Quote:
Originally Posted by bschloop
That's not exactly true. I see "Smart" cars, and 1st gen insights on an almost daily basis, and my wife bought a Mirage, and brags about it to everyone she knows. Truth be told, more people die in accidents while driving SUV's than cars. They sit too high, and flip too easily. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING, short of a nascar style head restraint system, will keep you safe in a rollover.
That being said, I am of the opinion that vehicles over 4000lb curb weight ought to be classified as a "light commercial vehicle" and require a special license. That would have a greater effect on highway safety than any equipment you could put in a vehicle.
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While I agree with you... sadly... sales statistics point to the sobering... or depressing... trend of people voting for bigger and bigger cars with their wallets. Every time gas prices dip back after a fluctuation, truck sales increase and small car sales decrease.
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Still, nice to see people are actually buying the Mirage over there!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2000mc
theres this Death rates fall as vehicles improve
but at the end of the page, i see the Ford Crown Victoria, appears in the LOWEST rates of driver deaths chart.
meanwhile i see the Mercury Grand Marquis, making an appearance in the HIGHEST rates of driver deaths chart. |
Recent statistics show the same... midsized cars are safest, pick-ups and small cars among the unsafest... but these stats, like the latest IIHS numbers, are hugely skewed by buyer demographics, otherwise, the big, heavy Camaro, with its acres of crush space in front and big heavy V8 to absorb killing forces, wouldn't be one of the deadliest vehicles on the road. This also explains the difference between the Crown Vic and the Grand Marquis.
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Also doesn't help whenever an agency decides: Hey, let's crash an Accord into a Fit to show people that, when subject to the same crash forces, a Fit is less safe.
Of course, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see what's wrong with that one... you're showing a 90 pound weakling can't take a punch from a heavyweight boxer, whereas a heavyweight boxer can take a punch from a 90 pound weakling.
Completely absent is the part where they ram both against an elephant... errh... eighteen wheeler... because... like... nobody wants to learn that their big car offers nearly as little protection from an eighteen wheeler as a five star small car, right? Not like we don't know that already from actual, scientific crash tests...
What we should learn from such publicity stunts is that we should all ask to be jabbed in the face by ninety pound weaklings rather than bull rhinoceroses.
