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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

#361

Post by Doxin »

Forge36 wrote: post #243
smolder wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have heard people lamenting the loss of small trucks for 20 years. There has never been another one as small or as light as a Ford Ranger or Toyota RN Pickup from the 90s. Rangers stopped being made and the Tacoma that replaced the Pickup got larger every model year until it was bigger and heavier than the original Tundra. It really is ridiculous because people love the utility of those smaller, more efficient old…

I grew up with my father's 84' Ranger. 2 seater. Everything else looked big by comparison. And many had a smaller bed!

A Renault Kangoo has twice the storage space as a F-150. One of those fits in the street parking spaces around here. The other sticks out a significant amount on all sides.

Big american SUVs are not only big. They are also just badly designed.

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

#363

Post by VieEnCode »

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…

"tax policies subsidize heavier vehicles"

Interesting post. Can I ask you/somebody to expand a bit on the quote above please?

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

#364

Post by abenga »

AstralJaeger wrote: post #181
creer wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They drive with a discipline / care that Americans refuse to even consider. Perhaps Americans should.

As someone who regularly drives on German highways, including the Autobahn, I may ad my two cents. While German drivers are often praised for their discipline, the reality I've observed, especially in unlimited speed sections of the Autobahn, can be quite different. Many drivers there seem to focus primarily on their perceived right to drive as fast as they want, often creating dangerous situations for others who may…

> comprehensive driver education systems

What are they learning, other than (at least partly) discipline and ways to be safer?

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

#365

Post by fennecfoxy »

It's happening everywhere though, SUV sales are way, way up. 99% of people don't need a car like that.

I went from NZ watching (medium sized, even!) utes climb literal mountains in rural areas to the literal flatland of London/Europe, watching people bound their way down narrow medieval lanes in a city in range rovers and defenders - 1 person per SUV.

We're so doomed, lmao.

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

#366

Post by dgfitz »

amrocha wrote: post #346
dgfitz wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stop pretending the rest of the world is like Tokyo, it isn’t.

The rest of the world can be like Tokyo, that's the important part. Weather is not a good enough reason for why we need cars in cities.

No, it’s can’t. Full stop, end of argument. You clearly are not well-traveled if you believe this.

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

#368

Post by matty22 »

smolder wrote: post #121
Tanoc wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is true to a ridiculous extent. Ford has no compact hatchback or sedan in the U.S., only the Brazilian built EcoSport. They killed all their cars in favour of CUVs and SUVs. Chevrolet no longer has the Sonic, having nixed those in 2022. Honda no longer has the Fit as of two years ago. Mitsubishi no longer sells the Mirage as of last month. Dodge hasn't had anything since the Dart died in 2016. The Jeep Renegade'…

I have heard people lamenting the loss of small trucks for 20 years. There has never been another one as small or as light as a Ford Ranger or Toyota RN Pickup from the 90s. Rangers stopped being made and the Tacoma that replaced the Pickup got larger every model year until it was bigger and heavier than the original Tundra. It really is ridiculous because people love the utility of those smaller, more efficient old…

I bought a Ford Maverick a few weeks back and absolutely loving it. It’s the size of what used to be the Ranger before the Ranger grew to be an F150, the F150 grew to be an F250, and so on.

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

#369

Post by dusted »

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…

This is my concern as well, it becomes a weapons race towards the most idiot-sized vehicle possible, since a reasonably sized vehicle will put you at a survival disadvantage.

I live in Denmark, where this problem is yet very much in its infancy, but it's a clear trend. I hope regulation catches up. Some kind of bounding-box volume and weight restriction would be nice.

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

#370

Post by Ekaros »

dusted wrote: post #369
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…

This is my concern as well, it becomes a weapons race towards the most idiot-sized vehicle possible, since a reasonably sized vehicle will put you at a survival disadvantage. I live in Denmark, where this problem is yet very much in its infancy, but it's a clear trend. I hope regulation catches up. Some kind of bounding-box volume and weight restriction would be nice.

There is weight restriction, 3500 kg albeit that is too much already. I would go just with strict limit on energy consumption, fuel specific one. Effectively stop too large EVs too.
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