Speed Demons Take Notice

I sometimes sign my posts with a "get your thrills on a race track and not on the road" or "drive safe and save the racing for track" or something like that. The message is simple: if you want to drive fast, then a controlled environment like a race track is the safest way to do so.

Recently, Fifth Gear had a segment about crash testing. What caught my eye was the speed at which the crash test was done - 120mph, or 192kph. Words don't do justice to the film, so watch it yourself:

When the forensics expert analysed the results, it was clear that no amount of safety equipment will matter. Not seatbelts, nor airbags, crumple zones, even roll cages will save the driver or passengers.

192kph may seem like a lot, but a speed of 190kph and above are reachable by many cars available in the Philippines today. And what may surprise you is that there are many small, affordable cars (less than PhP1.2M) that can meet - or nearly meet - those speeds:

Chevrolet Cruze L, PhP 808,888 (196kph)

Ford Fiesta 1.6L, PhP 766,000 (196kph)

Ford Focus 2.0 Ghia, PhP 975,000 (190kph)

Honda Civic 1.8, PhP 883,000 (196kph)

Hyundai i30 CVVT, PhP 988,000 (189kph)

Hyundai Accent 1.6 GLS, PhP 808,000 (196kph)

Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS, PhP 938,000 (190kph)

Hyundai Tuscon CVVT, PhP 1,038,000 (195kph)
Kia Rio 1.4, PhP 675,000 (187kph)

Kia Soul LX, PhP 1,170,000 (196kph)

Kia Carens CRDi EX, PhP 1,195,000 (190kph)

Mazda BT-50 Pickup, PhP 999,000 (185kph)

Mazda 2 1.5L, PhP 725,000 (198kph)

Mazda 3 1.6L, PhP 860,000 (185kph)

Mitsubishi Lancer EX, PhP 990,000 (205kph)

Nissan Grand Livina, PhP 858,000 (205kph)

Nissan Sentra 200, PhP 1,050,000 (198kph)

Nissan Frontier Navarra, PhP 1,110,000 (190kph)

Subaru Impreza 2.0, PhP 1,128,000 (199kph)

Toyota Yaris 1.5L, PhP 731,000 (190kph)

Toyota Vios 1.5G, PhP 775,000 (190kph)

Toyota Altis 2.0V, PhP 1,135,000 (195kph)

Toyota Innova 2.0 J, PhP 803,000 (185kph)

note: figures taken from C! Magazine's October 2011 issue

And these are just brand new cars - there are a lot of used cars out there that sell for PhP 700,000 or less that can easily exceed 200kph. What does this mean? It means nearly everyone has access to a vehicle that can potentially cause the kind of accident seen on the film. It also means that every motorist needs to drive more responsibly on the road.

In light of that, I will sign off on all my posts in the same manner.

Drive safe, buckle up, and save the racing for the track!