NHTSA: SUVs not safe enough

[nord1899]

Head of auto safety says SUVs are not safe enough

Runge added that rollover accidents accounted for just 3 percent of all U.S. auto accidents in 2001, but caused nearly a third of all vehicle-occupant fatalities, and an SUV occupant was more than three times as likely to die as a result of a rollover than an occupant of a passenger car, the paper reported.

Discuss (hopefully without too many flames)

 

[boyRacer]

US drivers aren't safe enough.

 

[Ryan]

God, do you think researchers could tell us something we DON'T already know.

 

[ElFenix]

yay station wagons!

 

[vi edit]

And in a related note, motorcycle riders are 10 times as likely to die in a wreck than an SUV driver.

We need safer motorcycles.

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
yay station wagons!

Ditto!

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
And in a related note, motorcycle riders are 10 times as likely to die in a wreck than an SUV driver. We need safer motorcycles.

Did you know that bicycle riders are 100000000543987237543235732786532587535639875263583265923675235346x more likely to die in a wreck also? Who would have thought of that.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: BoYRaCeR
US drivers aren't safe enough.

Shhhh! You're not supposed to think like that. What if everyone started to take personal responsibility instead of blaming the automakers, huh? Just think of the horror!

ZV

 

[Glitchny]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
And in a related note, motorcycle riders are 10 times as likely to die in a wreck than an SUV driver.

We need safer motorcycles.

how to implement a safer motorcycles now becomes the problem.... put and eject seat on it?

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: Glitchny

Originally posted by: vi_edit
And in a related note, motorcycle riders are 10 times as likely to die in a wreck than an SUV driver.

We need safer motorcycles.

how to implement a safer motorcycles now becomes the problem.... put and eject seat on it?

Add 2 more wheels.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: Glitchny

Originally posted by: vi_edit
And in a related note, motorcycle riders are 10 times as likely to die in a wreck than an SUV driver.

We need safer motorcycles.

how to implement a safer motorcycles now becomes the problem.... put and eject seat on it?

Add 2 more wheels.

then its a 4 wheeler and those are dangerous too!

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Evadman

Originally posted by: Glitchny

Originally posted by: vi_edit And in a related note, motorcycle riders are 10 times as likely to die in a wreck than an SUV driver. We need safer motorcycles.

how to implement a safer motorcycles now becomes the problem.... put and eject seat on it?

Add 2 more wheels.

then its a 4 wheeler and those are dangerous too!

I've got an idea, lets add a metal enclosure and make it bigger, then it'll be safer....errrr....DAMNETT!! Now it's an SUV!!!!!!!!!

 

[Evadman]

then its a 4 wheeler and those are dangerous too!

Ok, then everyone should walk.

But there has been a recent accident that showed that falling onto concrete is bad too see?

 

[HappyPuppy]

Motorcycles need to be equipped with roll cages and the riders should be strapped securely to the frame.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Motorcycles need to be equipped with roll cages and the riders should be strapped securely to the frame.

Which would make it equivalent to a Geo Metro since it will really fly when it gets hit by these starbucks drinking yuppies with Hummers running around.

 

[Jmman]

Don't all motorcycles have an eject seat already??!! Just get into an accident on one and you will know what I am talking about....

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: Jmman
Don't all motorcycles have an eject seat already??!! Just get into an accident on one and you will know what I am talking about....

Yep... and its activated either by stupid drivers that don't aren't attentive enough... or stupid squids that had no brain in the first place.

 

[BooneRebel]

I started looking into this after hearing about that quote this morning. Looking at the NHTSA's web site, you can query the Fatality Analysis Reporting System here. According to the most recent data, 2001, there were a total of 37, 795 fatal crashes. Of those there were:

4,568 2-door sedans, hardtop, coupes.
10,933 4-door sedan, hardtop
2,606 compact utility (Jeep Wrangler, etc.)
409 large utility (Jeep Cherokee, etc.)
152 utility station wagon (Suburban, etc.)

Now, looking at those numbers, you are over 30 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident driving a 2- or 4-door sedan than if you are driving a Suburban. Which is safer?

 

[nord1899]

Originally posted by: BooneRebel
I started looking into this after hearing about that quote this morning. Looking at the NHTSA's web site, you can query the Fatality Analysis Reporting System here. According to the most recent data, 2001, there were a total of 37, 795 fatal crashes. Of those there were:

4,568 2-door sedans, hardtop, coupes.
10,933 4-door sedan, hardtop
2,606 compact utility (Jeep Wrangler, etc.)
409 large utility (Jeep Cherokee, etc.)
152 utility station wagon (Suburban, etc.)

Now, looking at those numbers, you are over 30 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident driving a 2- or 4-door sedan than if you are driving a Suburban. Which is safer?

Well looking at that, I would say a Suburban. But another stat I would like to see is the number of accidents per type of vehicle and then the number of deaths per type of vehicle. Just to give some measure of comparison. Another stat would be the number of each type of vehicle purchased over a given time to see how many people are driving them (of course many people own multiple cars so this stat would not be the most useful).

 

[StageLeft]

If they were bigger and heavier they'd be safer!

 

[jjones]

If they would just make tanks street legal we wouldn't have these problems would we?

 

[Jmman]

I am sure that the rollover danger is higher, but your total risk is much lower driving a big SUV. Think about it. Would you rather be in a serious accident in a big SUV or a Geo metro. The sheer mass of the larger vehicle will add more protection, where the geo metro will crumple like a beer can.....

 

[MikeMike]

Well here is that 4-wheeled motorcycle you wanted

So how safe did you want a 4 wheeled motorcycle?

well you got your request for a 4-wheel motorcycle what do you think of it?

 

[Jmman]

You know, I still cannot figure out why people hate SUVs so much. Jealousy? Environmental concerns? Imho, if you want a big SUV what right does anybody else have to say you can't have it........

 

[nord1899]

Originally posted by: Jmman
I am sure that the rollover danger is higher, but your total risk is much lower driving a big SUV. Think about it. Would you rather be in a serious accident in a big SUV or a Geo metro. The sheer mass of the larger vehicle will add more protection, where the geo metro will crumple like a beer can.....

I love how everyone always uses this in their argument. The car is supposed to crumple. Its designed that way. The car absorbs as much of the impact as it can so that the passengers can survive. Of course when a Suburban and a Geo Metro collide, one will crumple alot more than the other. What happens when two Suburbans hit each other?