Rollover: The hidden history of the SUV. (Next Frontline, Tonight.)

[Thegonagle]

Thursday, on the next Frontline, top-heavy SUVs and the Automaker's conspiracy to protect their cash cows from crippling government regulation.

Rock and roll footage, on the next Frontline. Be there!

EDIT: It's tonight, on PBS, at 8:00 PM central.

 

[klah]

Is that on BBC or PBS?

 

[Zebo]

And next up: The hidden dangers of tractor trailer-auto collisions.

I hate it when these shows dramatize basic common sense stuff. If you drive a tall vechile that as a higher propensity to roll because if it's higher COM what thats generally what will happen in this universe.

 

[Thegonagle]

PBS.

And I posted this mostly because they're going to be showing footage of crazy test-drivers intentionally wrecking these things, which looks like fun.

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: Garfang
crazy test-drivers intentionally wrecking these things

Do they try to make a turn at over 20mph?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

I hear they are going to try 10mph turns!

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer
I hear they are going to try 10mph turns!

Expect lawsuits Friday saying that the tests are unreasonable and slanderous.

 

[0roo0roo]

make this the reminder list. remind us on thursday

 

[Zenmervolt]

[/quote]Do they try to make a turn at over 20mph?[/quote] Droll, very droll.

Have you actually driven a truck or are you just repeating what you've heard from a crisis hungry media and a bunch of SUV owners who are screaming hysterics because they aren't smart enough to realise that they can't drive a truck like a Miata? I've logged several thousand miles in my fathers Explorers ('91, '98, and '99) and I've never once come close to tipping the bloody thing. Yes, I've had instances that required emergency maneuvers, no, such maneuvers do not upset the balance of the vehicle when the driver knows what the hell he's doing. In fact, I've even had a complete blowout while driving (hit a piece of metal in the roadway), the truck barely shuddered. I just did what any intelligent driver would do; I slowed without braking hard and I made no sudden control inputs. At no time did the truck feel like it was even attempting to go out of control.

Next thing you know we're going to have to warn people that driving into a concrete wall at high speed is dangerous. Personally, I say just take the warning lables off of everything and we'll all be better off once the idiots are all dead.

ZV

 

[Thegonagle]

I bet I could roll my step-mom's Explorer if I tried. But just driving the thing around, it's in no danger of accidently tipping by just taking a turn too fast.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Garfang
I bet I could roll my step-mom's Explorer if I tried. But just driving the thing around, it's in no danger of accidently tipping by just taking a turn too fast.

Yeah, I could have been more clear. You're right that they can be rolled if you're trying to roll them, but there really isn't any situation in which they would roll in real life unless there is a serious case of driver error. I mean, if you believed the media you'd think that the things just fell over onto people who walked past them in parking lots.

ZV

 

[0roo0roo]

on now for westcoasters

 

[klah]

I watched it in the East coast. The original air date was February 2002. I would give it a 3/10 rating. They spend 45 minutes blaming SUV rollover deaths on Reagan/Bush-1, then all of a sudden they skip ahead to 2001. They did not spend a single minute examining the years 1992-2000 when the sales of SUVs exploded. I wonder why? Most of the interview segments were with Keith Bradsher author of this book: SUVs--The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles. The only reason I give it a 3 instead of a 1 is because of the humorous ending.

 

[0roo0roo]

ah yes, suvs are vehicles for a christian nation. kill your neighbor

 

[Thegonagle]

I just finished it on my Tivo.

Pretty objective. Kind of boring too. It didn't push one side over another, just presented facts and interview clips (though fewer defenders than detractors), but there wasn't much in there that I didn't already know.

It's true that a good driver isn't likely to roll one, but it's also true that most people think they're better drivers than they actually are.

It seems that one could get any SUV to roll on flat ground by oscillating the steering at a frequency appropriate to its weight and spring rate

I'm still going to ask to buy my step-mom's V-8 Explorer from her when she's done with it and ready for a new vehicle, because I like the value her truck will be then at 10 years old with low, easy miles.

And yes, the end of the show was truly poetic. You have to see it to believe it.

 

[Desslok]

They will probably do a hachet job like 60 Mins did on the Jeep CJ-5. What they failed to mention is that w/o turning the wheel faster than is humanly possible it would not have rolled like it did.

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: Desslok
They will probably do a hachet job like 60 Mins did on the Jeep CJ-5. What they failed to mention is that w/o turning the wheel faster than is humanly possible it would not have rolled like it did.

There were lots of clips of CJ-5's rolling at 20mph.

 

[Desslok]

The speed really doesn't matter it was the fact that they were using forces that no human could duplicate.

 

[klah]

Originally posted by: Desslok
The speed really doesn't matter it was the fact that they were using forces that no human could duplicate.

They didn't explain the testing procedures, but the vehicles were not being driven by people.