How well do CB's fair in accidents? *pics*

[deevergote]

That video is terrifying!

[deevergote]

You are basing this on a pretty faulty statistical model.

In the context of the # of CB7s on the road, the # of folks here is a pretty small cross section. Not to mention, there are a lot of inactive members. Some might have died and not had a huge announcement made. You're basically saying, since none of the 1,000 or so regular members here hae died, deaths among the millions of CB7 owners out there is rare. Not very strong logic.

We can argue whether or not the CB7 is a death trap. I mean I ride a motorcycle. Some would say it is a death trap but I have been down twice and literally walked away. However nobody would say a motorcycle is basically is as safe as a car. Thats asinine. Likewise a 20 year old car is a death trap compared to a 5 or even 10 year old car. Your very biased selection of stats from CB7tuner doesn't hold up to all the federally mandated crash tests or dropping fatalities.

You brought up the old Cadillac or whatever. Those cars were fatal because despite their size, they had shit like sharp metal edges in the car, and steering columns that would impale passengers on a front impact. Likewise the crumple zones are safer because, as you said yourself, they absorb the impact and leave the passengers safe. So yea the car is more likely to get totaled, but you get to walk away, rather than have where you are sitting be a part of the crumple zone. Again nothing wrong with liking the CB. But you are trying to argue your subjective preference for the CB as an objective argument for it being safer. That is just not the case.

You're absolutely right. The CB is nowhere near as safe as modern cars. My Fit is infinitely safer than my CB. My CB is much safer than my 86 Accord.

As cars get newer, the safety requirements get stricter. There are many cars in other markets that aren't for sale in the US because they simply are not safe enough.

[8ball]

you guys think putting a harness bar would help or make it more of a death trap?

[deevergote]

The bar itself would likely make little difference. Adding a harness may be better or worse, seeing as the stock seatbelts work quite well.

Lowering our already low cars increases the risk. Many newer cars and trucks have much higher bumpers. Drop a car 2", and a new F150 would probably hit you mid-chest in a t-bone.

[mtnbikaah]

Harness is worse in an accident if the car isn't equipped with a roll bar. If you roll your car you get "pinned" to you seat and crushed rather than "rolling" to the side.

If you have a harness you should have a roll cage. If you have a roll cage you need to wear a helmet.

[deevergote]

Good point.

And a roll bar could fold down and break your neck if it's not properly installed, or part of a cage.
A cage can result in major head trauma, especially in cars like ours with relatively low rooflines (my Fit could have a cage and I'd be safe... I could wear a tophat in that thing!)

[illinois_erik]

Good point.

And a roll bar could fold down and break your neck if it's not properly installed, or part of a cage.
A cage can result in major head trauma, especially in cars like ours with relatively low rooflines (my Fit could have a cage and I'd be safe... I could wear a tophat in that thing!)

if its a DD i definitely wouldnt want a cage,i mean in a stripped out race car sure, youre wearing a helmet and other equipment, youre expecting to possibly go on your head. Leave them cb7s alone for street use unless its being purpose built for off the street or just for show, or at least think things through;execute properly. tell the emulators to do their shit right too...campaign it.


think the bubble cockpit is more for aero or saftey, i liked the fits when they first came out but id have to slam and tuck with it

[gloryaccordy]

I am all about trading risk for reward. I would drive a rattle trap like an old Civic for example, because at least then you trade some safety for performance. I love CBs but they are too heavy

[ferenza]

For the people that think "old iron" is safe, I leave you this video...

1959?? this is the stone ages before seatbelts were mandated and airbags used to punch the shit out of you...

i feel my cb is safe. Safe as the newer cars are? not so much.But i think they stand up to some good punishment than the newer cars do. A light tap to a newer car and boom! you just broke every sensor in the damn thing(which is about 50% of the cars cost)


Not a cb but here is my big accident



Got hit by a speeding 06 durango while i was turning.He blew past the red light while i was turning the street over from the light and i was heading in the opposite direction.He hit me so hard i spun and face the opposite direction.My grill flew into the nearby funeral home and the director plucked it out of his office.Truck was totalled and so was the car but I walked away absolutely unhurt except for a mild headache.Car still started in the yard and actually still drove!

It ironic thats there is a cb in the background

[J-specCb4]

i dont feel particularly safe in mine haha... especially after all the crap ive removed.

[Fleetw00d]

I was lucky I got far enough to the right to get hit in the door, instead of me T-boning her at 60 mph. She drove me off the side of the road; took out a sign with the right side of the car. (more photos in link in sig)

[crazymikey]

[owequitit]

It actually bothers me when people claim that cb7's are unsafe.

Unless they have been horribly maintained, or suffer from SEVER rust, I think cbs out on the road today that are properly maintained will be just as safe as your average car.

Now obviously there is a reason they created side SRS and all these other new features, but the 90-93 chassis was well built and hold's up damn well as we can all see.

I would say the overwhelming majority of accidents involving 4th gens, since 1990, were not fatal.

I have no evidence to base it off, just going by the majority of accidents I have seen involving 4th gens.

It is an apples to oranges comparison Ralphie.

By the standards of the day, the CB7 was an extremely well engineered and crash worthy car. However, by the standards of today, it is relatively unsafe. It isn't a bad reflection on the CB as much as it is an indicator of the march of crash technology.

Personally, I still maintain that avoidance is the best policy (can't be injured in an accident that never occurs), but overall, if you were to be in one, you would want to be in an newer car without question.

[Ralphie]

Well it's convienent that Yaw failed to recognize my posting of IHSA stats, but that's ok.

Im not trying to sit here and say that the 4th gen is much safer then a current production car, but based on what I have witnessed, heard, and read myself, my conclusion is that a well maintained cb7(maintained meaning cared for and not stipped and gutted and one that would pass smog and safety inspections) would hold up just as well as a production car today.

It would take and give damage differently then a production car of today's standards, but the occupants would walk away with no more injury then a current car.

My proof is by the people just on this forum alone that have had accidents and are here to talk about it, like I said earlier, from fender benders to the dude who rolled his cb and it landed on it's roof.

Yes this forum is a SMALL SMALL % of cbs out there, but that makes them no less credible.


This is not based off of my personal like or dislike for the platform, im strictly talking from a statistical standpoint.

There is no hard evidence to show otherwise. Again, not saying that they are so much safer then today's standards. It is apples to oranges, but I vote strongly for the chassis because I feel it was a very well made chassis and imo, seems to hold up pretty fucking good.

You know what, I totally forgot. LOL

Another reason why I feel so passionate is because I hit a tree head on at about 35 mph with 3 passengers.

NO ONE WAS RESTRAINED.

This was a 91 Accord. It was my fathers and I didn't have my own car yet. We were out driving and a group of thugs from the neighborhood tried to run me off the road.

In my new driver newbness, I tried to outrun them(they were driving a Early 90s box chevy).

Took a left hand turn at 35 lol and hit a tree.

All 4 of us walked away with minimal injury. I had 0 injuries AS THE DRIVER.

My front passenger bruised up his knee/leg on the Ac vents.

Both back passengers had struck the seat backs and had bloody noses and swollen lips but lived to see another day.

That moment forever changed my life and taught me early on the respect to have for motor vehicles.

It also showed me how solid 4th gens are.

[gloryaccordy]

Im not trying to sit here and say that the 4th gen is much safer then a current production car, but based on what I have witnessed, heard, and read myself, my conclusion is that a well maintained cb7(maintained meaning cared for and not stipped and gutted and one that would pass smog and safety inspections) would hold up just as well as a production car today.

A CB would hold up in a crash just as well as a modern production car? Sorry Ralphie, that's just wrong. And the idea that the better a car holds up = the safer it is for the occupants is also wrong. Modern cars are designed to contain all the impact energy into the crumple zones, and not the whole car, which makes for more visual damage but more safety for the occupants. Plus new cars have safety equipment CBs don't have. For fucks sake 50% of CBs don't even have airbags. Most crashes are frontal impact. How is it even a comparison?

And like I said already, CB7tuner anecdotes are statistically useless. Furthermore, what IHSA stats did you cite? Stats for the CB from 20 years ago, comparing it to other 20 year old cars? Unless you have stats comparing 100-200K mile CBs to new cars those aren't very useful either.

CBs are not terrible cars but I wouldn't call them "safe". Driving one is taking on needless risk.