When it comes to being hit from the rear... Just watched 5th gear and the Mk4 Golf was singled out as having the worst seat design when it comes to being hit from the rear, causing whiplash and neck injuries because the headrest is badly positioned too low and too far away. Interesting to contrast with the Mk1 Golf here, the seat is far more upright and the headrest is actually in contact with the back of your head, result - no injury. Also, apparently there are no regulations, guidelines or even recommendations on how a car is supposed to protect it's occupants in the event of being hit from behind. Airbags do zip in this configuration. Sobering stuff! Cheers, Drew.
Probably the most common accident too i would say... any stats to confrim are welcomed! Quite a few cars i have driven have the seat arcing away from you and a poor head-rest design... New shape Punto is one that springs to mind.
A lot of modern cars have those rear headrests that curve down the seat away from the head and towards the back. I`m not sure on the safety of these but they are damned uncomfortable. I`m amazed that there are no regulations as regards rear impacts. Its one of the most common accidents that I see on the road
Somone was tailgating me once, I decided to be abit juvenile. I sped up very gradually and reeled him in. He stayed close coz he was a t**t. then. just when he pullup within a car length (you can imagine how f**kin scary it is havin a car that close at eighty up behind). Jabbed the brakes hard, Dropped a gear floored it and changed lanes. When I jabbed the brakes I could see in my rearview he poo his pants, he hit the brakes and was snaking badly. It was satisfying but after I felt really stupid, he nearly lost control and somone could have died. still, it was his fault really. Worst thing... He was driving a mk2 golf gti. Gives us a bad name. JJ
of the two road accidents i've had (one head on, whilst airborn, into a wall, and one being rear ended whilst stopped at traffic lights - both estimated at about 30mph impacts) the rear ended one is the only one which haunts me still (and it was 5 years ago)...it hurts, believe me. you don't forget that impact, its viscious. in my case i was lucky as i saw/heard the car locking up behind, and knowing it was gonna hit i tensed my neck and didn't even get whiplash (i even managed to catch the headunit as it flew out the dash!), where as everyone else in the car did. although, from watchig a few racing programmes i've now realised the best thing to do is put your head hard against the headrest...presuming its a fair bit higher than your head, which is unlikely in a golf. i reckon the mkIII golfs have the worst seats of the lot, and really want to change them. i still have a heart 'jump' when someone brakes late behind me, and i always leave a huge gap in front in traffic so i sort of have an escpae road if i see the car behind ain't gonna stop.
But it aint safer than the MK5 "Active Head Restraints" which deploy in a front or rear end shunt to reduce the risk of whiplash injury. Very clever stuff
mum got hit from behind several years ago in her old car. she was parked at a red light on a pedestrian crossing at the time. the car hit her so hard that the front wings of her car were rippled. She suffers to this day - can't carry anything heavy, gets tension headaches etc - and gets very very nervous when she has anyone follow too closely. Nearest i ever came to getting rear-ended was when i was driving a tank (or more correctly a Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)) thing called a Spartan - like a baby tank - weighs 7.5 tonnes, driven by a jag 6 cylinder engine, does 65mph, and can stop from 30mph in it's own length - not many cars can do that... so the guy who was tailgating me in his 4x4 got a bit of a shock when i had to jump on the brakes and he had to go up the verge to miss me
I apply the brake very lightly with my left foot (just enough to operate the brake light) and accelerate away. Most tailgaters get the message.
In't this why VW changed the rear headrest design on the Mk4? Later ones have those massive head restraints which nearly touch the roof. Not as good looking as the older style ones but probably safer at the end of the day.
been there done that, lost the mk1 to a dick who thought he would accelerate into my mk1 rather than brake the after results were not good, and it fcking hurt! so much so the recoil of me bent the seat! and i still get butterflies as you say when some one following is late braking, i'm a nervous wreck at times as a passenger. and i hate tail gaters! The results of a fiesta hitting a stationary mk1. Edited by: jonboy
Ouch! Tragic. Looked like a nice one too. Mk4 rear restraints are too big. You can't see out of the back with them in! I leave them at home unless I've got rear passengers (rarely).
Oh the memories..... I did that in a Scimitar....and the nose dug into the ground, back end went up in the air....and came down and sat it's a*rse on the bonnet of an immaculate (!) Alfa Romeo Spyder....flattened it..one very 'Sour' kraut (sic) He was so close even the commander didn't see him. German cops just laughed at him (German law - you MUST be able to stop behind another vehicle) Edited by: prowler
you should have seen the spare wheel....was totally squashed and pushed the base of the rear seat forward. the roof was also kinked, and there was another kin under the front doors, they wouldn't shut properly.
