Are our Slants "Unsafe"?

Unfortunately I can't agree with you any less, Mcnoople. There's obviously enough interest in the topic and the thread that people continue to post on it.

It's a worthwhile topic of discussion even though I think the bed wetting handwringing nannies out there need to dial it back on worrying about what other people might or might not be doing, eating, driving, saying or thinking.

Sleeper-oem had it right: drive them like you would a motorcycle and be aware that their brakes, steering and response to input is way different than in modern cars. Driving one requires that a driver adapt to the limitations of the vehicle.

My Valiant with non power steering and brakes, while easy enough to drive, does not have the capabilities of a modern vehicle or the quick response times.

As a hardtop it is barely more tight a structure than a convertible. It has seat belts and a metal dashboard. Maintaining an awareness of what you're driving helps compensate for the lack of passive safety devices, but probably not by much.

For all that I have never felt "unsafe" in all the years I have driven it, no matter how paranoid the professional worriers out there get.