I need an SUV, small cars are dangerous! and other hooey

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by bkrell

Isn't that kind of a flawed observation? Look at the number of each of those classes of vehicles sold. If the market is 54% light trucks, wouldn't it make sense that there would be more wrecks for those trucks?

YES! i've said it countless times, stats can be manipulated. that said, it is an unbiased observation that trucks and SUVs are more difficult to control(handle) than a passenger car.

and with that said, THE safest car to drive(ALL things being equal) is a full size CAR. it's simple physics, plus the fact that more full size cars are loaded with safety features: more air bags, traction control, anti-lock brakes etc.

still too many variables tho to go by stats alone: age/skill of the driver, location/type of impact, speed, etc.

[bkrell]

Originally Posted by bowtieguy

YES! i've said it countless times, stats can be manipulated. that said, it is an unbiased observation that trucks and SUVs are more difficult to control(handle) than a passenger car.

and with that said, THE safest car to drive(ALL things being equal) is a full size CAR. it's simple physics, plus the fact that more full size cars are loaded with safety features: more air bags, traction control, anti-lock brakes etc.

still too many variables tho to go by stats alone: age/skill of the driver, location/type of impact, speed, etc.

No doubt. And please don't anyone think I'm pro-SUV. Get the dang things off the road for those who don't need them. Heck, my biggest gas guzzler is my CR-V. But it's an in town vehicle only that has taken over 5 years to rack up 90k miles. About 40 of those by me in the first year when I did do a 120 mile per day commute but at 69 mph with no a/c and $1.33 a gallon gas.

[Improbcat]

Oh I don't claim it to be perfect proof, or anything like that, but I did find it interesting.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by Improbcat

Oh I don't claim it to be perfect proof, or anything like that, but I did find it interesting.

it is interesting and i hope you didn't take my post as an attack. the fact is many drivers are unsafe and when large trucks and SUVs are factored in, they(unsafe drivers) become incredibly dangerous to everyone. that, i think, is what makes your stats compelling.

i too do not advocate SUV ownership. in fact, i've never owned one. i wonder how many lives would be spared if trucks and SUVs were only owned by those that actually required one. perhaps SUV owners would drive more responsibly in a smaller vehicle.

BTW, your title(of the thread) is right on the mark!

[bkrell]

Originally Posted by Improbcat

Oh I don't claim it to be perfect proof, or anything like that, but I did find it interesting.

But see, I don't think it's telling you what you think it is. But I think you can, at the very least, extrapolate that SUVs don't appear to have a lower mortality rate.

[R.I.D.E.]

Try running me over in a giant 5 mile square parking lot, you get a school bus, I have my VX, or maybe a 911 Turbo Carrera.

Smaller car drivers are covering their behinds.

I saw 3 Toyota Land Cruisers at a salvage auction, none of them had hit anything significant, just rolled over. 1% of a 300 car auction.

regards
gary

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by fumesucker

Even with ABS, pickups are dangerous when unloaded, they just don't stop or handle all that well. Without ABS, pickups are death traps when unloaded, the rear wheels lock up and the truck spins out when the brakes are applied vigorously, such as in a panic stop.

It would be interesting to know how many light trucks there are on the road versus compacts and subcompacts.. The figures you give for deaths are really meaningless unless matched with percentages of the total fleet each category falls under.

ill agree to that about light trucks, numerous times the backends gotten squirley from me hitting the brakes hard or in the in the winter hitting a blob of snow on the road, even with sandbags...my s-10 doesn't have ABS (doesnt have alot of things, i was lucky to have a radio) and i like not having abs as i know how the trucks going to react when i start to slide. Ive corrected many a slides (some on purpose hehehe )and its very easy because in slides your not supposed to touch the brakes anyways!

also as the owner of a compact, it feels and handles like a gokart, if i turn sharp the cars goign to react very quickly and make that turn. Or braking even as poor of a brake system as the chevettes had... it can still stop in a shorter distance with half my brakes working that a suv with all its brakes working...