stanmo

iTrader: (1)

After seeing a fatal accident a mile from home over the weekend (20 yr old DOA in a mini, another 2 in Civic critical in A&E), then hearing of another fatality Sunday morning (overturned 306, 5am on A12) I was thinking how much it would cost to get a roll cage suitable for road use (ie. without the criss/cross bars inside the cabin, boot, etc).

Would it add much structural rigidity to an old shape car ?

After all, you could be driving perfectly safely, then some moron drives into you. I'd rather spend a little on safety equipment, than wonder about the safety of the kids in the back.

wrxmania

I suppose a roll cage would certainly strengthen your cars body shell and may save lives. I think, however, that they need to be declared on your insurance and they DO add to the cost. Also when it comes to resale time many owners would not want one.

LeMans

Personally I would only recommend a rollcage for motorsport use.

I am just about to fit a Safety Devices 6-point bolt in rollcage albeit it is to be welded in. This however is for motorsport and is an MSA/FIA requirement otherwise I would not have one just for road use. It can be removed for road use as and when required.

The reason being is that with motorsport you wear a helmet and the bar is padded. It is not intended for normal road use as the injury that you could do to your head if it came into contact with the rollcage or padding could be serious or fatal.

However, there are of course advantages in the event of a roll to prevent the roof collapsing provided your head doesn't hit the rollcage !.

greasemonkey

Don't bother. Unless you are helmeted and firmly belted in, the presence of the cage will decrease your general level of safety.

F**k all unless it was triangulated (the criss-cross bits) and is welded in (or has welded anchor points a la the Safety Devices RTRS cages).
The Impreza's bodyshell (even the old one) is a fundamentally stiff, very safe structure. You don't need to mess about with it like this to give it an "acceptable" level of safety. For non-motorsport use, it's already as good as it can be.

Sh*t sometimes happens, but if it happens to you you'd much rather be banging your head and limbs against impact-absorbent plastic trim than you would a piece of metal pipe.

Your kids will be far safer in a standard car than they will be surrounded by spurious bits of metal pipe. Forget this idea, quickly.

The rollcage will only help in the event of a roll provided it's a proper job, properly fitted, and as you say, you don't hit an unprotected head on it as the roof comes down.

However, the mathematical chance of actually rolling a car under road driving conditions is extremely small. If you're going to have an accident, it's statistically far more likely that you'll be involved in a low speed parking shunt, or some other sort of collision that doesn't involve inverting the car. Under all these circumstances, the cage causes more problems than it solves, so on balance, you're far better off without one.

Fatman

A friend of mine flipped and rolled her Terzo. The car landed on its roof at least once, and she left the scene shaken, but otherwise unharmed (I was there within 5 mins). This is one example, and doesn't constitute a "study" of the strength/rigidity of the Impreza by any means. However, it left me with the impression that the Impreza has a fundamentally strong shell. That was without a rollcage, of course.

RESSE

iTrader: (1)

Stanmo,

Had a Safety Devices 6 point (welded) in my 1997 UK Turbo for hill climbing, and I have to say it made me feel very secure on the road.

It is very difficult to put a pound value on you own life..........

gljam

I have a rear rollcage in my gl and to be honest it's just a pain in the ****. It make the rear seats unusable and while it looks the part i do have reservations about its effectivness.

You would have to be very, very unlucky to have the rollcage save you.

greasemonkey

Might have made you feel secure, but unless you're harnessed and helmeted you are better off without.

In any case, you're talking about a welded in, multipoint cage, not a bolt-in, non-triangulated thing like Stanmo's considering. He's also talking about putting his kids in the back, something I presume you never did in your HC car?

Unnecessarily putting unyielding metal in close proximity to limbs and head is not the way to prolong it. There's more than enough strength in the standard Impreza's shell to protect you in a typical road accident, you don't need to muck about with things like this to make the car safer, far better off leaving well alone.

StickyMicky

he he he

tmo

I agree with greasemonkey, unless you are fully suited and booted don't bother.

Isn't wearing a helmet in a car on public roads illegal anyway ??
when coming of stages we were always told to remove helmets, on the millenium event at nuneaton in 2000 we got a warning off a plod because my navigator still had his on (busy working out times and forgot !)

JohnnyR6

Why not fit harnessess instead? this way you will stay secure in your seat in the event of an impact.

kend

Spend the money on an advanced driving course, rather than a roll cage, far more likely to save your life.

greasemonkey

Yes tmo, helmets are illegal inside a car on the public highway. We've been pulled in the past on a road section less than a mile long...

Johnny, the problem with harnesses in Stanmo's case is his apparent need to use the rear seats, something he'd lose if he had harnesses running from the rear bulkhead to the front seats.

In any case, I doubt multipoint harnesses, even if properly fitted, would add significantly to the safety of an otherwise standard roadcar.

Micky, what was the story with your cage in the end, did you leave it in, or did the hike in your insurance premium put an end to it?

Scoobydid

Everyone I know who has rolled a car (myself included) will admit that they were driving too fast for the conditions, easy and cheap remedy is to slow down if your really serious about safety. My brother rolled my WRX a few years ago doing a very silly speed round a roundabout, and walked away, acording to onlookers he went over about 5 or 6 times and walked away, if you want to see a pic mail me -its not a pretty sight but the bucket seats saved him. if it had been a normal seat with head rest, he would just be a memory now.

Andy

ScoobyK

On the subject of insurance, I have a fully welded SD rear cage, FIA approved seats / harnesses....and no hike in insurance with L&V. It's also worth noting I have no back seats and therefore no rear passengers !