Interesting, because in vehicles that offer (e.g. 2nd row) captains and these, manufacturers consistently refer to this option as “bench”. And I think they would pass as “bench” for most people, and most of the things that they would want out of it, even if they aren’t the same as the older style.
Irrespective of nomenclature, these type of seats should be OK in the front row then, yes? Yet I can’t think of any new vehicles that have them.
It’s quite hard to see, but some trucks offer this, except the middle seat is also the armrest.
manufacturers consistently refer to this option as “bench”. And I think they would pass as “bench” for most people, and most of the things that they would want out of it, even if they aren’t the same as the older style.
I guess I haven’t seen that. The older style was literally just a single piece of padding all the way across. So you would literally slide on turns. Even the slightest bump stops you from moving as much.
… with trucks… that weigh hundreds of HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds less than a train (literally just the locomotive weighs 400 THOUSAND pounds/200 short tons, even a land train in australia has a maximum weight of 164 short tons). It’s like saying “why don’t bicycles have seatbelts when cars are required to”. The car seatbelts are for collisions with other things at speed. A bike/car collision at 90 degrees is much more worrisome for the bike than the car.
There are 25 rail passenger casualties for every 100 collisions with a heavy vehicle at a crossing, of which there are 14609 collisions with trucks in the US database over a ten year period to 2021
They often didn’t have head rests, so whiplash. They also came from a time when shoulder belts weren’t common and seat belts in general were more of a suggestion.
And then there were the days when parents would stuff too many kids into the front of a single cab with a bench seat and put us 2 to a seat belt, and / or one kid on the lap of the driver. But those were also the days of the rear facing seat in the station wagon. I also remember my scout leader packing a group of us into the bed of a pickup, shit was scary but so much fun.
Some do, but at least with my 01 Toyota Tacoma it has a bench seat with headrests and full seat belts, though I guess any hypothetical poor bastard who gets the middle bitch seat is fucked.
How do bench seats kill people?
They’re much more unsafe than bucket seats. Someone up above in the thread details it more.
They are common (if not standard) in 2nd and 3rd row seating.
I get a difference in frontal impacts, but a number of people have specifically cited side impacts.
Where do you live? I haven’t seen a bench seat in the back of any new passenger vehicle for decades.
So they have bucket / captain seats in the back?
yeah? They’re not as aggressive as front seats, but they’re still bucket.
Compared to actual bench seats, the difference is massive.
Interesting, because in vehicles that offer (e.g. 2nd row) captains and these, manufacturers consistently refer to this option as “bench”. And I think they would pass as “bench” for most people, and most of the things that they would want out of it, even if they aren’t the same as the older style.
Irrespective of nomenclature, these type of seats should be OK in the front row then, yes? Yet I can’t think of any new vehicles that have them.
It’s quite hard to see, but some trucks offer this, except the middle seat is also the armrest.
I guess I haven’t seen that. The older style was literally just a single piece of padding all the way across. So you would literally slide on turns. Even the slightest bump stops you from moving as much.
Look up the 2026 Suburban. They refer to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd row “bench”. Also used for other GM vehicles.
Ford uses it for some of their vehicles (e.g. Explorer) but oddly not for others.
Interesting how they’re unacceptable for cars but the norm for trains and they don’t even have seatbelts
Trains don’t take 90° turns, nor have other trains hit them at 90° angles.
Over an 8 year period there were 49 90 degree rail accidents with trucks at crossings in Australia
… with trucks… that weigh hundreds of HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds less than a train (literally just the locomotive weighs 400 THOUSAND pounds/200 short tons, even a land train in australia has a maximum weight of 164 short tons). It’s like saying “why don’t bicycles have seatbelts when cars are required to”. The car seatbelts are for collisions with other things at speed. A bike/car collision at 90 degrees is much more worrisome for the bike than the car.
There are 25 rail passenger casualties for every 100 collisions with a heavy vehicle at a crossing, of which there are 14609 collisions with trucks in the US database over a ten year period to 2021
Yeah you’re gonna need to start quoting your sources.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-04/RS-2021-001 Final v1.2.pdf
They often didn’t have head rests, so whiplash. They also came from a time when shoulder belts weren’t common and seat belts in general were more of a suggestion.
And then there were the days when parents would stuff too many kids into the front of a single cab with a bench seat and put us 2 to a seat belt, and / or one kid on the lap of the driver. But those were also the days of the rear facing seat in the station wagon. I also remember my scout leader packing a group of us into the bed of a pickup, shit was scary but so much fun.
Some do, but at least with my 01 Toyota Tacoma it has a bench seat with headrests and full seat belts, though I guess any hypothetical poor bastard who gets the middle bitch seat is fucked.
Distractions from all the cute girls and good dogs probably.