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People who want to see us get off fossil fuels, would you feel safe driving or riding as a passenger in a Leaf? Here's a picture of one:
Nissan Adding Jobs in Tennessee | Cookeville Times | Cookeville, Tennessee News, Weather and Sports | Business (http://www.ucdailynews.com/news/business/97229304.html - broken link)
When you answer would you mention if you mostly do city, suburban, rural or highway driving and whether you commute to work by car or take public transportation? Tell me your political identity (liberal, radical, conservative, moderate, libertarian, etc.), too.
If you are a parent, would you let your teen drive one? Would you put a baby in one?
If you sell insurance or if you just know the answer, can you give me an idea how much this kind of car (by that I mean similar size and weight) would add to your insurance rates? I'm guessing they want to market it to a particular audience but I want to know who you think that audience is. Would all of our rates go up with these teeny cars on the road?
Would gung-ho environmentalists go for this car, safety be da*ned?
Personally, I be scared to death to get in one of those things but I never drive in a big city and maybe that's who the car is meant for. Would a city person that only tools around in the city feel safer than someone who drives on highways in one of those little cars?
How about people who drive trucks or tractor trailers? Would you be afraid of getting into an accident with someone who drives one of those little cars because you think what is now merely a fender bender might be a death in one of them?
People who want to see us get off fossil fuels, would you feel safe driving or riding as a passenger in a Leaf? Here's a picture of one:
Nissan Adding Jobs in Tennessee | Cookeville Times | Cookeville, Tennessee News, Weather and Sports | Business (http://www.ucdailynews.com/news/business/97229304.html - broken link)
When you answer would you mention if you mostly do city, suburban, rural or highway driving and whether you commute to work by car or take public transportation? Tell me your political identity (liberal, radical, conservative, moderate, libertarian, etc.), too.
If you are a parent, would you let your teen drive one? Would you put a baby in one?
If you sell insurance or if you just know the answer, can you give me an idea how much this kind of car (by that I mean similar size and weight) would add to your insurance rates? I'm guessing they want to market it to a particular audience but I want to know who you think that audience is. Would all of our rates go up with these teeny cars on the road?
Would gung-ho environmentalists go for this car, safety be da*ned?
Personally, I be scared to death to get in one of those things but I never drive in a big city and maybe that's who the car is meant for. Would a city person that only tools around in the city feel safer than someone who drives on highways in one of those little cars?
How about people who drive trucks or tractor trailers? Would you be afraid of getting into an accident with someone who drives one of those little cars because you think what is now merely a fender bender might be a death in one of them?
I've been driving a MR-2 since 1987 in the big city, and I'm still here (and it can do 100+ MPH and still gets decent millage).
So a leaf wouldn't be much different then a motorcycle or other small vehicle, including my car.
I've gotten out of more jams, that I would not have driving even a mid-sized car.
So if I could fit in one (6'6" in a Leaf? Maybe not) I might consider it, when it's time to get another vehicle.
(please note, I only drive it in the warm months, as it is not a winter vehicle)
I'd drive one. Right now, I don't drive but only because I am looking for a job and really have no real need for a car.
I wouldn't put a teenager in an SUV, though sadly that's the trend around here. And ever year we lost a few at my high school that rolled the SUV mommy and daddy thought was so safe.
I'd drive one. Right now, I don't drive but only because I am looking for a job and really have no real need for a car.
I wouldn't put a teenager in an SUV, though sadly that's the trend around here. And ever year we lost a few at my high school that rolled the SUV mommy and daddy thought was so safe.
The SUV rolled because it was an SUV or the drivers were behaving irresponsibly?
People who want to see us get off fossil fuels, would you feel safe driving or riding as a passenger in a Leaf? Here's a picture of one:
Nissan Adding Jobs in Tennessee | Cookeville Times | Cookeville, Tennessee News, Weather and Sports | Business (http://www.ucdailynews.com/news/business/97229304.html - broken link)
When you answer would you mention if you mostly do city, suburban, rural or highway driving and whether you commute to work by car or take public transportation? Tell me your political identity (liberal, radical, conservative, moderate, libertarian, etc.), too.
If you are a parent, would you let your teen drive one? Would you put a baby in one?
If you sell insurance or if you just know the answer, can you give me an idea how much this kind of car (by that I mean similar size and weight) would add to your insurance rates? I'm guessing they want to market it to a particular audience but I want to know who you think that audience is. Would all of our rates go up with these teeny cars on the road?
Would gung-ho environmentalists go for this car, safety be da*ned?
Personally, I be scared to death to get in one of those things but I never drive in a big city and maybe that's who the car is meant for. Would a city person that only tools around in the city feel safer than someone who drives on highways in one of those little cars?
How about people who drive trucks or tractor trailers? Would you be afraid of getting into an accident with someone who drives one of those little cars because you think what is now merely a fender bender might be a death in one of them?
I drive a Prius and I feel at ease driving one. On the other hand, there's that Smart car that looks like a toy. I'm not sure about that thing. Eventually it comes down to the bowling ball (truck) sending the bowling pin (Smart car) tumbling out of the way upon impact. A lot of vehicles these days have airbags, virtually surrounding the car's passengers. Not only that, if a smaller car gets hit and has its airbags deployed, the car can be used as a raft.
I'm going to buy one, the first brand new car I will have purchased since 1990. Until then I'll get by with my 4 cylinder, or drive my 6 cyl truck (205K mi on it) when I need to haul something, or the weather is bad.
Watch "Who Killed The Electric Car?" and you'll realize we can not only do better than the Leaf, we already have done better.
The SUV rolled because it was an SUV or the drivers were behaving irresponsibly?
SUVs roll easier than most cars. That's just physics. Many parents buy their kids SUVs or pass on their old SUVs to their teen drivers assuming because they are bigger they are safer. I was just pointing out that they are wrong. Bigger isn't always safer.
I have driven in several Smart Cars in Europe and never felt unsafe. I'd do the same in the US if I had the opportunity.
People who want to see us get off fossil fuels, would you feel safe driving or riding as a passenger in a Leaf? Here's a picture of one:
Nissan Adding Jobs in Tennessee | Cookeville Times | Cookeville, Tennessee News, Weather and Sports | Business (http://www.ucdailynews.com/news/business/97229304.html - broken link)
When you answer would you mention if you mostly do city, suburban, rural or highway driving and whether you commute to work by car or take public transportation? Tell me your political identity (liberal, radical, conservative, moderate, libertarian, etc.), too.
If you are a parent, would you let your teen drive one? Would you put a baby in one?
If you sell insurance or if you just know the answer, can you give me an idea how much this kind of car (by that I mean similar size and weight) would add to your insurance rates? I'm guessing they want to market it to a particular audience but I want to know who you think that audience is. Would all of our rates go up with these teeny cars on the road?
Would gung-ho environmentalists go for this car, safety be da*ned?
Personally, I be scared to death to get in one of those things but I never drive in a big city and maybe that's who the car is meant for. Would a city person that only tools around in the city feel safer than someone who drives on highways in one of those little cars?
How about people who drive trucks or tractor trailers? Would you be afraid of getting into an accident with someone who drives one of those little cars because you think what is now merely a fender bender might be a death in one of them?
Your point is well taken. They are very dangerous, but so is neutering our foreign policy because we depend on Saudi Arabia and Iran for oil.
The Leaf and other micro-economy vehicles are not the answer by a long shot. But the problem isn't simply the size of the vehicle. It's the materials used to construct it too. Strong and lightweight don't have to be different things, but it will take time, money and a commitment to developing the next generation of super light and super safe vehicles to bring about what will be the new science of vehicle design.
What is happening today puts me in mind of what we did back in the 1970s when the first CAFE standards were imposed and US auto makers simply chopped the back of the vehicles off along with the last two cylinders on the engine. It was a half-hearted attempt to redesign the automobile, and the Leaf seems to be more of the same disinterested effort.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, we need a Manhattan Project style initiative to develop 50+MPG vehicles. I generally disapprove of government intervention into the private sector, but this has become a matter of national security. Our dependency on OPEC oil makes us vulnerable to oil embargoes that would cripple our economy and force us to compromise with some of the sleaziest dictators on the planet.
All cars need to pass crash tests. Unless the government decided to waive them for this model, which I highly doubt. And doesn't this discussion belong under the automotive forum?
The Leaf seats five passengers. I drive a Nisson Versa right now and feel safe until that redneck in a dually barrels up on my tail since I'm not driving 20 miles over the speed limit of 65 MPH.
Yeah, I'd feel safe in a Leaf.
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