What is this automotive blasphemy?

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Amazing it survived as intact as it did. I recall reading something about the filaments in lights being able to determine whether the lights were on or off at impact
 
Well, the interior remained relatively intact - the rest of the car, not so much!

But yes, there are two ways to determine if a bulb was in operation at the time of a collision. One, would be if the glass was broken, causing the filament to burn and fail. The other, would be if the glass was intact but the filament was broken by the sudden impact in which case the filament parts will be longer due (stretched out) to the current causing them to "sag" as they are emitting heat and light.

If the bulb's filament was broken while the bulb was not operating, the filament typically breaks in the middle and is in it's contracted (cold) state.

Here's another shot of the Scion - by the way, notice the damage to the A/C vent and the odd marks on the left side of the instrument cluster (by the A/C vent)? That's skin and was done by my hand as it was torn from the steering wheel during the impact...

 
DerAdlerIstGelandet said:
Fastest I ever drove in Germany was 220 km/h (137 mph). Now I was also the passenger in a Dodge Viper doing much faster on the Autobahn.
Click to expand...
I first drove in Germany in 1990. I thought it was great cruising along at 95MPH. Within ten minutes I was passed by a Renault Alpine, a BMW 325 and a big merc saloon nose to tail and obviously racing, Five minutes later the same three cars were crashed, two in the central barrier and one stopped on the hard shoulder. The Autobahn is great but now and again you see complete fools competing to win the days Darwin award. Just because there is no limit doesnt mean it is ever safe to go at speeds close to 200MPH and I have seen people do it. Did you know a Ferrari on full throttle can still be heard above an Audis music system when you can no longer see it? Scariest of all were the fruitcakes doing circa 155MPH (most big German cars limited speed) at night in the rain. Of all the countries I drove in the Germans are technically the best its just that some are no where near as good as they think they are and the pictures in the "Bild" prove it, when it comes to motorway smash ups they produce Europes best.
 
It has been many, many years since we were on the autobahn and we were in an Austin American so our flat out top speed didn't even reach the recommended speed limit but I too remember being passed so fast that I never even really saw the passing car/motorcycle.
The autobahn accident rate is also less than half that of the US rate mostly because German automobile laws are Draconian by US standards. Starting with the cost (+$3000) of and time to obtain a license in Germany. First Aid certification is required as is a legal requirement to stop at an accident and render aid. Tailgating is highly illegal as is running out of gas and passing on the right. Laws are strictly enforced with severe fines and license suspensions and robot cameras are everywhere.
About 60% of the autobahn DOES have a speed limit. The other 40% is as smooth as glass with gentle sweeping turns. Road construction companies are REQUIRED to guarantee their roadway for 40 years and if defective THEY fix it at THEIR cost. In addition they don't just slap a quickie patch but dig up and replace the entire section of roadway
Now, there are highways in the US with no posted speed limits. Sections of highway in the open western plains are not posted BUT if your speed is excessive IN THE OPINION of a police officer you can be fined
 
As I said in my experience they are very good drivers they dont have a particularly bad accident rate but when they do it can be spectacular. By contrast the Dutch over the border on the same road are "captain sensibles" but the motorway was frequently blocked by accidents that never seemed to be more than the absent minded coming together.
 
Yea, we saw one or two like that. I was terrified to even attempt moving into the left lane. To a big Mercedes traveling at 80m/s our little Austin was standing still. Still to Germans driving was a full time occupation, no eating, drinking, texting, putting on make-up, ect. while driving. Their full attention was on the road
 
Years ago we were on our way home from Hockenheimring in my ratty but fast Ford Sapphire V6 on the Abahn near the Luxembourg border doing over 120mph when a Ford van doing about 60mph pulled out in front of us. I nearly ended up rear ending the van and we carried on the journey to the ferry at Zeebrugge slightly shaky. We all nearly needed brown underpants. Put me right off Autobahns.
 

Agreed 100%.

I usually never drove faster than 140 km/h anyhow.

Actually most parts of the Autobahn system have posted speed limits. Most typically somewhere between 120 and 140 km/h.
 
The thing about German drivers is they are required to go to driving schools. It takes approx 3 to 6 months to get a license, and several thousand Euros.

Compare that to America where teenagers are tought how to drive by their parents who themselves do not know how to drive because they were taught by there parents who do not know how to drive.

It is a vicious cycle of parents teaching their kids their own bad habits.

Here in Iowa/Illinois, the drivers are lazy and have no clue. They think the left land of the interstate is a cruising lane (10 mph below the speed limit), no one uses turn signals, and they think using your headlights at dawn and dusk or foggy conditions is a burden. To top it off, every second driver has a phone in their hand.

Yet they all think they are the greatest drivers ever.

My wife and I literally saw a woman driving with a baby in the back seat. She had a burger in her left hand, a cigarette and phone in her right hand, and was stearing with her left wrist.

The funniest part? She had one of those "Baby on Board" stickers on the back of her car.

If it was not for her innocent baby, I would have wished Darwin to strike.
 
My new KIA is a power hog! It doesn't like -20C and if not driven for a day, it won't start.
Turns out these new hi-tech vehicles turn the alternator off and on to improve fuel economy,
This leaves the battery at a disadvantage of not being charged enough if not driven. Part of an auto
salesman's kit nowadays is as small booster pack for just such occurrences.
 

I have a very small Lithium Ion booster pack its about the same size size (but thicker) as an iPhone and weighs next to nothing but can spin a 3 litre engine. Its amazing what they can do with batteries these days I have used it dozens of times and only once has it failed but the temperature was well below freezing and the pack was cold. I warmed it up and Brrrrmmmm it started the car
 
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