe true but personally I wouldn't trust any car sold in India until I come through results of crash tests of India bound car conducted in controlled environment, especially when one after other car has been failing in the GNCAP crash tests.

Of-late the way Ford has been evolving in India, least said is better about them as long as safety of the vehicle is concerned.

Quoting something relevant about Ecosport here:

"Ford India have made a whopping 300 changes in the EcoSport meant for Europe, as compared to the car sold in India. These 300 parts include much more than upgraded trim and plastic components. Even the body-in-white (term used for a car just after key components have been welded together) of the European EcoSport has a stronger structure than the Indian car, even though both specifications are manufactured at the same plant." -Source

Originally Posted by arunphilip

while there has been an impact to the A-pillar area (probably from the rollover), it has held up well. One thing that has tended to terrify me is seeing cars with crumpled A-pillars

More terrifying is deformation at the B pillar area which leads into crushing the front passengers between seat and dashboard.

We call it A pillar but its not actually just a pillar, its a much bigger unified structural component which starts from the bonnet and extends all the way till the C pillar. Very expensive and Strongest grade metal is used to construct this component. Some manufacturer use same grade metal and others use mix of the metal to construct it. (Though the majority of the manufacturers in India seem to be ignoring the grade of the metal at all, which is the reason structure of their cars fail during the crash tests)

Since only Indian bound cars matter to us, posting details of a well proven strongly built Indian car, Volkswagen Polo here:


Source: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post2885515



Now search and look at the crash test videos of the 'failed' Indian cars, all have deformations at B pillar area. Posting a picture for reference:


Source

[honeybee]

So whike every accident is unique and its effect on different components of the body frame unpredictable, we still have a winner when it comes to structural strength.

Isn't there something wrong?

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by honeybee

So whike every accident is unique and its effect on different components of the body frame unpredictable, we still have a winner when it comes to structural strength.

Isn't there something wrong?

Yes, lot of things can be wrong thats why the crash tests are important becasue they are held in 'controlled environment' where every car goes through same kind of test. You see the results and pick the right one for you.

But be caution, only India bound crash tests like 'GNCAP' carried out on the Indian cars matter to us. Euro, Latin, American or any other test doesn't hold any value for us even if performed on the same car model which is sold in India as well becasue the manufacturing standards are way different and manufacturers here don't yet have any serious accountability towards safety.

[JonSnow]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Now search and look at the crash test videos of the 'failed' Indian cars, all have deformations at B pillar area. Posting a picture for reference:

These tests are done for "moderate overlap" case. IIHS had introduced an additional test few years back for "small overlap", which is a much tougher test to pass (probably because the impact is transmitted across a narrower section). Even the more premium Ford Mustang's pillar gets deformed in this test shown below. The Camaro did well, while the Dodge Challenger performed worse.

https://youtu.be/z6Aqf_Tea6U

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Originally Posted by ajmat

There is no direct front impact hence the sensors might not have caught the impact.

Maybe its not true everytime. My friend's car met with a side impact and yet both the airbags were deployed. There is no damage to the front of the car.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post4035956

My interpretation might be incorrect and would like to understand more about how exactly the airbags work!

[sooraj.naik]

Originally Posted by purohitanuj

Just wanted to share my experience related to this. I(in Punto) was once rear ended by Innova.

The look on Innova's driver was priceless!

I will try to post the pictures of the same if I find it. There was no way to tell that my Punto was involved with that Innova.

I'd had a similar incident. A Maruti Suzuki Swift rear ended my Punto 90HP.The swift was crumpled, the radiator was leaking. I had scratches, misaligned bumper and the number plate lights blown and fog lamps hanging.

All lights were put back to place.

[ecenandu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xFj7KtHpLY

Not an accident from India, but luck do play a major role.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Masda

Apparently, the kid's throat got slit by manjha (kite string) while she had her head out of the sunroof in a moving car. Heart wrenching to say the least!

Taking the discussion ahead, what could be done to prevent this? Ban manja? Regulate the flying of kites to parks and other open areas? No doubt the parents were silly to have their children un-belted standing out of the sunroof, but this seems to be affecting poor bikers as well.

[ecenandu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgQYyQkxCVU

Short excerpt as a GIF:


Blinded by sun? Not paying enough attention?
Newbie driver?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLfWS31u7qg

What will you guys do if you were the biker? Me, would have waited in the middle of the road with my blinkers on, just like what you do when you drive the car. But I don't know how practical that is on Kerala roads because I can see the peril of that method, better bet would be to do as what the biker did above, but wait until the traffic from both side are clear.

Man, that i20 was travelling too fast.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Taking the discussion ahead, what could be done to prevent this? Ban manja? Regulate the flying of kites to parks and other open areas? No doubt the parents were silly to have their children un-belted standing out of the sunroof, but this seems to be affecting poor bikers as well.

As a preventive measure, during the pre-delivery briefing, the car dealers can warn against peeping out of the sunroof.

For two wheeler, I have seen a simple and practical solution in Ahmedabad. A guard made of 6 mm aluminium bar / pipe is fitted on the bike handle. The guard starts on one side of the handle, goes up to 3 ft height, bends down in U shape and ends on the other side of the handle.

I could not locate a photograph of this guard. Someone from Gujarat can help to post it.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Blinded by sun? Not paying enough attention?
Newbie driver?

The driver was showing her ID Card to the security folks. She was busy doing that and didn't notice the biker.

If those were ribbons on the Nano's bonnet then she must be a newbie driver as well.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

What will you guys do if you were the biker? ...

Look, both ways, before the crossing the road. Have a little intelligence. Have a little sense of self-preservation. Have enough consideration not to use other people in desire to kill oneself.