The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tells us that “stronger roofs crush less, reducing the risk that people will be injured by contact with the roof itself. Stronger roofs also can prevent occupants, especially those who aren’t using safety belts, from being ejected through windows, windshields or doors that have broken or opened because the roof has deformed.” And this is why we have to live with thick pillars, smaller windows, and the reduced visibility that comes with them. But the IIHS says nothing of vehicles falling out of fourth floor parking garages. In this Baltimore County Police video we see a late model Audi Q5 fall out of a fourth floor parking garage after its driver failed to properly pull into the parking spot. The amazing thing is that the driver survived and was not even seriously injured, but probably seriously traumatized. If surviving that means living with thicker pillars, I am fine with this. You may remember this Top Gear “Tribute to Saab” where Clarkson and May drop and older Saab and an E30 BMW from a much lower height, with much different results. Where we all love older cars, driving something modern can seriously save our lives.
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