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DickieG
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Post by DickieG »

I'm given a sobering reminder here to drive safely in my DS http://dsclub55.free.fr/newevent/index. ... %20en%20DS
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Post by andmcit »

Crumbs, looks like it's exploded and shed it's whole bodywork. He must've been giving it some beans!? Sad to see a nice car die so comprehensively, unless of course it wasn't knitted together properly after a recent restoration?

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Post by CitroJim »

:shock: Gosh, that was nasty...

Sadly, my French is not good enough to get a gist of what happened :(

Can anyone please give a quick summary of what happened in English?

Did you see the bit in this month's Citroenian about the new C5 that was involved in a nasty accident and it's driver escaped with barely a scratch despite the car looking to be almost as destroyed as that DS?
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Post by FrenchLeave »

Sorry Jim, my fifth form French was 60 years ago.

Am I missing a trick here or did the chap who pinched all the panels decide the offside rear wing wasn't worth taking?

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Post by DickieG »

andmcit wrote:Crumbs, looks like it's exploded and shed it's whole bodywork. He must've been giving it some beans!? Sad to see a nice car die so comprehensively, unless of course it wasn't knitted together properly after a recent restoration?
Unfortunately having done a few searches on You Tube on "Citroen DS" I'm of the opinion that they fall apart quite spectacularly upon impact due to the number of DS's in staged crashes be it in films or by stuntmen showing how many DS's one car can literally'drive through'. Having said that I don't believe a DS is worse than any other car of it's era, just by looking at how thin the 'A' pillers are on older cars will tell you that, great for vision but when it goes beyond that stage brace yourself!
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Post by reblack68 »

As far as I can tell it doesn't say what happened. It talks about advances in safety since the DS's day and say something about it being easy to forget you're in an old car when it's like a floating palace.

The picture captions just describe what's in the picture, and why it's bad.

The last paragraph tells you the outcome...

The occupants of this DS are alive, but following the crash, they were in a coma for many days, transported to Casualty in a helicopter (visible in the 8th picture) and hospitalised with multiple injuries.

My last French lesson was at school in 1985. :shock:
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Post by Peter.N. »

All the panels stayed on my XM when the wife crashed it. :?
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Post by reblack68 »

I've had a go at the rest with a little help from Babelfish.

The DS was doubtless one of the safest cars of its time, i.e. between 1955 and 1975. Years have passed since then, and to believe that one can still use this car like any modern vehicle, it is to ignore the progress that has been made in all areas, that it is on the handling, braking, suspension,tyres, seat belts, airbags , chassis and crumple zones, etc… Belief(?) also that one can ride in a “floating palace” on a budget and without good maintenance is also of the pure unconsciousness Can't think of the word I want here) which can put your life in danger, also that of your passengers and third parties.
To be conscious of the limits of the vehicle and to know your own limits, is the only way of reducing the accident risks and of not transforming your passion into hell. The following images are bound for the neophytes and for those who would be tempted to forget that a DS, like any old car, and more than any other current car, can kill…

DS accidents do not go back to today. (i.e. they are not a new phenomenon i think)

The images here are indeed impressive.

But they testify to a sad truth.

The DS does not have the safety standards you can expect from a current car.

The bolted-on body panels do not withstand a violent shock

The cell of survival...

A term that did not exist at the time

Ejection guaranteed by the windscreen, roof or doors.

After the accident, the car is literally mangled(?)

The power train is unrecognisable

As regards car, zero risk does not exist: on this basis do all you can to avoid the worst. Thus, here is a list of advice for submission to beginners and those who might have forgotten certain elementary principles:

* Drive prudently without exceeding the speed limits, especially in the event of bad weather conditions, dense traffic, or of poor road surface.
* Avoid “abrupt” operations like sudden steering or braking, especially in corners and/or at high-speed.
* Anticipate braking
* Don't look for an accident, even if you are "in the right"
* Take care of maintenance meticulously, by respecting the Citroen recommendations: tyres in good condition and OEM quality, a correctly maintained brake system, etc…
* Do not skimp on safety parts (tyres, plates(?), discs, etc…)
* use a recognized professional if you do not have the necessary mechanical skills yourself
* not to launch out “only” in a mechanical operation, whereas it is controlled only partially (or even worse, at all!), and particularly on the brakes, the direction and the trains rolling. (pure Babelfish, I have no idea what it means)
* MOT certificates, even if they are essential, are not an infallible guarantee.
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Post by CitroJim »

Wonderful Richard, thanks for doing a very comprehensive babelfish on it :D

Pleased the occupants survived :D

The DS was indeed hailed for its safety features back when it was new. There was word that the spare wheel was so placed right at the front of the engine bay to act as a shock absorber in case of a head-on collision and the single-spoke steering wheel was designed to avoid chest injuries. It looks as if it worked as designed too.
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Post by hobblerian »

That does truly look horiffic, makes me so glad I drive an XM and not my 2CV Dolly I learn't to drive in.
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Post by myglaren »

Nice Garblefish translation there Richard :)

Sometimes they make even less sense than the original that you couldn't read at all.

I have tried it on some Chinese texts and was barely any wiser afterwards.

Shame about the DS. I have seen and may still have some police photographs of a C-Crosser post collision with a lorry, in France. The DS and it's occupants fared much better than the C-Crosser driver. Just about the most gruesome photo's imaginable.

He was texting on his mobile and drifted into the oncoming traffic.
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Post by Ross_K »

reblack68 wrote:The cell of survival...

A term that did not exist at the time

Ejection guaranteed by the windscreen, roof or doors
Says it all really... :(

Though you don't have to go back to the DS's era - having seen the Xantia crash tests I wouldn't like to stack one of them at speed either (or any 80s or 90s Citroen for that matter).
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Post by andmcit »

I dunno, the Cx and even GS have some amazing ironmongery on their front
subframes behind the engine and brick outhouse engineering in the bodyshell
even if they have flimsy outer panelwork. Wouldn't want to crash either mind
as this would be a crime to works of automotive art!? 8) :lol:

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Post by myglaren »

I crashed my GS into an Escort.

A small dent in the stainless steel bumper was the only damage. The Escort was a write off.
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Post by Citroenmad »

Thats quite shocking, there is nothing left at all. I would guess its driver and passenger would have been thrown from the car, rather than trapped in it.

It doesnt show what the DS hit, unless it flipped into the embankment.
myglaren wrote:Nice Garblefish translation there Richard :)

Shame about the DS. I have seen and may still have some police photographs of a C-Crosser post collision with a lorry, in France. The DS and it's occupants fared much better than the C-Crosser driver. Just about the most gruesome photo's imaginable.

He was texting on his mobile and drifted into the oncoming traffic.
There was a link on one forum i visit with a VW Fox having hit a huge truck head on, gruesome is certainly the word, no matter what car it was, no one would have survived that type of crash.
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