So does a bigger/heavier vehicle always mean better odds not getting hurt in accidents?

fast1968fast1968 Member Posts: 4
edited January 2016 in General
I've always wondered about this if you have a bigger vehicle does that mean you have a better chance on a average to not get injured or at least not as injured ? For example I get in a frontal collusion with my Camry vs a corolla or Ford Ranger vs a F150 or a Accord vs a Grand marquis. Does the weight of the vehicle over the other vehicle almost always a plus ? Thanks
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  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 260,862
    fast1968 said:

    I've always wondered about this if you have a bigger vehicle does that mean you have a better chance on a average to not get injured or at least not as injured ? For example I get in a frontal collusion with my Camry vs a corolla or Ford Ranger vs a F150 or a Accord vs a Grand marquis. Does the weight of the vehicle over the other vehicle almost always a plus ? Thanks

    Physics is in your favor, if you are in the heavier vehicle.

    That said, safety features are important, too.

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  • carboy21carboy21 Member Posts: 760
    Depends how heavy is the opposite vehicle you crash into :smile:

    Newtons third law of conservation of momentum .
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,051
    edited January 2016
    Bigger is better, as long as other safety features are equal. There are plenty of test crash videos showing a modern midsize car crashing into an old ('50s-'60s) full size car, the passengers in the modern car would easily survive, unlike the ones in the old car. 
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    If you considered a small car but ended up buying something larger, a reporter wants to talk with you. Please email PR@edmunds.com by Friday, 2/5/16 with a few words about your decision including the make and model that you chose.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sure, physics favors you but the actual dynamics of an auto accident are very complex---you could, for instance, come out way ahead in a collision with the lighter car, but then something could fly through your windshield and you lose anyway.

    Also the construction of the vehicle is important---some of the lightest cars in the world (race cars) are among the safest.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    edited February 2016
    "The driver of the semi was not injured" seems to be used in news stories, unless another semi or train is involved.
    Can't help the engineer in me... F is the same for both vehicles in a collision, so..

    m(1)a(1) = m(2)a(2)

    If your m is significantly smaller than their m, your a is going to be significantly larger than theirs.

    Kinda like falling out of a plane. It's not the fall, it's the sudden stop (Earth has a BIG m relative to us)
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