It's not just those who want to show off that need horsepower. In some everyday traffic situations, dangers arise when cars do not accelerate quickly enough.
Munich – Unsurprisingly, unreasonably fast driving is one of the main causes of accidents; This is proven by accident statistics year after year. Since the beginning of March, neighboring Austria has been taking decisive action against speeders and confiscating their vehicles. The first German driver had to continue traveling without his car.
The more horsepower, the more dangerous it is for road traffic - you might want to derive this principle from this. However, a study by the ADAC argues against this. According to the automobile club, if the engine lacks power, it can sometimes be risky. Not only during overtaking maneuvers, which are already more daring, but also in everyday traffic situations.
Acceleration from 60 to 100: In these traffic situations it can be dangerous without horsepower
As a rule, a normal engine is safe enough, according to the conclusion of the ADAC evaluation, which compared almost 600 vehicles of all drive types. However, what is considered “normal” also depends heavily on the weight and use of the vehicle. Put bluntly: if a car weighs more, it also needs more under the hood.
Otherwise, dangerous situations can arise if the vehicle does not accelerate quickly enough. And that's where speeding up is urgently needed in everyday traffic. For example, when entering the highway. According to traffic experts, you should accelerate to at least 80 to 100 km/h and ideally use the entire acceleration lane so as not to endanger yourself or the driver in the right lane.
The only problem is that some vehicle models do not have enough engine power to reach the required speed on the driveway, which is usually 250 meters long. The decisive factor for this is the acceleration from 60 to 100, also known as pulling power.
Reliable pulling power: These models perform poorly in the ADAC test
“An acceleration that makes sense in this regard takes between 5.5 and 8 seconds. During this time, the vehicle covers around 122 meters to 178 meters,” writes the ADAC on its homepage about the evaluation. The assessment is based on “real traffic situations”; This certainly does not mean insane and negligent car races, like those in downtown Munich at the end of 2023.
The automobile club evaluates the respective acceleration from 60 to 100 km/h as follows:
Good:
in less than 6.38 seconds.
Satisfactory:
up to 8.63 seconds.
Poor:
from eleven seconds
The worst performers according to these criteria were the “Dacia Spring Electric 45” and the “VW eco up!” 1.0move up!” The ADAC rated both as “poor”. The pulling power of the following models can be dangerous in some traffic situations:
Fiat Panda Cross 1.0 GSE HybridLaunch Edition
(70 hp), needs 10.68 seconds and 237.41 meters from 60 to 100 km/h.
Hyundai i10 1.0Trend
(67 HP), needs 11.09 seconds and 246.41 meters from 60 to 100 km/h.
VW eco-up! 1.0move up!
(5-door, 68 hp), needs 12.89 seconds and 286.48 meters from 60 to 100 km/h. (all petrol engines)
Dacia
Spring Electric 45Comfort Plus (44 HP), needs 14.86 seconds and 330.11 meters from 60 to 100 km/h. (electric car)
In addition to entering the motorway, overtaking would also be risky, especially on country roads. The ADAC did not find any questionable pulling power among the diesel and plug-in hybrid models tested.
“HP performance alone does not increase safety”: traffic experts appeal for common sense
However, the evaluation also shows that the horsepower number alone is not always decisive. Usage and weight are also crucial. “If a car is mainly driven in the city, a lower engine power may be sufficient,” writes the ADAC. If you drive primarily on the highway or with heavy trailers, more powerful engines are recommended. This means you can react more quickly to dangerous situations. But: “Performance alone does not increase safety,” emphasizes the ADAC in its test. It is important to drive proactively, defensively and in a safety-conscious manner.
“Basically, when choosing a vehicle, it makes sense to choose the performance that suits your own usage profile,” agrees a spokesman for the German Motor Vehicle Monitoring Association (DEKRA) when asked by
IPPEN.MEDIA
. Overtaking is only possible safely if the acceleration is sufficient to complete the overtaking process within the visible and free section of the route.
However, DEKRA does not believe it makes sense to derive a general “minimum engine power” from this. “But the fact is: Anyone driving a less powerful vehicle must be aware of this and should of course be cautious when overtaking,” said the spokesman. However, to interpret the ADAC's evaluation as an invitation to speed and drive at high speed is certainly wrong. (rku)