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Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

economist.com

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Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#81

Post by spacebanana7 »

thot_experiment wrote: post #54
xwall wrote: post #15

Key Ideas: Heavier vehicles are safer for their occupants but more dangerous for others: The weight of a vehicle is a critical factor in car crashes, with heavier vehicles causing more fatalities in other cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. The heaviest vehicles kill more people than they save: Analysis of crash data shows that for every life saved by the heaviest 1% of SUVs and trucks, more than a dozen lives are lost…

Cars damage infrastructure in proportion to the fourth power of axle load. Not only are people in big cars killing people in little cars, they're also HEAVILY subsidized by the people they kill. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

Because that function is so convex, almost all of the cumulative damage to roads is done by lorries, buses and fuel trucks.

Cars, even big ones, are negligible compared to the fourth power of bus weight.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#82

Post by lostlogin »

dataflow wrote: post #58
thot_experiment wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars damage infrastructure in proportion to the fourth power of axle load. Not only are people in big cars killing people in little cars, they're also HEAVILY subsidized by the people they kill. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

I feel like this means taxes should be imposed on cars proportionally to the fourth power of axle load too.

The US is a poster child for ‘user pays’, but I wouldn’t fancy the chance of success.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#83

Post by erikaww »

dataflow wrote: post #58
thot_experiment wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars damage infrastructure in proportion to the fourth power of axle load. Not only are people in big cars killing people in little cars, they're also HEAVILY subsidized by the people they kill. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

I feel like this means taxes should be imposed on cars proportionally to the fourth power of axle load too.

Car makers would adjust but road freight would fight this tooth and nail

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#84

Post by unethical_ban »

dionian wrote: post #34
xwall wrote: post #15

Key Ideas: Heavier vehicles are safer for their occupants but more dangerous for others: The weight of a vehicle is a critical factor in car crashes, with heavier vehicles causing more fatalities in other cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. The heaviest vehicles kill more people than they save: Analysis of crash data shows that for every life saved by the heaviest 1% of SUVs and trucks, more than a dozen lives are lost…

Sounds like a heavier car is actually safer to put me and my loved ones inside, at least for now.

The comment ignores the discussion points around broader public safety, comments in a fashion criticized by the points made, and makes no effort to address any issue.

I think it's worth flagging, but also worth noting the issues in case it wasn't intentional.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#85

Post by chillingeffect »

uncanneyvalley wrote: post #40
zug_zug wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotally I'm having trouble finding certain small cars in stock (e.g. crown platinum) and suspect there is some self-interest in the dealership to explains this. I think car-buyers are often under an illusion that an suv is "more car" when actually it's exact same components and just a larger frame. They'd much prefer to sell you the high-margin product and pocket the difference.

Even worse, many times SUVs are built on the same chassis as cars. Honda builds both the HR-V and CR-V on the Civic chassis, the Toyota RAV-4 is a Corolla underneath, and the Ford Escape is built on the Focus. This means many mid-sized SUVs are just tall cars.

I switch bt my Camry and my partner's Sportage. The Kia is a lumbering fatsuit of a vehicle only carrying marginally more cargo and feels like a cartoon beach buggy. But as a nation organized for war, we're conditioned to worship infrastructure, uniforms, equipment, clipboards, and the like.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#86

Post by acd »

Let's consider the energy efficiency of moving a vehicle weighing about 2000kg to transport a person who weighs around 100kg. That's a ratio of vehicle to person of about 20:1.

A potential solution would be to give heavier cars worse crash ratings. This approach would take into account not only the safety of the occupants of the car but also the occupants of other vehicles.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#87

Post by huuhee3 »

throwtex wrote: post #78
xwall wrote: post #15

Key Ideas: Heavier vehicles are safer for their occupants but more dangerous for others: The weight of a vehicle is a critical factor in car crashes, with heavier vehicles causing more fatalities in other cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. The heaviest vehicles kill more people than they save: Analysis of crash data shows that for every life saved by the heaviest 1% of SUVs and trucks, more than a dozen lives are lost…

[flagged]

Lots of countries beyond Western world have growing middle class and rich people with big carbon footprint. Framing it just a Western issue is very outdated.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#89

Post by alamortsubite »

dataflow wrote: post #58
thot_experiment wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cars damage infrastructure in proportion to the fourth power of axle load. Not only are people in big cars killing people in little cars, they're also HEAVILY subsidized by the people they kill. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law

I feel like this means taxes should be imposed on cars proportionally to the fourth power of axle load too.

Also penalties for moving violations.

Re: Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them

#90

Post by occz »

ordu wrote: post #65
OutOfHere wrote: post #39

It's not just the kill rate. It's also how much more toxic tire dust pollution the heavier vehicles put out.

And I'd guess bigger cars lead to bigger road wear and tear, with all the consequences for the taxpayer and the environment.

For a country so profoundly claiming to be in favour of free market economics, the U.S sure does love its system of socialism for motor vehicles.
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