RE: Re: RE: dakota crash tests: not good...

From: Stlaurent Mr Steven (STLAURENTS@mctssa.usmc.mil)
Date: Tue Jul 11 2000 - 11:04:23 EDT


Way to go Marty!

-------------------------------------------
Steven St.Laurent
Test Engineer
Test Branch, GSD, MCTSSA
MARCORSYSCOM, USMC
760-725-2506 (DSN 365-2506)
Work:mailto:stlaurents@mctssa.usmc.mil
Home:mailto:saint1958@home.com

 -----Original Message-----
From: Marty Galyean [mailto:mgalyean@acm.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2000 7:19 AM
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
Subject: Re: DML: Re: RE: dakota crash tests: not good...

Preacher wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Norah Bleazard <nbleazard@home.com>
>
> > This is the exact same picture and write-up they had last year. I think
> > it's crap as I've walked away from my accident (head on with a concrete
> lamp
> > pole). Truck was written off, but I'm ok. Alright, I wasn't going too
> > fast, but still. This seems a little overboard to me.
> >
>
> I'm with you Norah.... first, in 1999 the Dakota was given 5 stars in the
> impact tests. (Not only front, but oblique impacts)
> Second, I was sure as hell impressed over how well the Dak held up when
that
> semi hit me ..... I was sandwiched and the mustang in front of me was
> totaled.
>

About a year ago guy in a jeep cherokee performed an 'unsafe lane change' in
front of me, in my then '97 v6 dak cc, on the highway. He was doing 25mph
and
swerved in front of me (I doing 65mph). Ironically he was trying trying
avoid
the car behind him in his lane doing same speed as I). Anyway when I
swerved
to avoid him, he also decided to swerve back again. So I hit him at an
effective 35 mph. Air bag deployed, seat belt caught me, from the felt
impact
I totally underestimated damages before getting out of the truck. I
bruised my
hand on the steering wheel, that was it. I found the high backed seat kept
my
head and neck from whipping backward nicely (on rebound). I would think
(but
don't know for sure) that steering wheel up-down position would have a lot
to
do with the direction the air bag deploys in. I adjust it so it
comfortable to
drive and this ends up pointing it just below my neck. My head did not go
over
the bag; landed right in it, just above center. BTW, I was *not* cited in
this
rear-ender! _make_sure_you_flag_down_witnesses_ to these things! He was
telling the cop that he was doing 55 and I was doing 85+!!! If it weren't
for
witnesses who saw him abort the exit ramp, boonyhop through the dirt wedge
between the ramp and the highway, bounce into oncoming traffic at about 45
degree angle to traffic doing about 20mph, *then* starting to look for a
clear
lane (there wasn't one) there is a good chance he would have hoodwinked the
patrolman. He was trying to deny he even took the exit ramp at all! A
witness and I showed the patrolman the fresh tracks in the dirt. It wasn't
his
jeep either, it was his friends.

Marty
'00 4.7L CC auto, SnugTop 'Rebel'



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