M100 Crash Sequence

[DeanG]

I haven't seen these before. A bit scary.

http://britishspeed.com/forum/showthrea ... 41&page=33

It looks like an early Euro car with LHD.

[lotos]

Me either - wonder how fast he was going. Note how the A pillar looks surprisingly solid in that crash - it's because he's got a windshield roll bar installed (you can see if you you're looking for it) - I have seen the old pic of the flattened windshield which scares the crap out of me.

[GeoffSmith]

Rallye du Condroz 2008?

[tweetdriver63]

Me either - wonder how fast he was going. Note how the A pillar looks surprisingly solid in that crash - it's because he's got a windshield roll bar installed (you can see if you you're looking for it) - I have seen the old pic of the flattened windshield which scares the crap out of me.

I must not know what to look for. I've looked at all the pictures closely, and I can't see anything non-stock in them at all. Can you point out the windshield roll bar?

[lotos]

.
You know I thought it was this:

rollbar.jpg

But I went out and looked at my car and of course it's just the thick foam weatherstrip.

But the thread says, "The windscreen roll bar saved this driver's head!" so apparently there is one. Unless he's just referring to the windshield pillars?

[tweetdriver63]

But the thread says, "The windscreen roll bar saved this driver's head!" so apparently there is one. Unless he's just referring to the windshield pillars?

I read it as referring to the built-in roll protection. The windscreen pillars are supposed to provide that protection.

From the "History and Facts" sheet:
"The windscreen frame is cast of high-strenth aluminum and bolts directly to the tops of the A-pillars. This assembly is strong enough to support the weight of the car in the event of a rollover."

There's been a lot of discussion about whether it would or not. The old pictures of the rolled over one with the windscreen crushed flat seemed to prove that it wouldn't. Maybe this one is proof that it might? If it's only the protection Lotus designed into it that helped this guy, I feel a lot better.

[lotos]

Fortunately I've got no experience here, only what I've read about.

There have been quite a number of rollover accidents with the Elan that I'm aware of and I've not seen any where the A posts have really offered any protection.