Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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PFeakes Guest
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 3:40 pm Post subject: Classic Car Safety Device |
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Hi,
My name is Peter Feakes and I am currently studying in my third year of BA Product Design at the University of Glamorgan in Cardiff.
For part of my course I am required to design something for a major project, which is to last for the entire academic year.
With classic cars being one of my favourite hobbies and also owning a 1971 VW Beetle myself, I decided to design something related to classic cars for my project.
The main problem I found that could possibly be solved by a product would be the lack of safety features that classic cars offer to it's occupants.
Therefore the focus of the project is to design some form of safety device that could be fitted to an existing classic car to improve the safety of the driver or passengers.
What I would ask of anyone reading this (fellow classic car owners or enthusiasts), would be any of your thoughts and opinions on; what safety issues you have come across or know of, any information on any kind of existing product related to this issue etc.
Any and all comments are much appreciated and will go a long way towards helping me with my course.
Thanks
-Peter |
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buzzy bee Guest
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
Welcome to the site to start with, have you any pics of your VW?
I think a lot of the safety things will relate to seat belts, but this can be solved by fitting them, although fitting them to some cars particularly can wreck the appearance of the car, and even mean substantial modifications.
My main safety problem is the fact that other drivers seem to get annoyed with you, then drive erratically to pass you.
Cheers
Dave |
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pigtin Guest
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Braking distance is a problem with old cars: how about something that scans ahead and tells you when you are too close to the car in front. I know that something similar is available in some modern cars, but it needs to be adjustable and easily fitted and removed.
My Sprite can keep up with modern traffic but its easy to forget that I don't have anywhere near the same braking power.
I know I'm a vague old git and shouldn't be driving!
Don. |
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Scotty Guest
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Peter,
First of all welcome to the site.
With regard to your question may I ask what you've so far discovered from other classic car owners you've spoken with, that way we don't just tell you stuff you've already heard?
The really pertinent point for me is what era do you want to focus on? This forum covers owners from the early 1900's right up to modern classics and what might be a relevent safety product for a 1960's car wouldn't be of use on a 1920's one. If you are working within a technology "time scale" then we could focus our attention on the specific period, and that way you'll get focused answers. Or are you looking at vehicles in the 1970's period as I see you've got a 1971 VW?
Scotty.  |
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PFeakes Guest
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the quick replies,
I have a couple of pictures of my Beetle back at home. I'm planning on spending the next year or so restoring it. It's not in particularly bad condition...just needs sprucing up, and a few new bits here and there. I'll try and upload a couple sometime soon.
Dave, you raised an interesting point in that you wouldn't want to alter the appearance of the car. I would assume that this would be a very important factor to most classic car owners. If anyone has anything else to add to this it would be useful.
I'm very early on in the research stage of the project so I haven't had much at all from other owners. Anything you can add would be much appreciated.
As far as the era goes...i'd say it would be most likely to have to fit cars from the 60s/70s.
However a re-active (acts to protect user after crash) rather than pro-active (acts to stop the crash in the first place), it may be possible for it to be used on a wider range of vehicles. Opinions on either would be great!
Thanks
Peter |
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Penman Guest
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
As a driving instructor, who believes that so called "safety devices" have in fact lessened the amount of care with which some people drive.
I would suggest something which first appeared some 30yrs ago in the satirical column at the back of either Motor or Autocar.
A 6" spike in the middle of the steering wheel.  |
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Rick Site Admin

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22779 Location: UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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I think it would be very difficult to come up with something that could be retro-fitted, safely, to a 30-40 year old car, regardless of make, given how different cars were back then from each other. Who remembers the clip on head rests that fitted onto the back of seats, which I think were banned after some time because they often did more harm than good in the event of a bump?
One idea might be a clip-on set of flashing indicators that could be swiftly removed for a show, then quickly re-fitted for the run home again (6v and 12v).
Rick _________________ Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop |
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Scotty Guest
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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This is by sheer coincidence, and exactly the opposite to what Penman has suggested in jest, but very pertinent with regard to safety.
In a previous life I was an officer in the fire brigade from the early 1970's until the mid 1990's and during that time I attended countless road traffic accidents (now called road traffic incidents I believe) during my 25 years. What was particularly noticable was the physical damage a driver sustained when he / she either was thrown against the steering wheel / column, or even more traumatic was when the steering column was pushed up during the deformation of the vehicle and penetrated the chest of the driver.
There were experiments a while ago where the column was fitted with a heavy steel cable that in the event of a frontal accident the layout of the cable was so devised to actually pull the column away from the driver. Now to me, if you could devise a retrofit safety device that did this job for classic vehicles that did not damage or destroy the dash board when fitting it then in my opinion that would be a very positive contribution to classic vehicle safety.
However, the "key" to any safety device you create, is, in my view, the cost and the method of fitting. If its too expensive, too difficult to fit or damages too much of the original fabric of the vehicle to get it to operate then regardless of whatever good idea you have these factors will limit its take-up by the general classic car owning public.
I look forward to hearing what the rest of the members suggest and hearing what you may consider the project choice.
Scotty.  |
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rdover Guest
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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Something that warns people that your car
a. dos not crumple like theirs
b does not brake like theirs
c. is almost certainly to be much more valuable than theirs
so keep a distance away and do not cut us up.
Failing which a clip on set of led side/tail lights with some kind of bluetooth brake light system for those that don't have them. I realise that being 95 years old my car is older than those you are thinking of but how many older cars are lit by Lucas the Prince of Darkness? |
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PFeakes Guest
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the comments so far. They have all been useful.
But if you could all try and concentrate on describing any problems with the safety of classic cars rather than solutions then this would be a great help, as it's my job to try and come up with a solution to one or more of the problems I come across.
Thanks a lot.
Peter |
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Rick Site Admin

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22779 Location: UK
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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other possible 'problem' areas with older car re safety:
- safely fitting child seats into an old car that was never designed with this in mind
- increasing the visability of semaphore indicators on early cars
- improving the side-on crashworthiness of an ash framed car and/or open top classic (also improving the roll-over strength without resorting to an ugly fixed rollbar)
- methods of toning down the jazzy interior decor of some 70s cars to avoid distracting the driver ..
R _________________ Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop |
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Job-Rated Guest
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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I think you've hit the nail on the head there, Rick. Whatever you design will automatically qualify as after market, so it will need to be aesthetically pleasing aswell as functional. |
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Chimpchoker
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 14
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Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:12 am Post subject: Re: Classic Car Safety Device |
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PFeakes wrote: | Hi,
My name is Peter Feakes and I am currently studying in my third year of BA Product Design at the University of Glamorgan in Cardiff.
For part of my course I am required to design something for a major project, which is to last for the entire academic year.
With classic cars being one of my favourite hobbies and also owning a 1971 VW Beetle myself, I decided to design something related to classic cars for my project.
The main problem I found that could possibly be solved by a product would be the lack of safety features that classic cars offer to it's occupants.
Therefore the focus of the project is to design some form of safety device that could be fitted to an existing classic car to improve the safety of the driver or passengers.
What I would ask of anyone reading this (fellow classic car owners or enthusiasts), would be any of your thoughts and opinions on; what safety issues you have come across or know of, any information on any kind of existing product related to this issue etc.
Any and all comments are much appreciated and will go a long way towards helping me with my course.
Thanks
-Peter |
Hmm safety of the driver or passengers.... Seat belts is a main one but that's been covered. Incidentally I wouldn't be bothered if it changed the look of the car so long as it kept me safe. I'd rather live to drive rather than die in an original car. Secondly anti lock brakes. How many of us have daily drivers with Anti lock brakes then forget about these on a weekend. Again when it comes to the brake refit on my jag I'm uprating them to 6 pot vented discs with an antilock system but in the meantime some retro fit antilock mechanism might be a winner. other ideas could be a better heating / window demisting system. Possibly an audio visual system that projects onto the screen when you get too close to the car in front or a system that counts eye movements as it is particularly mind intensive driving an old car and as many classics are owned by older peeps ( you are an odd one buzzy) then this mental driving is dangerous at times especially at shows a long distance from home, thus rapid eye counting can tell when a driver is sleeping. I know it's not new but it would be in a classic car.
hope that keeps the ideas flowing.
Chimpchoker |
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