Quote:
Originally posted by dhamsaic
"Between 1988 and 1993, no one died while riding in a Volvo 240. No other car model can say that. "
Absolutely incredible cars.
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I don't doubt that Volvos are great cars. But bear in mind in thinking about statistics like that, that their drivers weren't randomized. How much of that safety record is the car, and how much is the driver who whom it was sold?
Consider that Volvos tend to be bought by those who are concerned with safety. These are the very same people who are likely drive more safely than the average driver, are likely to wear their seatbelts religiously, not disconnect their airbags, not drive drunk, and so forth. Volvos are expensive, which means their drivers tend to be middle-aged and middle to upper-middle class, who also tend to be safer drivers.
Try distributing Volvos to higher-risk populations *cough*teenagers*cough*, and I'll bet they'd start racking up fatalities pretty quickly. They'd still probably have a better safety record than other cars, but it would look less amazing than 'zero deaths in 5 years'.