Safe at all speeds: Car safety technologies Session has ended.

I would like to ask a safety question beyond the ones below.

When looking at the crash ratings from the government's crash tests, aren't the tests simply demonstrating what the crash would be if a Mini Cooper hit an identically sized car? The reality is, the car will be substantially larger.

Are there any statistics on survival or injury rates in real-world crashes with the Mini Cooper? I would love to get one but I do a lot of highway driving and assume a crash on the highway in a Mini Cooper would be an ugly crash, regardless of the airbags, safety cage and crumble zones (not much to crumble!). Do you agree? The bouncing effect sounds interesting...but on a highway? Hitting an SUV at 70 or 80mpg?

One last question: I live in Michigan and am wondering how such a small car would fare on ice and in snow? I assume the front wheel drive would be beneficial but wonder how the weight of the car factors in.

Thank you.

Are you guys going to review the new Acura TSX 2009 any time soon? Because I have to say, Acura gave the new TSX a tech boost...

Would you get this or the new Audi A4?

Who puts out the best safety ratings for car?

Are there any particular ratings within that system you focus on?

Also, if I may ask another question:

How much is bigger, safer? E.g. Prius has good safety ratings, but I still feel safer in my Escape...

2 days ago I was test driving a Mini Cooper S and I test drove both the automatic and manual and quite honestly both are equally FUN. The reason I test drove the automatic also was because my sister was with me at the time and she can't drive a manual quite well. Also my sister is shopping for a new car and she cannot decide between a Toyota RAV 4 Sport V-6 or the Mini Cooper S. Anyways (some of these questions are from my sis) here the questions...

1) How safe really are the Mini Coopers? And what makes them so safe?

2) Have you test drove a JCW Mini Cooper S? How was it? Are there any major differences between a regular Mini Cooper S and JCW Mini Cooper S?

3) Why did Mini change the S model engine from a supercharger to a turbocharger? Does it increase fuel economy or what?

4) What are your gripes about the Mini Cooper?

5) Does the Rav 4 come with AWD?

6) RAV 4 or Mini Cooper S? hahaha

Thanx for reading

akl8806

Wayne, you've been to numerous car shows, test driven gazillion cars... in your opinion what is the coolest safety feature you've come across that you think is not only the coolest, but also be a high selling point for a car.

which is safer. volvo s80 acura rl, or the lexus gs? thanks.

I've seen the commercial from Honda about not only protecting the folks inside of their cars, but also protecting the people who are outside the cars --in an instance where you hit a pedestrian... If you have any info on that, I would love to hear about it... but if you don't no worries.

Currently our cars have teathering for child car seats, but nothing beyond that. Have you seen anything in cars that address child safety?

So when you cross over the line, does it warn you or does it automatically correct the steering to keep you within the lanes?

How does the car know you're drifting out of the lane?

Ask the Editors Live! event.
Topic: Safe at all speeds: Car safety technologies

Got car safety tech questions? Need some advice or answers? Well, you've come to the right place. For one whole hour on Thursday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to noon Pacific Time, CNET's Car Tech editor, Wayne Cunningham, will be here to discuss and answer your questions on new car safety technologies--ranging from blind spot warning detection, crash mitigation, to traction and stability control, and more!

So if you got questions about new car safety technologies or curious on how they work, Wayne has answers! Don't miss out!

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