Assuming you could only get either ESP or Curtain Airbags which would you get? ESP might help you in the extreme manouvre situation but curtain airbags could save your life if you were struck broadside by a 4x4!

So, assuming you have to choose, which would you get, and why?

It's a conundrum for many of us.

Neither. I'd spend the money on some good advanced driving tuition. Read the conditions better and reduce the chance of having the accident in the first place.

Neither. I'd spend the money on some good advanced driving tuition. Read the conditions better and reduce the chance of having the accident in the first place.

But how do you stop the idiot ramming you from a side road?

Your advanced driving tuition would give you a sixth sense. :P

I'd go for ESP, it's more likely to be useful as it may get you out of trouble after hitting diesel on the roundabout or black ice on a country road. The curtain airbags won't be needed then, TBH I can't see how curtain airbags would deploy fast enough in the example you speak of. If a Range Rover smacks straight into the side of you I think your wing mirror would be imbedded in your chin within milliseconds and curtain airbags aren't going to be much use. Curtain airbags would be useful say if the car rolled they stopped your head bashing about.

Answer: you wouldnt...

Side airbags as a safety feature will help loads in case you / family involved in an accident. That said, ESP may help prevent you from crashing if the road situation suddenly changes and for whatever reason you didnt anticipate it.

As for advanced driving tuition - great idea. Only problem being that even with that you cannot possibly anticipate 'driver next to me randomly decides to pull into my car without indicating, looking or any form of suggestion it may happen'. Not saying it's a bad idea, as it is something I keep wanting to do to increase my skills.

Only problem being that even with that you cannot possibly anticipate 'driver next to me randomly decides to pull into my car without indicating, looking or any form of suggestion it may happen'. Not saying it's a bad idea, as it is something I keep wanting to do to increase my skills.

Or as happened to me on a B road when my offside door mirror was removed by an oncoming idiot who was using half of my carriageway. He was tucked into the middle of a stream of oncoming cars and even though I saw him I just did not have enough room to pull further to my nearside than I did. Could not do an emegency stop either as I was being followed.

Cost of repalcement a few pence short of

Weigh it up against you and your families lifes then get both curtains airbags and ESP (thats what I did).

The few pounds saved in only getting one or the other could haunt you for the rest of your life if anything happens.

Its just not worth saving money on safety.

Haggle with the dealer and get both...

And then go on advance driver training as well.

TBH I can't see how curtain airbags would deploy fast enough in the example you speak of. If a Range Rover smacks straight into the side of you I think your wing mirror would be imbedded in your chin within milliseconds and curtain airbags aren't going to be much use. Curtain airbags would be useful say if the car rolled they stopped your head bashing about.

curtain airbags or any other airbag are depolyed very very quickly.

Airbags deploy in about 0.06 seconds at speeds of over 200 mph (airbag speed).

And after seeing some side impact videos made by americans (don't remember the site), I couldn't sleep for nights, so I decided to go for both the esp and curtain

edit : here is a site http://www1.tpgi.com.au/users/mpaine/curtain.html

they have some captures and some .mov files