Sc430 Rollover Safety

[SC NUT]

I know Lexus has always been concerned about safety - - but I'm wondering about how much protection I have in case of a rollover in my SC430???? Is the windshield frame built strong enough to give the necessary protection??

BTW thanks for te help on my tool kit question.

[MBoom]

The SC430's windshield pillar construction should provide a high degree of protection against deformation in the event of a rollover. But every crash is unique, involving a multitude of factors that can render any safety system ineffective. As you can imagine, in a convertible there are any number of things that can go wrong, ranging from ejection to the intrusion of objects into the passenger compartment.

Assuming that the windshield pillars hold up in a rollover, you'd still have to hope that the seatbelt pretensioners were activated. This would cinch you into your seat, and minimize the chances that you'd flop against the ground, rocks, guardrails, or the like as you embarked on your tumble through space and time. In some cases, regardless of whether the pretensioners activated, centrifugal force would keep you pinned into the cockpit, but the accelerative and decelerative forces in a crash are often unpredictable. Sometimes it's more like a tumble than a roll.

Having the roof up would add to the overal structural integrity of the SC, and would also reduce the likelihood of objects penetrating the cockpit. Nonetheless, it's best not to roll the SC, top up or down. :)

So, I think the answer is yes, the windshield pillar provides quite a bit of protection from deformation, but it's no guarantee that you won't meet your maker. However, you have to view the SC in terms of the total safety package offered by the car. First, while not impossible, rollovers are not really all that common an event in auto crashes. Your Lexus has an advanced stability control system (VSC) and a well-engineered suspension that, acting in tandem, significantly reduce the chances that you'd ever flip the SC. It also has an fairly low center of gravity, which makes it an inherently stable vehicle.

Additionally, you have to look at the rest of the safety package, bearing in mind the likelihood of various types of accidents. With well-engineered deformation zones, front and side airbags (knee airbags also in the '07), seatbelt pretensioners, a strong body structure, ABS and VSC, you've got a lot going for you from the perspective of safety. Mama Lexus is taking care of you.