Re: Huge study about safety can be misinterpreted by SUV drivers

Oct 19, 2003 5 Replies


>


>>You may be right in many of your specifics, but I think that their
>>detail confuses the basic question here. The NHTSA study is not based
>>on arguments about physics, or even on crash tests. It is based or
>>real world data: it is based on then number of people who have in fact
>>died in SUVs as compared to the number of people who have died in
>>passenger cars of comparable or even less weight.
>>
>
>
> I'll tell you who is wrong in their specifics. Am I the only one to
> read the report that is being MIS-quoted?
>
> Driver Fatalities per Billion Vehicle Miles
> Very small 4-door cars 11.56
> Small 4-door cars 7.85
> Mid-size 4-door cars 5.26
> Large 4-door cars 3.30
> Compact pickup trucks 6.82
> Large (100-series) pickup trucks 4.07
> Small 4-door SUVs 5.68
> Mid-size 4-door SUVs 6.73
> Large 4-door SUVs 6.79
> Minivans 2.76
>
> The Four vehicle groups with the lowest fatality rates for their own
> drivers were minivans (2.76), large cars (3.30), large SUVs (3.79), and
> large (100-series) pickup trucks (4.07).
>
> Look who's on top.

Yep, and I own two minivans and a pickup, but not for reasons of safety. I also ride a motorcycle when weather permits and they typically don't fair nearly as well safety-wise, but are great from a fuel mileage perspective.


Matt



the '80s Jaguar XJ6 / XJ12s used to do that - they had fuel tanks in each rear quarter which would burst and spray fuel into the interior.. Changed with the XJ40s

the Kadett was a horrible piece of s*it, with a rusty body, awful gearbox and weak 4 cyl thrashy engine. The brakes were great and the handling was pretty good for a small car, but the build quality sucked..

I had one ...

Dave Milne, Scotland '99 TJ 4.0 Sahara

: >

: >Lloyd Parker wrote: : >

: >> Yeah, we got Pintos, Vegas, and Gremlins. : >

: >I can't speak to Vegas and Gremlins, but I did own a shiny new 1972 Pinto. : The : >only import car in the same price range that was better in my opinion was the : >Datsun 510 (and it was more expensive). The low cost Toyotas available in the : >Eastern US in 1972 were low grade junk and too small inside besides. : : I had a 1972 Corolla that was an excellent entry-level car. Opel was also : selling Kadetts and 1900s that were good cars. : : : >The VWs : >sold at that time were laugable. The 510 was a great little car. I probably : >would have bought one if there had been a dealer in my home town. The biggest : >problem the US companies had was their desire to not build low price cars : that : >would take sales away from their other models. : >

: >Ed : >

Too bad they never imported the Holden Torana--a slightly lengthened, reinforced Kadett that in one version, Holden actually had plans to stuff a 5-liter V8 into. They were also available in left-hand drive versions until about 1980, and the post-1974 models were actually slightly larger than Vegas (101" wheelbase), and _were_ available with 5-liter engines (or fours or sixes), as well as radial tuned rally suspension.

--Aardwolf.

real bad boys cars those. Lots on the road here in NZ, now they're a popular Drag conversion car, with big tubbed wheels and a 5.7L cehv 350ci engine running Menthol with a turbo per 2 cylinders.

rhys

I'm glad I didn't know that when I had one!

-- Rickety

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required