Why safety is more important
We would do well to heed the wise words of Jon Burgess in your report on classic car upgrades ( CCW, 17 April). In the old days there were many spurious reasons for going without a seat belt, few more stupid than saying that you could be trapped in a car following an accident. Being thrown from a fragile and disintegrating vehicle was a major cause of death but, of course, there was always someone else’s miraculous escape with which to regale the chaps in the bar.
The interior of most classic cars is an unforgiving environment and their crumple zones – with a few honourable exceptions – also include the occupants. Without belts, those occupants continue at their original speed only to collide with whatever joys the designer arranged – in my MGB, toggle switches, a rather solid steering
wheel and a metal dash. The windscreen surround doesn’t look too inviting, either. Look at a classic Rolls – lots of wood splinters to add variety to the injuries!
Age – and let’s face it, we are in a hobby of older enthusiasts – dramatically reduces the suddenness and maximum force of a brake application. So why not fit a brake servo? Yes, we can allow extra space but what about the apocryphal child running into the road? Remember, we are all so used to our power-assisted anti-lock brakes that it is easy to forget how much braking distances have been reduced.
Originality is fine – and desirable – for the trailer queens of our fraternity but the rest of us exist in a real world where protection of our passengers, modern fresh tyres, good brakes and very visible lights are essential requirements for the responsible enjoyment of our hobby within the wider community.
Dr Geoffrey Hammonds, Edgworth, Bolton
There are plenty of upgrades that can make your classic safer in an emergency but won’t spoil the car’s look or character – and there’s never a time when driving skills themselves can’t be sharpened up or revisited – Ed.