Side Impact Protection

[JF757]

Concerning the driver's safety and a toddler riding in the middle backseat in a proper child seat, I have the following three questions:
1. Will a 2000 model year 100 series cruiser offer any more protection than a 1997 80 series?
2. In either vehicle, would the addition of a pair of slee sliders provide any additional side impact protection?
3. Is there a giant leap in safety provided by the side airbags of 2003+ models over prior years or is it clever marketing?

Thanks in advance for all insightful opinions.

 

[cruiser100]

1 - Don't know. You would think that Toyota would build in better safety features with each progressive model. You may want to check either the NHSTA (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/) or IIHS (http://www.iihs.org/) websites for information on crash worthiness.

2 - One would think that the addition of the sliders would help, but that is not what they were designed for. It would probably be a better idea to rely on vehicle integrity versus any add-ons. While some add-ons can make a difference, remember that the intended purpose of the sliders is to help prevent body damage on the trails, not take a vehicle impact.

3 - Airbags have been shown to help in a lot of situations, including side airbags. Check out the sites I mentioned above for more info.

As a side note, I carry my kids in my 100 everyday; it has and ARB front bumper, SLEE rear bumper and SLEE sliders. Do I feel it could withstand more than the average 100, yes. Do I rely on that "feeling" NO!

 

[mobi-arc]

Either an 80 or 100 series provides a lot of metal in every direction with a kid in the middle....I would think either would be A-Okay from a safety standpoint.

 

[100 TD]

I've got 3 kids in the back of mine! I think the 100 has a wider chassis than a 80 so that may offer something although it may also tend to push or buckle the cabin quicker(this may also happen with sliders as the impact may be on the chassis immediately without take up in crushed body panels.) I doubt anyone would be able to give you a correct answer. I would go for the 03+ with lots of airbags for the most safety personally.

 

[macneill]

Ditto on 03.

Though I threw in the "safety issue" with the wife when i was getting my sliders...

 

[dclee]

This is one reason we waited for the side curtains, however one thing to keep in mind is that those curtain bags can actually be dangerous to kids until they reach a certain size. That's why Toyota puts a defeat switch in for the side curtain bags.

Safety is one reason I used to sell the wife on sliders (heh), but IMHO there is something to be said for having those outriggers sitting out there.

One thing that I can't answer but am very concerned about, is how would the vehicle T-boning you react with vs. without sliders on your truck. Given the height of a Cruiser, especially with a lift, I would think that most other vehicles would tend to go under you when they hit you broadside (IMO better then going straight into your passengers' torsos and heads). So would sliders reinforce that behavior, or change it so that the other vehicle now goes up over the sliders and into the cabin?

 

[1loudLX]

when i got t-boned in the LX i wish i had sliders. Ladies licence plate was stuck into my running board right about center of the rear door. If i had sliders i think it would have helped against damage and maybe the car wouldnt have pushed in the side enough to hit my tire then and cause my rear axle to get benteded!

 

[100 TD]

The difficult bit is........when the cabin pushes in and then the chassis starts to deform, what way does the body go, up in the centre between the chassis rails?
If you have sliders and the chassis starts compacting earlier, does the body (attached to the chassis) start to deform earlier and rise up in the centre etc etc etc etc etc.

This question is in no mans land without testing and then there are so many variables the results would be useless. The crash testing has been developed over a long period of time with lots of R&D and continual improvement and even with the same test being applied to every vehicle at slow speeds it leaves a lot to be desired.
BUT, it is something to compare vehicle to vehicle for the same test.
Forget the question and just buy the safest vehicle you can, you will never get a true and correct answer to your question unless yuu have millions to spend on testing

 

[calamaridog]

The frame is a bit heavier duty on the 100 series vehicles. I'm sure the kid would be fine in an 80 series too.

The main issue, I believe, is the additional safety features offered by the 2000 and later 100 series over the 80 series. Vehicle skid control, Traction Control, and much improved brakes round out the benefits.

The various trucks I've seen pictures of that had sliders and were hit in the side faired better than they would have without the sliders. This is just my impression of course.

 

[CDN80eh?]

As it relates to childseats, try to find an 01 or newer...
the LATCH child seat anchor system can not be overstated --also, if you can look for BRITAX child seats ----expensive, but worth it!

 

[hoser]

It is my understanding the LATCH system is no safer, just easier to use.

 

[cary]

It is my understanding the LATCH system is no safer, just easier to use.

Yep, in fact testing has shown it is not as safe.

 

[slimbuddha]

Most of the britax have tested to be the safest car seats around. Whether it was latch, tether, or regular seatbelt, it needs to be installed properly. I believe in most cases it should have less than 1" of travel (side to side or forward).

Hoser, you are right, the LATCH was created for ease of install.

 

[dclee]

We use both LATCH and the regular seatbelt together, in the center position (with a Britax Decathlon).

 

[cary]

We use both LATCH and the regular seatbelt together, in the center position (with a Britax Decathlon).

There have been articles out there stating don't use both, the belief being that it can transmit excessive force to the seat and child. That said, I have not found any actual quantifiable data to support the above claims.

 

[dclee]

There have been articles out there stating don't use both, the belief being that it can transmit excessive force to the seat and child. That said, I have not found any actual quantifiable data to support the above claims.

Man, that's good to know! I'm from the "more-is-better" school, but prompted by this I went out and did some more research. It seems that this is only a problem if specifically mentioned in both the vehicle and car seat manuals, but in general, it's not a good practice. Because the seat might be more rigidly attached using both restraints, this setup may transfer TOO much of the impact energy to the child, rather than let the seat absorb as much as it is supposed to. So, thanks MUD (and Cary)!

 

[NMuzj100]

For maximum safety keep the kids in a seat with a five point harness and wrap-around head protection for as long as they are still in the weight range. When they are ready to go to a booster (by weight height, not attitude) get one with a full back and head support.

I've seen kids in the center rear car seat come through accidents that had no other survivors without any injuries at all.

As far as using both latch and seatbelt together, an additional reason not use both is the seat is designed to only deal with the stresses on one set of straps at a time. With crash forces on both sets the seat could twist or rip in a way it is not designed for.

For the original question I would say the 100 is slightly bigger, newer, and therefore at least a bit safer than 80. But the 80 is a pretty safe vehicle so I wouldn't sweat the difference.