Cobra accident

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by dallas_

...it is a bit disconcerting that there appears to be relatively little damage to the car for such serious injuries.

If you skid out, and come to a complete and abrupt stop by hitting a curb at even 20mph, your head will continue to travel at 20mph, which is roughly 30 feet per second... and it will be stopped by your roll bar. Blunt force trauma to the head of that nature can easily cause severe injuries.

[CoupedUp]

Pic of Greg and I (Greg middle, me on right) at Cars-n-Coffee in Irvine from a while back. Just praying for a good outcome for Greg and his wife...


Doug

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by patrickt

If you skid out, and come to a complete and abrupt stop by hitting a curb at even 20mph, your head will continue to travel at 20mph, which is roughly 30 feet per second... and it will be stopped by your roll bar. Blunt force trauma to the head of that nature can easily cause severe injuries.

Use of seat belts and shoulder harnesses are another factor we know nothing about also.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Silverback51

Use of seat belts and shoulder harnesses are another factor we know nothing about also.

Yep, another good point. I'll post this following link once, and then I'll shut up about the issue: http://www.356registry.org/tech/roll...reet-cars.html

[Cobra Lite]

An excellent post Patrickt.

I am strongly in agreement that rollbars without helmets are more dangerous than anything short of no seatbelts and a rollover at high speed. People tell me my car needs a roll bar but they don't believe me when I explain why I don't have one in my street car.

Severe blunt force trauma to the head is almost guaranteed in any collision, and at any speed. Especially with low back seats! Even low speed impacts can generate a blow like getting hit in the head with a baseball bat and no one would be willing to test that one to see what it feels like.

The link to the Porsche 356 thread should be in a "roll bar awareness" thread here in CC, along with all other related dangers so that drivers can read about how dangerous that cool looking roll bar is to themselves and their passengers.

I haven't done a search, perhaps there is a "Roll bar dangers" thread here?
If not, there should be!

We all hope they recover from their injuries.

I wonder if his wife had only a lap belt on as the shoulder belt/harness is designed to minimize internal injuries that often come from wearing only a lap belt. It is hard for me to imagine them not wearing their seatbelts, in a Cobra? But often people don't bother with the shoulder harness it seems.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Cobra Lite

An excellent post Patrickt.

People always respond that way when I offer to shut up.