When you see one of these ugly muthers coming at you, Look out!
Figures from the US national Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A pedestrian struck by a large van is three times likely to die as a pedestrian hit by a car. A pedestrian hit by a large SUV is twice as likely to die as one hit by a car.
The probability of a head and thoracic injury is substantially greater than a car, which tend to cause leg injuries.
figures: fatalities per 1000 crashes:approx
car: 45
compact SUV: 80
compact pickup truck: 85
Large SUV: 110
Large Pickup: 118
Large Van: 130
I remember an article in Car & Driver a year or two ago where they ridiculed the hysteria in some of the press over DaimlerChrysler's new "SUV" that weighed 5000 pounds and how it was irresponsible to have a vehicle so large on sale to the general public and why would any family want one. The SUV in question was the Unimog.
SUV move the paranoid bourgeousie from their domicile to their childrens school. I suppose it's unneccessary to point out how many pedestrians are around schools at the same time, or who they are.
Thats right, because only SUVs can kill children, if it were a sedan or hatchback these accidents would not occur of course, and SUVs are the ones that are seen driven "peter Brock" style around suburban streets. And we dont not need to teach our children to keep off the road, and only cross at crossings, and get in and out via the kerb side door because if it were not for SUVs, nothing bad would happen in the first place! Now how do i do one of those sarcastic face things?
What does American figures have anything to do with us?? It's just like the bullbar thing- dont ban bullbars, ban stupid pedestrians. Which is pritty much all it comes down to. Comes down to common sense and not being in such a rush all the time
yeah because its always the pedestrians fault too. i just don't think that it is at all practical or justifiable that mum and dads in suburbia need to own a large SUV or 4WD Wagons, oh no thats right you own them because they:
Are so fuel efficient?
Handle so well?
Have all that Power?
or is it because there only 60 to 80 grand to buy?
seems like they have alot going for them.... ya right
Maybe it's the thinking that if I'm to be involved in a crash at all I would like to be in the biggest and heaviest vehicle that I can (just about) afford and still be (sort of) practical as a family car.
This theory works fine unless the crash involves another large & heavy vehice or something immoveable. Your sure better off than in a tin can disposable car yet because of the poorer vehicle dynamics your less likely to be able to avoid the accident in the first place.
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