Avoiding the unexpected deer

[ac7ss]

0718101928 by cuilean_radan, on Flickr

Even the extra bumper on this patrol car wasn't enough to save the car. (Look at the push bars.)

[ac7ss]

On a side note, I do have the mix of cars. I own an 02 insight, 04 Neon and 86 Chev van. Holding 2, 5 and 7 people respectively. Still don't have enough room for all of the grand-children. We drive the smallest vehicle that will hold everybody at any time. The Neon survived a deer strike at 55mph. (More of a glancing blow really.) Lots of deer in the Olympia area near the interstate.

[gasstingy]

I think I have a solution to the problem. As I understand it, you have a lot of deer that are looking to commit suicide on the front of your (or your neighbors) vehicle. You drive the largest vehicle you can afford to operate so that you will win if it comes to a contest. (Kind of like a Ford Excursion vs a Smart car) You want to get better fuel economy and still be able to tow your 5000 pound laden trailer everywhere you go. Well, it's your lucky day! I found a couple of offers on the internet that are right up your alley.


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[mcrews]

In the discussion of american sized cars vs european sized car it is not a 'chicken or egg' arguement.
Your roads were narrow way before the invention of cars thus the demand was for small cars.
Our roads were built because the cars were large.
While that may seem simplisctic it is true.
While driving a 4door 5 series peugoet in Italy, we had to pull the mirror in to navigate a street in the town my grandparents were born in.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by mcrews

Our roads were built because the cars were large.
While that may seem simplisctic it is true.

Oh, really? Ever sat in a Model T Ford? And conversely, a lot of early European cars were pretty big: Rolls-Royce, Bugatti Royale, etc.

It wasn't until the mid-50s that US cars really started bulking up. Compare the 50-59 Chevrolets, for instance:

1950: http://www.50chevy.com/wp-content/up...et-bel-air.jpg

1954: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-19...d-green-sy.jpg

1955: http://assets.speedtv.com/images/eas..._bel_air_m.jpg

1959: http://www.davidsdimension.com/Retro...let_Impala.jpg

[mcrews]

wow......
ok you said "Oh, really? Ever sat in a Model T Ford? And conversely, a lot of early European cars were pretty big: Rolls-Royce, Bugatti Royale, etc."

I wasn't aware that everybody in europe was driving RR and BRs?????? my mistake.
and the comparison to the Model T is only about 20 yrs apart and two different types of consumers.
But let me go back to the beginning.
90% of all towns and cities that exist in europe were built and finished by 1900. the size of the roads in the towns were set.
90% of all towns and roads that exist in the US were still in development......we were still an Ag economy.
but to follow your point. Cars in the US got big because the could. Cars in europe got small because the had to.
Land is at a premium in the cities in europe. (much like New York) having a garage to put a car in was unheard of. (havung been to Paris and Northern France and also Southern Italy and Rome)


Actually, it was all a secret plot by the Marshall Plan (you know where the US sent HUGE amounts of money to keep the Commies from taking over western europe) to keep the cars small.

I say that in jest, but think about the time from 46-54. America was awash in pent up demand and consumerism. Europe was just beginning to rebuild the destruction that had washed over the land. There was a limited supply of mfg and raw material in europe.

[euromodder]

Anatomic differences between Europeans and Americans are minor, so the enormous size differences in cars is a cultural thing and not a necessity, but it comes at a huge price.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by mcrews

I say that in jest, but think about the time from 46-54. America was awash in pent up demand and consumerism. Europe was just beginning to rebuild the destruction that had washed over the land. There was a limited supply of mfg and raw material in europe.

So we built microcars.
And isn't it amazing to see the concepts and ideas behind them are making a return in a more contemporary way.

The Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum microcars, bmw isetta, messerschmitt, messerschmidt, kr200, micro cars

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by tumnasgt

By population, the US is worse than most of Europe

By miles driven, the US is about the same as a lot of Europe

So where are "the chilling US numbers" as you described it? The chart map you cited shows that the US is only slightly worse than Europe. Hyperbole or 'spin' such as this sounds like anti-American bias.

The really "chilling" numbers aren't in the US at all - they are in third-world, undeveloped countries that often have repressive governments. It's no exaggeration to say that life in the US (including traffic risks) looks like utopia compared to life in countries like those.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Thymeclock

So where are "the chilling US numbers" as you described it? The chart map you cited shows that the US is only slightly worse than Europe.

tumnasgt cited the maps, which are far too rough to be useful anyway.

The US numbers for 2008 are 37,261 ppl killed, a population of 304,060,000 (or 3040.6 times 100,000) resulting in a fatality rate of 12.25 per 100,000 . (NHTSA)

Compared to Belgium ( 922 out of 10,66 million = 8.65 / 100,000 ) you're doing almost 42% worse.
And as if that isn't bad enough, Belgium ain't doing very well either when compared to the rest of Europe. We have almost double the road fatalities as the Netherlands, yet the border is merely 35 miles north of here !

So yes, those US figures are chilling.
And so are our Belgian figures for that matter.

You can try and hide the figures behind the miles travelled, but that's just spinning knowing the US is such a huge country where distance has a different meaning than in Europe.

Hyperbole or 'spin' such as this sounds like anti-American bias.

If you don't like the facts pointed out to you, it surely has to be anti-American bias ...

The really "chilling" numbers aren't in the US at all

So as long as it isn't as bad as Iraq or Iran, you're gonna think you're doing fine ?

Pointing out that things are worse elsewhere, really doesn't imply you're doing great.