The facts, just the facts...Big, heavy vehicles are safer!

Dave53-7C

And here you go:

www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr041409.html

51hornet

I just can't believe this are they trying to say when a large car hits a small car the small car will loose? and they needed to do tests for this? I need to get into the study business. I am totally unsure of what would happen when a Kenworth and trailer hit a smaller car I need to do some testing.

www.nytimes.com/2009/0...crash.html

Dave53-7C

Wasn't it you who said that smaller vehicles were just as safe as larger ones? Confused

51hornet

Depends on what you mean by safer. If you are saying Large car small car in accident who wins its large most of the time when you are talking likelihood of accident its totally different.

You want some stats here are some that scare me:

Arguably one of the most controversial topics surrounding the SUV is of course its safety. While some experts claim that lighter cars are more prone to result in the occupants’ death in case of a severe accident, statistics have over the years repeatedly pointed the finger at the SUV, accusing it of being an unsafe vehicle both for the driver and passengers as well as other vehicles on the road

Statistics released by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) for the period 2001-2002 indicate a rise in automobile accident rates, a rise of which more than 45 percent have been attributed to SUV and Pickup rollover deaths. It has also been shown that fatalities of those behind the wheel or as passengers of light trucks have now surpassed car fatalities. In cases where SUVs or Light Trucks have been involved in a frontal crash accident with a normal car, statistics show that for every one SUV driver killed, a staggering 4.3 normal car drivers suffer the same fate.

Here is another:

Many buyers ironically cite safety issues for their decision, claiming that they feel more protected because they are larger, heavier and higher than cars. Unfortunately, when it comes to rollover accidents - the leading cause of death on America's highways - SUVs are among the riskiest vehicles driven today.

Or this Stat:

The US has 13 times the vehicle collisions that England does when you take into account the difference in population 13 times higher seems out of place. When you take into account distance traveled the likelihood of being in an accident is higher in the US due to greater distances traveled.

51hornet

Here is first part of accident deaths by vehicle:

51hornet

part 2

51hornet

So when you say larger is safer in a statistical vacuum I say you are 100% right. When you look at Europe most cars are smaller and less accidents occur due to distance traveled and most cars being the same size. If a SUV hits a car the occupants of the car are 27 times more likely to die than the occupant of the SUV. However the number one cause of death in a vehicle accident is roller over (35% of all accidents in US are rollover) The likelihood of dying in an accident in the US is higher if you are in an SUV than a car.

So when you apply real world accident statistics to the equation I will continue driving my small car.

Also what the article you posted failed to say was the crash scenarios they tested are .1% likely to happen in the real world while my chances of dying in a large vehicle seem to push 35% in the US.

Just goes to show you can say anything you want with statistics but the percentage of deaths in large vehicles is way higher than drivers of small vehicles but yes if you are in a SUV and I am in my small Hudson Jet I will be dying unless I pull the ejector.

Dave53-7C

Now, now, don't get your nighty in a knot. If someone drives an SUV or truck to the point that it rolls over, they're either idiots, driving wrecklessly or were in a freakish accident and would have rolled over in any size vehicle. The info you present is skewed by the fact that here, there are more SUV's and trucks on the road than cars. If you say more large vehicles are in accidents that involve serious injury or death, the simple fact is that there are more of them on the road. More vehicles of a particular class equals more info, be it good or bad. Big vehicles are safer from the standpoint that they have more mass and, in my book, mass wins. For me, I'm right and the world is wrong, so there. Razz

Did you watch the video clip and see the Smart car get pummeled by the Mercedes?

So, what else is going on? How's the ejector seat build going? Laughing

51hornet

Sorry Dave I would like to discuss this more but I am scared your SUV will roll over in the garage if you take your eyes off it. I suggest you completely confound the statistics by carrying a model of a Hudson in your SUV that way you have a small car inside a large car which does not fit anywhere in the accident statistics which basically makes you crash proof.

I have a friend who runs a towing company he tells me he makes his summer holiday money pulling SUV's out of ditch's in winter he says people drive them like they think they are snow plow's And you are right we have loads of them here as well and more of anything means more accidents. No matter what you venture out in you are going out onto a road full of idiot drivers. Thats why I am putting disc brakes on my Hudsons. After too many close calls I need more braking power.

Dave53-7C

Sorry, Sean, but people who roll any vehicle are idiots. True, trucks and SUV's have a higher center of gravity, but that doesn't automatically make them more prone to rolling over. I've been in numerous events where I've had to swerve at high speeds, and I've never come close to rolling over. If you maintain your vehicle and know how to drive it safely, all will be fine. With all of the electronic stability controls on modern vehicles of quality, it's almost impossible to intentionally roll one. Still, mass rules and if a large and small vehicle impact at speed, the smaller car will be a gonner. Razz

True, idiots think that just because a 4WD can plow through the snow, it must be able to stop on a dime in snow. In my travels, I see cars in ditches, not trucks or SUVs. Ah, more braking power my butt. All you need is a well maintained brake system, a strong foot and a good low gear. When I was young, I drove plenty of 2+ ton cars that had manual drum brakes and I was able to stop just fine. Admit it, you just can't stop tinkering. Laughing

51hornet

Yes I too drove every car known to man back in the "day" with drum brakes and all was fine. Today we have cars cutting you off that can stop on a dime. My big change to better brakes was my trip across the country and two separate trips here. In both occasions I was cut off by trucks and had to stand on the brakes. Came real close both times. My 51 has new brakes front to rear. When I got it home I ripped the drums, backing plates and bearings out and cleaned sand blasted and rebuilt the whole system right down to new hoses, wheel cylinders, shoes, hardware, and MC. Drums just do not do it for me. If you are ok with them more power to you. Me no likey so I go disc. I have not converted the 51 yet so I want to do stopping tests against the 54 sedan with 4 wheel disc and see what the real scoop is. I will of course be using seatbelts as I do not want to kiss the windshield during these tests.

Dave53-7C

True, older braking systems can't match the stopping power of modern ones. Although I understand your desire to be safe, there would be no need for a modern fangled brake system if you didn't have a lead foot. Were you somehow deprived of speeding, tailgating and brake stomping as a youth? Laughing

Seriously, I'm sure you'll do a great job on the brakes and belts. You'll need them, and then some, if you'll be driving down here anytime soon.

51hornet

I live in a city that has seen a large influx of people so the roads are always busy to the point where it is no fun to drive anymore and taking the Hornets out is a pain. I got that get me moved to the country.

And I just cruise along don't really speed. Its all the other idiots you have to be worried about.

Dave53-7C

Even in the country, you have to watch out for marauding deer and other wildlife. As for other drivers, everything is for sale and if they want to buy what I have, all they have to do is hit me. Don't worry about idiots, just make sure your insurance is paid and the attorneys are on stand-by.