Big Cars are killing Americans

Steppenwolfe · Dec 30, 2021

lman said:
That truck should automatically brake for pedestrians.

Your right... &%*$.

Root Cause · Dec 30, 2021

Not much of a debate-would you prefer being shot with a 5.56 or 7.62?

I remember a news report (60 minutes maybe) showing how cars were so bad because they hit below the waist causing severe spinal damage while snapping your head on the hood at a much higher speed than the speed of the car.

PILOON · Dec 30, 2021

RjCorazza said:
Rediculous. My large pickup truck has better visibility than ANY vehicle I have ever owned.

That may be good for you but the guy driving a regular or compact has his visibility seriously blocked.
That poor guy parked between 2 huge PUs can't see to pull out into traffic.
Heck even in mall parking lots the huge PU create a dangerous visibility issue.

bcp · Dec 30, 2021

Big Cars are killing Americans in small cars?

Everyone drive large pickups. Problem solved.

Bruce

3 Horse Ranch · Dec 30, 2021

BleedingOrange said:
Well, I have noticed that most young ones walking on sidewalks, and crossing at crosswalks, don,t even have the brainpower to lift their heads for a moment to actually check out where they are at, in regards to their surroundings. Maybe there should be a law for pedestrians stating that they cannot use their smart device while walking within a 100 ft. radius of any moving vehicle. To help them, maybe there needs to be an app, which would shut the phone off, if it is on, and senses motion. 99.9 % of the crap being looked at does not need immediate attention.

There is a lawyer ad in Seattle that cites a traffic video that "proves" the dump truck driver was at fault in injuring a pedestrian. It shows the dump truck going around some kind of a traffic circle and a woman walking across the center and right into his path as if totally oblivious to her surroundings. It appeared to me that she was eclipsed by his side mirror or the cab A pillar. The video was to short to see what made her unaware of her surroundings but I suspect it was a phone.

Oaktree · Dec 30, 2021

RjCorazza said:
Rediculous. My large pickup truck has better visibility than ANY vehicle I have ever owned.

Maybe forward visibility, but you can't see to the sides or rear worth squat in ANY modern vehicle, between the wide pillars, high beltline and high bed sidewalls. I would sure hate to parallel park a modern pickup, even RV cameras aren't much help.
Not to say this is anything new, 20 years ago a friend bought an Avalanche. Absolutely no way you could see a utility trailer to back it.

I agree with the premise of the OP...trucks have gotten needlessly huge over the last 10-15 years.

Steppenwolfe · Dec 30, 2021

PILOON said:
That may be good for you but the guy driving a regular or compact has his visibility seriously blocked.
That poor guy parked between 2 huge PUs can't see to pull out into traffic.
Heck even in mall parking lots the huge PU create a dangerous visibility issue.

Darwin's, Survival of the biggest...

Steppenwolfe · Dec 30, 2021

Oaktree said:
Maybe forward visibility, but you can't see to the sides or rear worth squat in ANY modern vehicle, between the wide pillars, high beltline and high bed sidewalls. I would sure hate to parallel park a modern pickup, even RV cameras aren't much help.
Not to say this is anything new, 20 years ago a friend bought an Avalanche. Absolutely no way you could see a utility trailer to back it.

I agree with the premise of the OP...trucks have gotten needlessly huge over the last 10-15 years.

Not so anymore... my F150 Platinum has 360 degree camera coverage on the dash screen... And sensors to warn you.

3 Horse Ranch · Dec 30, 2021

big bubba said:
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

It's an absolute nonsense story and makes not one valid point. Statistically the fatality rate per mile driven is about the lowest it has ever been. Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles in the 1960s was over 5+. In this century it is around 1.2. The number has been steadily declining since 1921 when it was 24.