Big Cars are killing Americans

[AchingBack]

The author of the article lost me when the title of the article and the contents don't match.

 

[pchamlee]

i know many here will not agree with this article, but just to stir the pot.... inho increased size of the pickup over the years to the now monstrous has posed safety hazards for pedestrians. add all the small vehicles now on public roads (i hate scooters, etc) only increases risk.
we have a voracious appetite for power/size/creature comfort, which is ok in iteslf. but there are blind spots on these larger trucks, & the increased power & creature comfort sometimes makes us unaware of our surroundings...add our thirst for social media while driving & it makes a recipe for disaster

(this comment is not intended for those who depend on larger pickups for their trade, etc. just for the mall cruisers in crowded areas)
your thoughts? the link should work

Apparently you don't understand the concept of 'personal responsibility. '

 

[bvanek]

I'm gonna also guess that since I was a kid, the number of vehicles on the road has doubled. That leads to my second guess that the number of car/pedestrian accidents has also grown, given the numbers. I'd like to see what the numbers are per capita of car/pedestrian fatalities has been since 1961 before I make any decisions for myself.

The article does bring up a good point that new pickups are stupid tall. I'm sure all of you recalling being able to reach over the side of a truck bed and grab something out. That's about impossible today. Why are they so high?

As I ride around in my 2003 Suburban, which used to be one of the largest vehicles on the road, I'm dwarfed by the new pickups. Sitting at a stop light next to one, the top of their hood is about level with my eye height. There's no way in heck they have good visibility in front of them, or to the right side while sitting at a crosswalk. It's just not possible. Especially with the larger windshield posts that house today's airbags.

Anyhow, to each their own. Pedestrians, be careful. They can't see you.

Is this is an assumption based on city/suburbia driving? (referring to a rather narrow take on truck heights.) Out here in rural America we need the ground clearance and my rare trips to metropolitan areas (maybe your location) gives me a better view of my surroundings as long as I play it smart and recognize where I "fit"........Now if you are referring to "truck ego" from suburban America then maybe your point has some merit. I avoid city congestion like the plague. It's no place for a big rig I'll give you that...... but quit trying to group us rural folks into a city folk thought process. We are a minority but thrive on reason and common sense. We don't own anything for show.

 

[marhar]

i know many here will not agree with this article, but just to stir the pot.... inho increased size of the pickup over the years to the now monstrous has posed safety hazards for pedestrians. add all the small vehicles now on public roads (i hate scooters, etc) only increases risk.
we have a voracious appetite for power/size/creature comfort, which is ok in iteslf. but there are blind spots on these larger trucks, & the increased power & creature comfort sometimes makes us unaware of our surroundings...add our thirst for social media while driving & it makes a recipe for disaster

(this comment is not intended for those who depend on larger pickups for their trade, etc. just for the mall cruisers in crowded areas)
your thoughts? the link should work

Many people in working the land depend on "large powerful" tucks to pull equipment and haul. Back in the day the Suburban was a vehicle for workers and equipment.

I do, however, often see the soccer mom driving a large SUV that look as if they have never been off the road or pulled anything...kind looks like a station wagon on steroid.

 

[sunandsand]

Had the "pleasure" of being pitched by an ad agency looking for the local tourist development agency's account. Big bucks involved, he worked hard to try to get them.

He said "We are selling dreams" - "most people won't ever actually do any of this stuff, but they'll buy (in this instance, a huge 4wd SUV with bull bars and a lift kit, which only goes off-road to park on someone's lawn at a yard sale) it because if they buy it, they'll know they COULD."

That's why we have big SUVs driven by suburban housewives who weigh 95 lbs - they bought into the DREAM of escaping their hum-drum lives - because they COULD drive it to Alaska if they wanted to. Of course, that will never happen, but dreams and aspirations sell impractical vehicles quite well, thank you. Red Corvette for a bald, chubby accountant suffering from a mid-life crisis, anyone?

We buy tractors because we need them to do work. I've never met anyone who bought a tractor or a front loader or a Bobcat for the image, to park in his driveway and polish it to make the neighbors (and miscellaneous strangers) envious, or bought it to reassure himself that he still appeals to wimmin . . .

An awful lot of cars, trucks and motorcycles, on the other hand, get bought because of emotional appeal rather than on the basis of practicality.

The guy got the account, by the way - his business is selling dreams.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

 

[priberc]

i know many here will not agree with this article, but just to stir the pot.... inho increased size of the pickup over the years to the now monstrous has posed safety hazards for pedestrians. add all the small vehicles now on public roads (i hate scooters, etc) only increases risk.
we have a voracious appetite for power/size/creature comfort, which is ok in iteslf. but there are blind spots on these larger trucks, & the increased power & creature comfort sometimes makes us unaware of our surroundings...add our thirst for social media while driving & it makes a recipe for disaster

(this comment is not intended for those who depend on larger pickups for their trade, etc. just for the mall cruisers in crowded areas)
your thoughts? the link should work

As with anything there are positives and negatives to large and small. All are "safe" if driven in a safe manner and respect is shown for others on the road
As for the "mall cruisers" AKA 15th avenue 4x4s....IMO no those are not "needed" per say. But I was young once too so I get the desire to have them too
Respect for all others and having patience for those displaying less respect for others is key to happiness I think.
Life is just too short to be mad at all around you all the time.....period

 

[kenb1023]

"...over 95 % of accidents were 5 to 10 miles of their home!"

Ride the bus for those 5-10 miles, then use your car. Much safer.



Bruce

Ride the buss, get mugged and the mugger gets out before you make it to the hospital. I will stay in my Ram 1 Ton SRW. Much safer. To add to this My last truck, 99 Dodge Ram 2500 with a buck-stop bumper got wiped out by a semi that lost control because he wasn't paying attention. If I was in any other vehicle I would be dead right now. Between that bumper and the overall size of my truck kept the semi's trail from rolling over the top of me. FYI, Semi went from the west bound lane and crossed the dirt medium and across the east bound lane. That is where he got me. Added the end result for visual reference

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Lawnmower cars are killers too.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

My wife used to have a 4 door Jeep Sahara, it was her baby. 6 months into my new F150 at the time, and she switched to an F150 of her own; simply because it made her feel safer.

 

[oosik]

Inattentiveness .............