::Barloworld ::New cars
New cars are not what they used to be. For anyone stuck in the ‘70s or used to driving old cars, new cars could seem very “plasticky” and insubstantial. New cars might be complicated and expensive to buy, but they are much more reliable and have far fewer teething troubles than cars of 20 years ago.
And all that plastic has a purpose. Plastic bumpers deflect and pop out again after a minor impact. Those old, chromed steel bumpers looked splendid in a period kind of way, but once damaged, it was expensive to put right. Today’s new cars also have soft bonnets that dent easily. This has been designed-in as pedestrian protection. According to legislation, the bonnet skin must yield easily and there should be enough free space underneath for a pedestrian’s head to have a (relatively) soft landing.
Today we also have airbags in all new cars, ABS brakes and stability control system on many cars, which enhance safety no end. Crumple zones have also been carefully designed to crumple progressively, in order to minimize the loads on the passengers in the event of a crash. Yet, the passenger cell is very rigid, to serve as a last line of defence to protect the people inside. Cars of old tended to be too hard at their extremities, causing a lot of whiplash and related injuries in relatively low-speed accidents. Yet, when they finally did crumple, the passenger cell would often collapse, with passengers being thrown onto hard, unyielding dashboards, inadequately restrained by old-tech safety belts.
New cars are therefore a lot safer and within a few years, the First World countries would have made items such as ABS brakes, airbags and stability control systems standard on all cars. They are also much more refined and comfortable and are being fitted will all sorts of amenities that were simply not imagined years ago. All these things have made them heavier, yet they are also lighter on fuel than old cars, such is the march of progress. Yes, they do not “make ‘em like they used to” but thank goodness for that!
Visit their website for more information:
