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Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

arstechnica.com

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Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#151

Post by TrevorJ »

jetrink wrote: post #54

My proposed regulation is to introduce a hazardous vehicle license for large trucks and SUVs. Everyone is automatically granted one alongside their normal drivers license, but if you're caught driving recklessly (weaving through traffic on the highway, aggressively tailgating, speeding through residential or urban areas), you lose it and you have to drive a normal-sized car. Perhaps there's a way to earn it back thro…

The reason some of these vehicles ARE so big IS the regulations. We could look at rolling back THOSE changes first.

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#152

Post by oh_sigh »

closewith wrote: post #42
sickofparadox wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's government regulations that made trucks get this big, most people simply buy what is available in the form factor they like. Trucks are the most popular form factor in the United States (with pickups a close second)[1], and the manufacturers keep making the cars bigger because of the poorly written CAFE laws[2]. I, and I suspect most Americans with pickups, would prefer to purchase one the size of a '90s F-150 a…

Does anyone call an SUV a truck? Surely pickups are trucks.

If you see enough pickup trucks with bed caps you'll start to just view SUVs as those

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#153

Post by punkybr3wster »

TrevorJ wrote: post #151
jetrink wrote: post #54

My proposed regulation is to introduce a hazardous vehicle license for large trucks and SUVs. Everyone is automatically granted one alongside their normal drivers license, but if you're caught driving recklessly (weaving through traffic on the highway, aggressively tailgating, speeding through residential or urban areas), you lose it and you have to drive a normal-sized car. Perhaps there's a way to earn it back thro…

The reason some of these vehicles ARE so big IS the regulations. We could look at rolling back THOSE changes first.

This is the one time I always pull out my “Thanks Obama!” without being ironic.

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#154

Post by alistairSH »

aidenn0 wrote: post #83
alistairSH wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trucks (and SUVs) don't follow the same emissions regulations as sedans/wagons. I don't know if that's just EPA policy or part of the legislation that allows them to regulate auto emissions. But, it's also Congress's fault for leaving the chicken tax in place (25% tariff on imported trucks/vans). This essentially allowed domestic brands to price gouge on trucks/suvs (as VW at the time, and then the Japanese brands as…

Toyota has plants in the US; I assume they make the Tacoma in the US, which should avoid the chicken tax?

Correct. The Tacoma and Tundra are assembled in the US so should avoid the tax. The Land Cruiser is still produced in Japan, so subject to the tax. Same for the Lexus GX (no Toyota equiv in US) and LX (rebadged Land Cruiser).

The old mini-truck and T100 were made in Japan (except maybe a year or two at the end of T100 production).

The tax was implemented in the 60s or 70s, as VW was trying to get into the van and truck market in the US.

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#155

Post by renewiltord »

Yeah, that makes sense. But lots of people pointed out to me that "right of way won't matter when you're dead" and that "cemeteries are filled with people who had the right of way". That's true and taking that to heart means buying a big truck because then right of way doesn't matter and it's the other guy in the cemetery. After all, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than buried by 6" or whatever. Yield to gross tonnage.

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#156

Post by alistairSH »

aidenn0 wrote: post #81
alistairSH wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are WAY more trucks/SUVs out there than 3-child households. And I'm not sure what you mean by "wagons don't meet emissions requirements" - wagons would meet the same regulations as sedans.

Wagons are heavier and less aerodynamic than sedans. When coupled with the same engine they are less fuel efficient (compare the E450 sedan to wagon). The fact that they are heavier and sell poorly means they will only usually be available with the large(r,st) engine (no E350 wagon in the US). Note that I used the Mercedes because it's the only non-compact wagon I'm aware of for sale in the US.

That's fair, but the wagon should still outperform an equivalent cross-over in just about any measure.

What I don't know is where the line is between car-based cross-over and actual truck (as it related to emissions and safety standards).

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#157

Post by rhuru »

baggachipz wrote: post #6

Yeah but the drivers get to cosplay as Rugged Men™. The only thing that'll reverse the trend and stop this from getting worse will be government regulation. Then come the cries of "Now they're taking our trucks!"

Common sense is the first casualty when any topic has political bias to it. This comment demonstrates that.

Large vehicles are important part of American economy and mostly driven by blue collar workers doing their work. For example things like plumbing, construction site work etc. Now a days environment scientists and engineers too drive these large vehicles as they are very important for their day to day work. Not everyone can drive Tesla Model 3 everywhere.

In fact majority of those large vehicles are you see are mostly driven by such needs ( pun intended).

But the research on this topic itself is pretty shoddy. For example one has to look at other variables. Who was driving when the accident happened ? Chances are someone who was rushing to his work.

A lot of other data points out that the drivers are at fault are often poor people going to their work in their work vehicle. Another data is he victims too are poor people going to their work and disregarding basic pedestrian safety.

These are not men pretending to be rugged.

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#159

Post by rhuru »

Hamuko wrote: post #128
stcredzero wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, contemptuously painting a diverse group of people with a broad brush as pernicious -- History has something to say about this mental move.

I have a hard time believing that truck drivers are a diverse group of people when they're really only popular in a single region of the world.

In the top 10 most sold vehicles in USA 8-9 are trucks if I remember correctly. Ford F150 and Chevy Silvardo are typically number 1 and 2 consistently for decades. At that scale everything is likely to be diverse.

For the soyboys drinking their vegan milk and driving their lime bike to pride parade, it might come as a surprise, but it in indeed is. (<= This is an attempt to show that how any group can be dangerously maligned)

Re: Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds

#160

Post by gnicholas »

BobaFloutist wrote: post #109
jetrink wrote: post #54

My proposed regulation is to introduce a hazardous vehicle license for large trucks and SUVs. Everyone is automatically granted one alongside their normal drivers license, but if you're caught driving recklessly (weaving through traffic on the highway, aggressively tailgating, speeding through residential or urban areas), you lose it and you have to drive a normal-sized car. Perhaps there's a way to earn it back thro…

Just require a class A/B license to drive anything above...I don't know, 4000lbs? Exclude batteries from the weight if that becomes a problem for electric cars.

Although I see why you'd want to exclude batteries from weight, I'm not sure it's totally justified. After all, F = MA regardless. A friend of mine was hit by an EV and suffered broken bones, despite being belted, and on the opposite side of the car that was hit. If it had been a lighter vehicle, her injuries wouldn't have been as bad.
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