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0 pointsxnx2d ago0 comments

Unfortunately, in the car size arms race, bigger and heavier cars are safer for their occupants.

"Everyone outside the car be damned" is the expressed preference of US buyers.

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8 comments · 3 top-level

I don't think the US consumers are buying the bigger SUV/trucks because they are safer. At best it might be a minor contributing factor. It's primarily a status/identity thing.

pseudohadamard2d ago

Early SUVs were actually extremely unsafe, high wheel base made them more prone to tipping over (rollover), no crumple zones and similar safety measures because we'll just make it big instead, and so on. This is why newer SUVs have thicker A-pillars and other measures, because the earlier ones before safety regs were enforced were deathtraps.

toomuchtodo2d ago

n=1, I dated a low empathy woman who specifically drove a Chevy Tahoe due to mass for safety reasons and transporting her only child in the vehicle frequently. “Good luck to the other driver.”

defrost2d ago

On the flip side, there's a lot to be said for a low centre of gravity and it's still the case that US "trucks" get smushed by actual trucks (road trains and heavy haul outmass a tahoe).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TskUzmg6Sk

(Site safety video, engine and transmission removed in example vehicle .. still ..)

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seabird23h ago· 2 in thread

Thumb through IIHS numbers and you'll see that "bigger is better" doesn't pass a sniff test.

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/driver-death-rates-by-make-and-...

xnxOP22h ago

Good data point. I'd assume that drivers of big cars are often worse/more dangerous drivers. Hard to control for in statistics, but a good driver in a big car is more protected against other bad drivers. For reference, I drive a compact car.

seabird19h ago

There's a lot of sociological observations you can make. RWD Challengers and Hemi Chargers are obviously going to be death magnets. The Altima gets the exact type of numbers you would expect. The WRX is surprisingly low. The Outback is no surprise considering your average Outback driver. Most of the chart toppers are the type of car you would buy if you're looking for trouble or you don't know how to drive. People with more expensive cars seem to be making an effort to not die in them.

A good road driver just generally positions themselves to not get hit by other cars, regardless of whether or not they're in something pretty nimble or a fat pig boat.

chneu2d ago

They're only "safer" to the driver. Large vehicles put everyone else at a higher risk.

This is "race to the bottom" logic. The only end to this logic is everyone driving giant vehicles in bubbles because "it's safer for meeeeeeeee" as they hit children in a school zone cuz the blind spot in their Ford fuck550 is a football field long.

Race to the bottom logic is rampant in this form of capitalism that we're experiencing. Everyone's excuse is valid and only shifts the baseline to more excess and extreme behavior.

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8 comments · 3 top-level

Eddy_Viscosity22d ago· 3 in thread

I don't think the US consumers are buying the bigger SUV/trucks because they are safer. At best it might be a minor contributing factor. It's primarily a status/identity thing.

pseudohadamard2d ago

toomuchtodo2d ago

n=1, I dated a low empathy woman who specifically drove a Chevy Tahoe due to mass for safety reasons and transporting her only child in the vehicle frequently. “Good luck to the other driver.”

defrost2d ago

On the flip side, there's a lot to be said for a low centre of gravity and it's still the case that US "trucks" get smushed by actual trucks (road trains and heavy haul outmass a tahoe).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TskUzmg6Sk

(Site safety video, engine and transmission removed in example vehicle .. still ..)

1 more reply

seabird23h ago· 2 in thread

Thumb through IIHS numbers and you'll see that "bigger is better" doesn't pass a sniff test.

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/driver-death-rates-by-make-and-...

xnxOP22h ago

seabird19h ago

A good road driver just generally positions themselves to not get hit by other cars, regardless of whether or not they're in something pretty nimble or a fat pig boat.

chneu2d ago

They're only "safer" to the driver. Large vehicles put everyone else at a higher risk.

Race to the bottom logic is rampant in this form of capitalism that we're experiencing. Everyone's excuse is valid and only shifts the baseline to more excess and extreme behavior.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse