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...the smaller car and subsequently your body adsorbs much more energy of the crash.
If you really wanted to be a stickler for Newton's 3rd, wouldn't both vehicles exert the exact same force on their opposite part? (I know, inelastic collision, but still...)
Of course, the outcome is different - the lighter vehicle will decelerate faster or even accelerate in the opposite direction. And that's bad news for the occupants.
Another problem with pickups is too much iron. Their crumple zones don't crumple, which subjects the occupants to very high G load in collisions.
Heh. I used to ride in one of these:
They were obviously quite robust - could knock a chunk out of a brick wall like nothing - and they were horrendously unsafe in any sort of collision. Every bit of deceleration would be delivered directly to the occupants.
These arguments against and for bigger car safer, smaller car safer are stupid.
Big SUV? Flip over.
Small car? Fireman peel you out with a can opener for cars.
There is no perfectly safe vehicle, sorry. Same way ANYTHING "bulletproof" isn't.. just bullet-resistant. (Think that impressive glass that stopped that big scary bullet will be after it gets hit like 5 more times by the same thing in the same spot in under three seconds?)
And has anyone mentioned the most dangerous: the New York driver behind the wheel?
Just sayin... I really did think this thread was about armed robberies with people that get cash out of ATMs. At gas stations, there are ATMs and this happens, so...
These arguments against and for bigger car safer, smaller car safer are stupid.
Big SUV? Flip over.
Small car? Fireman peel you out with a can opener for cars.
There is no perfectly safe vehicle, sorry. Same way ANYTHING "bulletproof" isn't.. just bullet-resistant. (Think that impressive glass that stopped that big scary bullet will be after it gets hit like 5 more times by the same thing in the same spot in under three seconds?)
And has anyone mentioned the most dangerous: the New York driver behind the wheel?
Just sayin... I really did think this thread was about armed robberies with people that get cash out of ATMs. At gas stations, there are ATMs and this happens, so...
Yep i agree people have to make mountain out of a molehill on any discussion on here.
Honestly just sounds like you personally dislike small cars and motorcycles, if anything. Bigger cars dont mean more safe, its all about the driver and certain situations. You have tons of idiots out here driving SUVs and pickup trucks, pretty sure theyre more unsafe than my ass in my chevy sonic.
Big truck vs small car = truck wins almost every time. All the safety equipment in the world isn't going to help you out when you have a head on with something big.
All crashes are not head-on crashes. About 10% in the USA.
You have a far better chance of avoiding that crash if your vehicle is agile. And if you're awake and not on your phone with your BFF LOL OMG!
Life is very precious and it cannot be replaced. These little cars that get 30 plus MPG don't mean jack when you're dead.
People that drive these compact cars are often being killed in accidents. When I read an article like this, I think what their outcome would have been if they were in a full size car, truck or SUV. Say a big Cadillac, a Ford Expedition, or even a full size Chrysler or Oldsmobile. (I know, unrealistic for 2018) I bet they would have lived.
If you want to increase your chances of living, go out and get some American steel!
Don't even get me started on motorcycles!
If you love life and want to live, pay at the pump!
These kids from my area were driving a Ford Explorer. When the driver, who was speeding, tried to brake quickly, he lost "directional control" causing the vehicle to roll over "several times". https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/n...ew-jersey.html
Honestly just sounds like you personally dislike small cars and motorcycles, if anything. Bigger cars dont mean more safe, its all about the driver and certain situations. You have tons of idiots out here driving SUVs and pickup trucks, pretty sure theyre more unsafe than my ass in my chevy sonic.
I think it's probably a counter-punch effort for the "Why do some people hate SUV's thread".
Honestly just sounds like you personally dislike small cars and motorcycles, if anything. Bigger cars dont mean more safe, its all about the driver and certain situations. You have tons of idiots out here driving SUVs and pickup trucks, pretty sure theyre more unsafe than my ass in my chevy sonic.
Bigger cars do mean more safety. Large sedans and large imported sedans, like the full sized Mercedes, have a lower fatality rate than regular sedans and SUVs, which have a lower fatality rate than pickup trucks and compacts, which have a lower fatality rate than sport cars. The tables are just deaths per mile, without regard to driver or passengers. There is some variation by manufacturer. You are more likely to die driving a Chevrolet pickup than you are driving a Ford F-series.
The OP is correct as long as you stick to cars. Larger, heavier cars are safer than smaller, lighter cars. SUVs are no longer built on truck chassis, and are about as safe as a mid-sized sedan, but when you go to a pickup the fatality rate really jumps. Be aware, and drive more conservatively in a pickup than you do in a car. As long as you don't have a wreck, you will be fine. The most dangerous part of any car is always the nut behind the wheel.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
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Quote:
Originally Posted by some1livesinamerica
the OP sounds like if you don't drive a big suv, and decide to go with a compact car, you will get killed in a car accident. At the end of the day, it is a matter of probability and trade offs. If you get into a car accident, driving a bigger car will definitely give you a better chance of surviving due to law of physics, but it is not like if you drive a compact car, you will get involved in a catastrophic accident and get killed b/c of it.
A compact car is generally cheaper, has better mpg and easier maneuver in traffic compare to a suv. The downside is you are sacrificing safety. Whether the extra safety that you get by driving a suv and spending all the extra money on gas is worth or not is purely a personal choice and subjective.
Personally, my wife and I own a compact car and a small suv. I drive the compact car most of the time, because my daily commute is longer than hers. Up until now, i have not involved in a car accident. Whether i will get involved in a car or not in the next 30, 40 years, only time will tell.
I would argue you may or may not be trading safety for size. Full size light trucks typically have worse crash results than small cars.
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