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Originally Posted by wdb
after seeing pictures of their car I will never, ever, buy a Korean vehicle.
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I'm going to reiterate Vskid3's excellent point that you want to see a car mashed up because it means it dissipated the energy instead of transferring it to the occupants. Andy's point about the conservation of momentum tells us why a heavier vehicle is almost always the safer option when involved in multi-vehicle collisions.
Really though, I refuse to listen to anyone that places lots of emphasis on driving a larger vehicle for safety reasons while simultaneously failing to have reasonable diet and exercise habits. My coworker's Ford Exploder broke down and became less valuable than the tow bill, and I tried to discuss better vehicles options for his lengthy commute and cargo needs. Being easily 100 lbs overweight and a smoker, he said he had to drive a larger vehicle for safety reasons. He also said it allowed him to see over traffic.
In a car, I have no problem seeing down the road, through the vehicle ahead of me, as long as it's a car. The only vehicles I cannot see beyond are the larger SUVs and trucks. My point is that buying an SUV or truck for safety reasons is an extremely selfish decision that puts everyone else at greater risk of collision and injury.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cd
SUV safety, once a key concern for the segment when it was booming in the 1990s, has made real strides in recent years. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported in June 2011 that SUVs (including crossovers) are now safer than cars, even when comparing vehicles of similar weight. Real-world fatality data for 2005-2008 models reveal 28 driver deaths per million registered SUVs. There were 56 car driver deaths and 52 pickup driver deaths per million for the same period. Minivans were the safest with 25 driver deaths per million registered vehicles.
I hove* to wonder if minivans are 'safer' because they are driven safer ( by families with children ! )
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The data might be interesting, but as you point out, it still leaves everyone to wonder if the vehicle type is the cause for the safety, or the type of driver that chooses the vehicle type. I know young men would be much more likely to drive a car than a minivan or SUV. Young men make foolish decisions.