How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically optimized for? (2020)

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by rootusrootus on Thursday November 11, 2021 @01:46PM (#29191470)

One of my older brothers had that policy -- if at all possible he pushed away from the bike as hard as he could when it was clear an accident was unavoidable. He actually used that strategy twice, believe it or not. Worked swimmingly both times, which could just be chance.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by saiya-jin on Thursday November 11, 2021 @04:28PM (#29193422)

You have to have proper luck with trajectory (your older brother had it to tell you the stories) - you go fast on a bike, you keep that speed when jumping off it. Then you either hit something hard (probably instant death) or you land and start sliding/tumbling.

If you still don't hit anything, you can often even walk away, or end up with minor arm/foot injury. Unfortunately I've seen videos of contrary, ie couple riding same bike, hitting car, flying over it, sliding maybe 50m and still hitting curb so hard their bodies jumped quite a bit in the air. Both dead on spot.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by rootusrootus on Thursday November 11, 2021 @05:45PM (#29194234)

I don't remember the second accident, but I still recall the first one. A small car (VW Bug) pulled out in front of him and he t-boned it. He jumped. It was in an otherwise open area, so he rolled. Banged up a bit, but he figured he ended up better than if he had stayed with the bike, which ended up embedded in the car (something about VW Bugs having not much in the front wheel area that was strong, and that's where the bike hit).

As I said, it could entirely have been chance that this worked out for the best. I'm not a rider myself, and my brother is not an expert just a rando like me who has had a fair amount of interesting experiences in his life (how he is still alive today, I'm not quite sure, but luck has to be the biggest factor).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by jeffbee on Thursday November 11, 2021 @05:11PM (#29193876)

This is one of those feral motorcyclist myths (another one is "loud pipes save lives"). It's just a weird meme that there's some critical point at which it is optimal to throw your bike down and leap clear. That's nonsense. It's always optimal to stay on the bike and brake as hard as possible up to the moment of impact. Always. The energy necessary to get the bike into an intentional low-side dismount so you can jump clear is always better spent dumping kinetic energy into the brakes, with the bike fully upright and the front wheel fully loaded.

Another completely insane motorcyclist meme is if you are inevitably going to strike an animal in the road, it's better to hit it in a wheelie, that is, with the front wheel raised off the ground. Again: insane.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by orangepurple on Thursday November 11, 2021 @05:30PM (#29194104)

When you jump off the bike you lose kinetic energy over a larger distance than in a vehicle impact due to skidding over tarmac

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by jeffbee on Thursday November 11, 2021 @05:40PM (#29194191)

You don't personally have the strength to significantly change your vector. If you try to jump off the bike you are going to end up hitting whatever you were going to hit anyway. You may have an instantaneous power of perhaps 1-2 horsepower if you are superbly fit and are for some reason braced for action. The brakes on your motorcycle can decelerate you as much as 1g in dry weather. It's better to stay on.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by fencepost on Thursday November 11, 2021 @05:24PM (#29194038)

Worked swimmingly both times, which could just be chance.

Survivor bias. The people that it didn't work for don't get to tell you how well it worked.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by mcny on Thursday November 11, 2021 @05:28PM (#29194082)

My dad used to always tell me the story of someone in our extended family who got in an accident while riding his bike (he had his helmet on) and rode his bike himself to the hospital only to die the same day.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How do cars fare in crash tests they're not specifically ... by fencepost on Saturday November 13, 2021 @03:56PM (#29213099)

Not a medical professional, but that could easily be caused by something like a subdural hematoma.

I'm reminded of a talk at a science fiction convention years ago mostly targeted at writers (and done by a physician) - "Maim 'em Right." Basic message was that when writing injuries, make them realistic. If someone takes a blow to the head that knocks them unconscious for a significant amount of time, they're not resting for a day then getting up and going on to lots of exertion and winning the day. They're suffering from concussion, maybe subdural hematoma/brain bleed, etc.

Also discussion of TBI, including things like shaken baby syndrome - in the skull, the brain has a consistency somewhat more durable than thick jello. Get one of those brain jello molds available around Halloween, make a batch, then instead of unmolding it keep it sealed and give it a good shaking. THEN unmold it and see how much damage there's been.

[ Parent | on HN ]