[geeks] Mac definitions

[Dan Sikorski]

On 7/12/2011 2:32 PM, Lionel Peterson wrote:
> Yes, but the casual observer would expect that a few blown safety devices
> (airbags) should consign an entire car to the scrap heap.

That's because the casual observer is looking at a motionless car with 
no people in it, which is not at all useful anyway.  Very few people 
purchase a car and do not ever drive or ride in it.  Consider that the 
car needs an operator and/or passengers in it to be useful and that the 
operator and passengers are easily the most valuable part of that system.

> A vandal w/ a baseball bat could 'total' such a car with only a few well
> placed hits (OK, maybe a sledgehammer) - that seems wrong.

Would that even trigger the sensors?  Are they impact or inertial?  Do 
they work if the car is turned off?  Regardless, it's easy for a vandal 
with a baseball bat or sledgehammer to total a car without triggering 
the airbags.

> That said, I do appreciate the logic of an accident not being the mfg.
> concern, warranty-wise...
>

Even if the car is designed for as much serviceability as is feasible, 
it would probably still not be worthwhile to design collision-related 
parts to be cheaper.  If you consider the small number of vehicles 
involved in such accidents and rapid depreciation of the value of cars, 
it's not difficult to imagine that these options have been weighed and 
are not cost-effective.  Would you pay substantially more for a car that 
can have the airbags replaced cheaply?

     -Dan Sikorski